Case studies : Occupational psychologist: Maria

Maria graduated from the University of Reading with a degree in psychology. She pursued an MSc in Occupational Psychology and is now working as an occupational psychologist.

I started my MSc in Occupational Psychology on a part-time basis whilst working as an occupational psychology consultant. I was keen to become a chartered occupational psychologist and had already gathered some evidence to put towards chartership prior to starting the course. Six months before the end of the programme, I began work for a psychometric testing and assessment company as a training consultant. This allowed me to gather more evidence for chartership. However, after a year I missed the variety of my old role, and I contacted my previous employer. My speculative approach paid off. I began work as an occupational psychologist with my previous employer and completed my chartership.

At this point, I hope to progress to a higher level within the area I currently work in and take on more responsibility over time. My role allows me to do some additional training whilst working which I feel will be valuable. I am currently looking into the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Professional Development Qualification.

I enjoy my role - in particular having to understand and solve clients' organisational problems. I work on a range of projects unlike many occupational psychologists who specialise in one aspect of the work. I feel some of the variety in my role comes from the organisation's history of working with the Armed Forces. However, some of the more challenging aspects of the job include getting to grips with new areas/topics at the start of new projects. There can often be a steep learning curve to get up-to-speed.

I would advise potential occupational psychologists that there can be intense competition for jobs. Persistence is vital. It can be very boring completing the paperwork to achieve chartered status, so it is best to start writing your logbook as soon as you start working. That way you don't forget what you have done and how long you spent on different tasks. There are many different areas where occupational psychologists can work, so it is worth researching what areas might interest you in order to consider all the options. Remember that you can always try a new area if you don't make the right decision at first.