Psychology and transferable skills

Some students who study A’ level Psychology will go on to higher education, whether or not they study Psychology. Others will go straight into the job market. Most students of Psychology, like those of other subjects, are unsure about their future career and should not think that studying Psychology inevitably means that you must become a psychologist. It is important to recognise that studying Psychology has provided you with transferable skills which you should mention on your application form and at a job interview. These transferable skills can be applied to many careers including market research, advertising, careers guidance, retail management, personnel, nursery, primary and secondary teaching, the police force and so on.

The skills you should emphasise when applying for a job are:

Literacy

You have learnt how to write a well planned and balanced essay with structured arguments for and against various positions. You have also learnt how to write structured reports with clear use of headings and sub-headings.

Numeracy

You have a good understanding of statistics, can interpret numerical data in the form of graphs and charts. You can appreciate not only the use but the misuse of statistics. (If asked for an example of misuse, mention the interpretation of correlational data as if it implied cause and effect – before the interview try to think of a recent misinterpretation by a politician; it’s not difficult!)

Computer literacy

Many of you will have used a word processing package to produce reports, perhaps using it to produce graphs and charts. You may also have used a statistics package to do statistical tests.

Interpersonal / communication skills

You will have learnt these through the study of Social Psychology, by working in groups and by making presentations. You will also have learnt not to offer simplistic explanations for complex human behaviour or offer obvious solutions to complex problems. You may also be able to discuss the complex effects of stress, motivation in the workplace and so on.

Research skills

You have learnt to gather both quantitative and qualitative data and condense it into a comprehensive yet manageable form.

Time management / planning

You have planned and written up complex pieces of work in the form of coursework. In doing this you have had to organise your time effectively in order to plan, read and select relevant background information, collect data, organise it and finally write up the complete report.

Specific knowledge gained

A knowledge of Psychology has helped you to appreciate the views of others, to be able to work in a team and to understand the importance of good communication skills. Before the interview look carefully at the job specification and try to select relevant areas of Psychology. Be able to talk about them in terms that a non-psychologist (the interviewer) would understand. For example:

•Working with children – attachment, Piaget, gender, play

•Nursing – attachment, stress, abnormality, conformity

•Occupational Psychology – stress, leadership, Environmental Psychology