In this increasingly competitive job market, many graduates are finding it harder to make sure they stand out amongst a sea of equally qualified applicants. Many applicants are applying for jobs with at least degree and a dissertation topic to talk about in an interview, so having something more than just this to talk about in an interview is a must!
Use your contacts
You might find that asking your supervisor or personal tutor yields some possible options for gaining work experience. For example, while I was running my dissertation project, I got involved with another project of my supervisor’s so I had more than just my dissertation to talk about in an interview.
Shadowing
Write to local psychologists or researchers and ask if you could observe them working for some time, even if it’s only a day. This will give you an insight into what their job involves and could help you make valuable contacts for the future.
Get involved in local organizations
Local charities may be keen to take on enthusiastic people to help. You could volunteer with outreach schemes or even get involved with any campaigns they might be running. Even if the subject area isn’t identical to the one you want to get in to, the general experience of juggling tasks, working efficiently and problem solving will help in the future.
