The Psychology Student’s Career Survival Guide review

‘The Psychology Student’s Career Survival Guide: Here Be Dragons’ is a brand new book written by University of Wolverhampton’s Professor Alex Forsythe with Francesca Forsythe

University of Wolverhampton postgraduate student Angela Williams has written the following review on the book’s launch.

The Psychology Student’s Career Survival Guide

As a postgraduate occupational psychology student and aspiring psychologist, I am currently researching how to take the first steps of my career path within the field. Graduates are faced with the new uncertainty brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and all of the organisational changes that continues to present, meaning this is a timely, greatly received, novel guide.

The book consists of 231 pages and nine chapters; each sets out to provide extensive invaluable advice and tips to help students on their psychology career path in the new fast paced world that we are currently faced with. The book is very well written and visually pleasing, holding the reader engagement as they move through the stages. Extensive contributions of career development guidance provide examples of the types of jobs that are available to psychology students and graduates.

This is an empowering introductory text for undergraduate students who are embarking on their career path within this field. The guidance continues to assists right through to postgraduate level and entering the workplace. The light-hearted humour blended with academic prose increases the enjoyment factor of the book, allowing the reader to relate to the author. I have laughed out loud whilst reading this book and felt reassured by Professor Forsythe’s message that life is not always plain sailing and that mistakes are an important opportunity to learn from. Reflection exercises within enable the reader insights and assist learning for personal understanding, knowledge, and action, to enhance self-development and professional performance.

The chapters are filled with well-placed examples of evidence-based approaches to planning a successful career, including: developing a personal brand, first impressions, how to identify pit falls and best practices. A continued explanation on emerging topics, cleverly combined with a set of tools and techniques that assist the reader’s career development long after education and throughout their career. A unique resource that offers guidance on how to achieve senior leadership in an organisation. An insight into diverse psychology student and graduate experiences of how their degree has provided them with transferable skills to aid progression into a range of roles. These insights showcase the distinct possibilities with knowledge gained from a degree in psychology and the adaptable impact on career opportunities.

My expectations were exceeded, it is riveting, relatable and reassuring that a longevity of career in psychology is within reach irrespective of the graduate path embarked upon. I would highly recommend this book to undergraduate psychology students or applicants entering the psychology field seeking advice.