Following numerous requests, by e-mail, telephone, carrier pigeon, Amerindian smoke signal or in person, from psychology students and recent graduates from all over France, I’ve gone off my own beaten track and set about writing this rather unusual article: the presentation of my modest advice on how best to succeed in finding a job in psychology. Ouch, a thorny subject!

Before getting to the heart of the matter (and what a matter it is!), I’d like to make it clear that the opinions expressed in this article are strictly personal and in no way dependent on the magazines with which I usually collaborate. In short, I am an author and not a journalist. This list is far from exhaustive. I therefore warmly encourage you to make your own contribution after reading this article or, even better, on the La psy contre-attaque facebook page (the more psycho-paths, the merrier).

One last (optimistic) word before I start. I’ll say it again, and I mean it: if the phantasmatic « piston » is a comfort, it’s NOT an absolute necessity if you want to make your professional project a reality (for the record, I’ve never benefited from one myself).

That’s all there is to it. No more introductions, now it’s time for action…

1. Multiply internships

Accumulate as many internships as possible throughout your university career! Don’t wait until your third year of undergraduate studies to get started. If your faculty issues you with an internship agreement in L1 or L2, take advantage of the opportunity to multiply the number of internships you take, both during the academic year and during the summer vacations. If not, go on to plan B (see tip number 2).

2. Do all kinds of odd jobs

Small jobs » or « food jobs » are just as important as internships in the job market. They offer an excellent alternative when your faculty is unable to issue an internship agreement. So don’t hesitate to highlight them on your CV, and draw attention to the skills and know-how you’ve developed. There are two major advantages. Let me explain:

– First advantage: in many cases, the skills and knowledge acquired during these professional experiences are directly, or indirectly, transferable to your future career as a psychologist (working with children or the elderly, as a tutor for teenagers, as a secretary in a CMP, etc.).

– The second advantage: these seemingly innocuous professional experiences bring you face to face with the reality of the job market, the codes and implicit rules of private and public companies, as well as their recruitment methods and requirements. In short, the realities of professional life.

3. Explain your training

On the job market, the content of a psychologist’s training is little known to the general public, and can therefore seem confusing to any non-psychology professional (doctors included!). You’ll agree that it’s not always easy to make the connection between the title of a diploma and the content of the training associated with it. For some of the professionals you’ll meet in the corridors of a PMI or around the hospital coffee machine, your level of education and its content will remain a mystery. You’ll be confronted with prejudices and fantasies of all kinds. You might as well get used to it right away.

It’s up to you to explain and promote the content of your training, in terms of know-how and interpersonal skills, in clear, precise language. Avoid jargon, whether on your CV, cover letter or during a recruitment interview. Unless you’re a psychology buff, you run the risk of being misunderstood by your interviewer. In short, « sadistic anal position » and « WISC-IV » are terms to be avoided in professional encounters with the general public!

What’s more, you’ll find that in « real life » (i.e. the world of work), the name of your degree and the name of your university will lose a lot of importance. It doesn’t matter whether you come from a particular faculty or not, your experience and personality will take precedence. That’s right!

4. Watch out for your e-reputation

Of course, don’t forget to keep an eye on your e-reputation. Many recruiters « google » their candidates before offering them an interview. It’s common practice these days. If the photo of your eloquent Saturday night dance in a Parisian bar motivates your friends, it won’t necessarily be to your future employer’s taste! A bon entendeur…

And if you’re so familiar with the Internet, why not take advantage of it to build your e-reputation by investing in professional networks? Build your CV online (on DoYouBuzz, for example), present your career path on LinkedIn or Viadéo, and get in touch with thousands of psychologists and school directors in your region.

5. Develop a specialty

The job market for psychologists is fiercely competitive. That’s why I can only advise you to develop a specialty that will add real value in the eyes of a recruiter. If this specialty is also rooted in a non-academic environment, it will be all the more promising. For example: you’ve been a musician since you were a child and are developing a project to become a music therapist. Here’s a relevant way of combining your life as a musician with your profession as a psychologist, and thus differentiating yourself from your colleagues.

6 – Ask your Master’s supervisors!

Make your Master’s supervisors aware of your future and perilous professional integration. As most of them are teacher-researchers, they don’t necessarily have practical experience. So don’t wait for them to offer you concrete help in this area. Why not take the opportunity to ask them to organize career preparation workshops as part of your university course? Some universities are already doing this, usually at the request of the students themselves. So don’t hesitate! The fruits of your efforts will benefit every generation of students who follow you.

To find out more about these workshops, visit the SOFIP (Service Offre de Formation et Insertion Professionnelle) page at Université Paris Descartes http://www.univ-paris5.fr/ORIENTATION-INSERTION/Se-professionnaliser-s-inserer/Ateliers-Cap-Emploi

7. Have confidence in yourself and your skills!

Whether you realize it or not, the university (or school) that trained you has provided you with a wealth of knowledge and skills. And, good news, these skills are (more or less) applicable in the field with real, flesh-and-blood people! In many cases, it’s only once you’ve immersed yourself in a structure, or as part of a multi-disciplinary team, that the young psychologist becomes aware of his or her specificity and added value.

And, without resorting to « over-the-counter » psychology (which would be the last straw for the psychologist in me), you’ll find it hard to sell your know-how to a recruiter if you’re not convinced of the richness of the fruit of your academic, professional and personal experience. Isn’t confidence the cornerstone of success? That’s the question.

8. Fine-tune your application before you start

Of course, you need to take the time to make sure your cover letter and CV are well thought-out, both in terms of form and content, before you decide to send them out to the 12,675 employers in your region! This maturing stage is essential. A single spelling mistake on your CV, and your dream job as a psychologist could go to your colleague. You’re not looking for an internship (or a job), you’re offering your services. There’s a difference.

It’s true that professional integration is perilous. But the best is yet to come 😉

Psychologically yours,

Héloïse