Your Future: Careers and Employability
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We are committed to providing you with guidance to find direction on your career path and increase your employability.
Please click here to see the School of Psychology’s Employability Strategy: employability strategy_AUG 2015.
As part of your education in Psychology, you will learn about the different career options that are available within the discipline and for someone with a psychology degree. As time goes by, your interests will develop and you will start to think about your career plans. Throughout the year, we provide opportunities to help you find a direction for your future career (see below for a list of upcoming events and useful websites). Two documents that you may find useful to read are the National Union of Student’s booklet, ‘Working towards your future: Making the most of your time in higher education’, and the Higher Education Academy’s booklet, ‘Psychology Student: Employability Guide’.
Information about the many different career paths available to you is presented in posters around the School and on our website. They outline what qualifications you will need and the sorts of jobs undertaken by individuals in each of these different areas. Every year we run a careers panel session with alumni to help students learn about possible careers with a Psychology degree. We will inform you of community volunteering opportunities. In addition, there are a range of employability resources (e.g., books) in the Library and Careers and Employability Service for you to use.
If you have any questions about career development or employability, please contact Dr Tom Randell, on T.D.W.Randell@soton.ac.uk.
Careers Support at the University of Southampton
The Careers and Employability Service provides support to students at all levels of study and has a range of opportunities on offer. Research* shows that graduates with no previous work experience are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and over 30% of positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for that organisation. The Service provides drop-in advice, 1:1 guidance, workshops, skills sessions, Careers Fairs and employer led events to support your career planning as well as the following opportunities:
*High Fliers 2016
Excel Southampton Internships
The Excel Southampton Internship Programme offers 4-12 weeks paid internships which enhance your CV, expand your network and ope graduate recruitment opportunities.
Business Innovation Programme
The Business Innovation Programme provides an opportunity to develop your business acumen, team working and problem-solving skills by working on an 8 week project put forward by local businesses or not-for-profit organisations.
Year in Employment Placements
The Year In Employment is a work placement of up to 12 months’ duration taken after your second year of study, enabling you to develop the skills employers value and gain insight to an industry of your choice. Eligibility criteria is available here – please check before applying.
Completing a placement as part of the Year in Employment can bring benefits including:
Valuable experience to demonstrate to future employers- Personal development to enhance your employability
- The opportunity to build a network of contacts
- Confirmation on your suitability for your career path
- Career inspiration for those unsure of where they’d thrive
Volunteering Bank
Volunteering is a great way to help you gain many of the skills employers are looking for, build your network and develop yourself in new ways.
Professional Accreditation
The BSc Psychology programme is BPS accredited.
Employability events within the Faculty
The Careers and Employability Service work closely with Schools and Faculties to provide targeted careers support within and alongside your curriculum. Activities and opportunities may appear within the timetable, or be advertised within your Faculty. Examples include lectures and workshops, online learning options, and events featuring alumni/employers. There are often opportunities to connect with organisations that offer themed events focused on employability. Some companies offer projects linked to dissertations or specific research.
Thinking about a Postgraduate Career?
Perhaps you are considering Postgraduate study. There is a wide range of programmes leading to various qualifications available to you, and selecting the appropriate programme may not be easy. The first thing to realise is that you need to make a well informed decision and, therefore, the key is to obtain all the information you need. The Faculty of Social and Human Sciences always aims to retain its best and brightest students for research. However when collecting information about postgraduate studies, you should cast your net wide. You need to select an area that interests you – a difficult task in itself because you will also seek an area that has good employment prospects. There is also the choice between taught postgraduate programmes leading towards a Master of Science (MSc) and/or research postgraduate degrees.
The AU is keen to encourage you if you wish to pursue further work in Psychology. We run a range of taught and research degrees, including:
- Certificate and Diploma courses in CBT.
- MSc courses in Clinical Psychology, Health Psychology, and Research Methods.
- MPhil/PhD courses in Psychology, and Health Psychology Research and Professional practice.
- Professional Doctorate programmes in Clinical Psychology and Educational Psychology.
If you are thinking about doing a PhD, talk to the Postgraduate Research Director, Dr Tim Wildschut (Email: R.T.Wildschut@soton.ac.uk), and/or have a chat with our Postgraduates.