Note: This post is not intended to pressure fresh graduates into “improving themselves” during this period of time. It is understandable and very human if you are facing mental health struggles during this difficult period! If your day-to-day living is psychologically affected by Covid-19, please do seek professional help. A potential option would be to call the National CARE hotline which was specially set up to provide support for individuals like yourself.
Remember, you are not alone in your struggle.
With the implementation of circuit breaking measures by the government, many organisations have decided to cancel their internships or withhold hiring decisions to cut costs, and to manage the complications introduced by this pandemic. Apart from that, many organisations that offer volunteering opportunities have decided to halt volunteering to reduce the number of contact with beneficiaries. As a Year 4 student in my final semester, my batch mates and I are plagued with the potential possibility of graduating without securing employment. For the handful of us who enjoy volunteering, we aren’t able to spend our time on volunteering anymore. In addition, graduation trips have been cancelled and we are likely going to spend an uncertain amount of time stuck at home instead of celebrating this valuable milestone in life. All these sound depressing and naturally, most people in this position would be upset and anxious.
However, all is not lost! We can seek the opportunity to improve ourselves in the meantime. If you are stuck in the same position as me and unsure what to do while seeking a job, here are my humble suggestions on what we could do to increase our employability as a Psychology student in the meantime!
1. Learn a new language or a dialect!
While on my job search, I noticed that several organisations, especially those in the social service sector/healthcare sector cited the knowledge of dialect/other languages as either a requirement or a preferred criteria. As a multilingual society, the use of dialect or languages such as Malay/Tamil would be extremely helpful in reaching out to individuals from all walks of life, allowing you to provide value to the company, thus increasing your employability. However, this is, of course, not limited to dialects and the above mentioned languages, with the increase in expats/foreign talents/workers in Singapore, other popular languages such as Japanese/Korean/French would allow you to communicate effectively with people from different nationalities. You can even attempt to learn the Singapore Sign Language!
Choosing which language to learn would really depend on your interest and career goals. For example, if you intend to work in a French MNC and/or you are interested in the French culture, learning French would give you an extra edge over other Singaporean competitors.
2. Think about your career goals
Since Psychology is a general Bachelor’s Degree, I often meet fellow Psychology course mates who are unsure what they would like to pursue after they graduate. In a fast-paced society like Singapore, it may often be difficult to find time to reflect on our career goals and come up with career plans. Now would be a good time to research about the various jobs you could apply for with a Psychology degree and reflect on whether these jobs align with your interests and skillsets.
Even if you do have a career plan, this plan may be affected by the Covid-19 situation. Therefore, it is a good time to think about contingencies and backup plans that may help you eventually get to your desired career destination.
3. Revise or pick up knowledge of statistical software
As a Psychology student, it is crucial that we have a fundamental understanding of statistics to understand our study material and research papers. With Psychology being a knowledge-based degree, possessing hard skills such as knowing how to run statistical software may give you an extra edge over other job competitors. Based on my understanding, there are courses in universities that teach students how to use either R Studio/SPSS. However, these courses may not go in-depth as they are focused on theories. Having an advanced understanding of these software may deem you as more valuable to your potential employer, especially if you wish to pursue a career in research. Additionally, as most Psychology students do know R Studio/SPSS, learning a new statistical software not commonly taught in universities can also give you an edge. If you are unsure of which to learn, you can consider researching on the popular software used by companies first. If you intend to learn R Studio, we have a basic introduction by Jasmine from the SG Psych Stuff Team that you can refer to. https://sgpsychstuff.blogspot.com/2019/06/jas-what-is-r.html
4. Build your connections
I’m a strong advocate for the use of LinkedIn (THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST) as it helps you to find people with similar interests, career goals and passion. You may even reach out to professionals who have been in the industry for ages. Without such a platform, access to these professionals may not be so readily available. Take some time to think about the career you wish to pursue and your interests. Then, you can consider reaching out to professionals working in your field of interest and ask them more about their experiences and advice. Not only do you gain more knowledge, you also obtain a valuable connection that may help you when you enter the sector!
5. Write a research paper
I know, I know. Why would I willingly write a research paper if it isn’t for a class?
Well, if you wish to do post-graduate studies, especially the PhD programme, having publications at an undergraduate level is impressive and increases your chances of getting into your desired programme! Of course, with the current situation, it is hard to obtain participants especially if you have to conduct interviews. However, let’s not forget that we can conduct meta-analyses and literature reviews! If you are passionate about a topic and notice many research gaps in the literature, it is a great time for you to put your 4 years of experience to writing a publishable paper. You could reach out to friends you trust or connections!
6. Sign up for free/cheap online courses that would improve your employability.
There are currently many websites offering free courses and it is an opportune time for you to sign up for them. A simple search on Google would lead you to pages of sites offering free online courses. If you are interested in the healthcare sector like me, you could seek courses relating to healthcare organisation or management, for example. If you are just looking to diversify your skillset, there are various courses ranging from coding to business management which you can sign up for. Be sure to research on the credibility of these websites or trainers conducting these courses. You do not want to be learning the wrong information!
7. Read our SG Psych Stuff Blog!
Last but not least, if you want more information on Singapore’s Psychology scene or more on Psychology career prospects, you can always read our blog! We have been around for almost 9 years and we blog regularly so we definitely have loads of content for you to check out! If you have any queries, you can also contact our email sgpsychstud@gmail.com or reach out to us through our social media channels.
I hope this post has been useful!
Remember, you are not alone in your struggle.
With the implementation of circuit breaking measures by the government, many organisations have decided to cancel their internships or withhold hiring decisions to cut costs, and to manage the complications introduced by this pandemic. Apart from that, many organisations that offer volunteering opportunities have decided to halt volunteering to reduce the number of contact with beneficiaries. As a Year 4 student in my final semester, my batch mates and I are plagued with the potential possibility of graduating without securing employment. For the handful of us who enjoy volunteering, we aren’t able to spend our time on volunteering anymore. In addition, graduation trips have been cancelled and we are likely going to spend an uncertain amount of time stuck at home instead of celebrating this valuable milestone in life. All these sound depressing and naturally, most people in this position would be upset and anxious.
However, all is not lost! We can seek the opportunity to improve ourselves in the meantime. If you are stuck in the same position as me and unsure what to do while seeking a job, here are my humble suggestions on what we could do to increase our employability as a Psychology student in the meantime!
1. Learn a new language or a dialect!
While on my job search, I noticed that several organisations, especially those in the social service sector/healthcare sector cited the knowledge of dialect/other languages as either a requirement or a preferred criteria. As a multilingual society, the use of dialect or languages such as Malay/Tamil would be extremely helpful in reaching out to individuals from all walks of life, allowing you to provide value to the company, thus increasing your employability. However, this is, of course, not limited to dialects and the above mentioned languages, with the increase in expats/foreign talents/workers in Singapore, other popular languages such as Japanese/Korean/French would allow you to communicate effectively with people from different nationalities. You can even attempt to learn the Singapore Sign Language!
Choosing which language to learn would really depend on your interest and career goals. For example, if you intend to work in a French MNC and/or you are interested in the French culture, learning French would give you an extra edge over other Singaporean competitors.
2. Think about your career goals
Even if you do have a career plan, this plan may be affected by the Covid-19 situation. Therefore, it is a good time to think about contingencies and backup plans that may help you eventually get to your desired career destination.
3. Revise or pick up knowledge of statistical software
As a Psychology student, it is crucial that we have a fundamental understanding of statistics to understand our study material and research papers. With Psychology being a knowledge-based degree, possessing hard skills such as knowing how to run statistical software may give you an extra edge over other job competitors. Based on my understanding, there are courses in universities that teach students how to use either R Studio/SPSS. However, these courses may not go in-depth as they are focused on theories. Having an advanced understanding of these software may deem you as more valuable to your potential employer, especially if you wish to pursue a career in research. Additionally, as most Psychology students do know R Studio/SPSS, learning a new statistical software not commonly taught in universities can also give you an edge. If you are unsure of which to learn, you can consider researching on the popular software used by companies first. If you intend to learn R Studio, we have a basic introduction by Jasmine from the SG Psych Stuff Team that you can refer to. https://sgpsychstuff.blogspot.com/2019/06/jas-what-is-r.html
4. Build your connections
I’m a strong advocate for the use of LinkedIn (THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST) as it helps you to find people with similar interests, career goals and passion. You may even reach out to professionals who have been in the industry for ages. Without such a platform, access to these professionals may not be so readily available. Take some time to think about the career you wish to pursue and your interests. Then, you can consider reaching out to professionals working in your field of interest and ask them more about their experiences and advice. Not only do you gain more knowledge, you also obtain a valuable connection that may help you when you enter the sector!
5. Write a research paper
I know, I know. Why would I willingly write a research paper if it isn’t for a class?
Well, if you wish to do post-graduate studies, especially the PhD programme, having publications at an undergraduate level is impressive and increases your chances of getting into your desired programme! Of course, with the current situation, it is hard to obtain participants especially if you have to conduct interviews. However, let’s not forget that we can conduct meta-analyses and literature reviews! If you are passionate about a topic and notice many research gaps in the literature, it is a great time for you to put your 4 years of experience to writing a publishable paper. You could reach out to friends you trust or connections!
6. Sign up for free/cheap online courses that would improve your employability.
There are currently many websites offering free courses and it is an opportune time for you to sign up for them. A simple search on Google would lead you to pages of sites offering free online courses. If you are interested in the healthcare sector like me, you could seek courses relating to healthcare organisation or management, for example. If you are just looking to diversify your skillset, there are various courses ranging from coding to business management which you can sign up for. Be sure to research on the credibility of these websites or trainers conducting these courses. You do not want to be learning the wrong information!
7. Read our SG Psych Stuff Blog!
Last but not least, if you want more information on Singapore’s Psychology scene or more on Psychology career prospects, you can always read our blog! We have been around for almost 9 years and we blog regularly so we definitely have loads of content for you to check out! If you have any queries, you can also contact our email sgpsychstud@gmail.com or reach out to us through our social media channels.
I hope this post has been useful!
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