糖心原创

Headshot of psychology graduate Caitlin

By Caitlin Cook,

I knew when I was applying to university that I wanted to do the optional placement year as part of my Psychology degree. To me, it was a no-brainer, as it's a great way of building up your experience in a relevant field whilst still accessing student services and support.

If you are also studying psychology, you will most likely already be aware of how competitive the field is. This is something I became aware of very quickly, which made getting a placement even more important to me as I wanted a way to stand out amongst other graduates.

My placement

I was fortunate enough to secure my dream placement working in clinical psychology at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is a specialist paediatric hospital in London and one of the top 5 children’s hospitals globally.

I often get questions from other students who are considering a placement year, or who are in the process of applying. Here, I’ve written my advice for students who are considering a placement, actively applying and those who have been successful in securing a placement – so hopefully, whatever stage you may be at, there is something useful for you to take away!

Students who may be considering a placement year (1st year):

• Start building up your experience early. Take advantage of the smaller workload in first year and pick up a volunteering role or join a society – anything that will help you develop your skills and that you can talk about in your CV and during interviews. It doesn’t have to be a massive commitment – even just an hour a week is great and will allow you to still manage your uni workload alongside any other commitments, such as paid employment.

• Explore your interests. If you’re not sure yet what you want to do career-wise, I would pick whatever sparks your interest. The Psychology Insights Project is a great scheme that runs in the Spring Semester and gives you the opportunity to partner with a local organisation and work as part of a group to conduct research for them. There is also a fantastic Student Volunteer Research Scheme (SVORE) within the School of Psychology which enables students to get research experience working with academic staff on real life research projects. These types of experience are what will really help you when it comes to applying for placement opportunities in your second year.
• Keep on top of your uni work. If you’re thinking about doing a placement, there is usually an average grade requirement to transfer onto the 4-year course. This is worth keeping in mind for your first and second years of study!

Students who are currently seeking a placement (2nd Year):

• Consider what you want to get out of a placement. Is it working with people, developing your data analysis skills, getting clinical experience, or something else entirely? This will help you to tailor your placement search.
• Explore financial options. Unfortunately, many psychology placements are unpaid, so look into the different options that are available to you, like flexible working patterns, as well as extra funding through bursaries or scholarships, which can really help.
• Be proactive in seeking out opportunities. It is down to you to secure your placement, but rest assured there is lots of support and guidance available across the university. The Psychology Careers Moodle Page is a great place to start, or you could book an appointment with a careers adviser to consider your options.
• Take initiative. Consider approaching organisations to ask if they can offer a placement, even if it's not advertised. If it's somewhere you would be really interested in working and can demonstrate your enthusiasm, it's definitely worth asking the question – the worst they can say is no!
• Utilise LinkedIn – you can search for people who previously did a placement in an area of interest for you and reach out to them to ask about how they found the experience and any advice they might have for applications.

Students starting a placement (2nd/3rd Year):

• Attend the workshops ran by the placements team – these are really helpful in preparing you to start your placement, and they are also a great way of meeting other students who are going on placement.
• Utilise the support from your placement tutor and make sure you speak to them if you have any concerns or issues whilst on placement. They can offer really good advice especially when it comes to things like getting the most out of placement and navigating potentially challenging conversations with colleagues.
• Set goals at the start of your placement year in relation to what you want to achieve/learn. One goal I set myself was to improve my public speaking and presentation skills. I was able to share this with my supervisor who could keep me accountable and put me forward for any relevant opportunities.
• Learn from others -ask to set up a call with the previous placement student, if there was one!

Overall, a placement year is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons, gain a deeper understanding of Psychology and discover your career aspirations beyond the classroom.

My experiences during my placement year have contributed immensely to my professional and personal development, building my confidence, skills and sense of direction. I would strongly encourage any student considering a placement year to embrace the opportunity – it can be a truly transformative experience.

Want to learn more about the opportunities available to you? Check out our page on what you can do with your psychology degree