And so the Birkbeck Psychological Society went full steam ahead with an event aimed at students that want to consider their options for the future. Birkbeck’s Head of organizational psychology, Pat Tissington, came and spoke with around 30 eager undergraduates about careers in
psychology.

He pointed out that a degree(psychology or otherwise) is a valuable passport towards getting a start in the field that you really want to specialise in, and that it’s important to be realistic about the fields
of work that you wish to go into.

I personally took the opportunity to bombard him with questions about how I could get into a career as a famous psychologist on the television, to which Professor Tissington pointed out that you don’t
get paid for that kind of thing as it’s a media opportunity that gives you extra promotion, doh! Time for a rethink!

The professor humbly told students about how he got to where he is today, starting off as an undergraduate aged 29, after which going on a range of careers including a nice stint in the army. He illustrated that sometimes, careers can’t be planned and that its often a case that people end up where they end up through resilience and going where the wind takes them.

Darren Shaw