Katy Davies

Why did you choose Leeds University Business School?

After thoroughly enjoying my undergraduate Psychology degree, I knew a career in psychology was for me. I found several areas very interesting, and so took on some work experience with an independent Occupational Psychologist specialising in psychometrics.

I loved it, and so a British Psychological Society-accredited MSc was the next step. The Leeds MSc Organizational Psychology course stood out with its world-class reputation, excellent teaching, links with industry and focus on nurturing commercial skills.

Tell us about your course – why did you choose it? 

The eclectic mix of people from all around the world in one course - we had Lithuanian, Hungarian, Canadian, Ghanaian, Cypriot, and many more - was fascinating, and I loved learning about all the different cultures. At the end of the course I won the award for Outstanding Academic Performance, which was very gladly received! I did work very hard on the course and it was brilliant to be awarded something so prestigious.

What were your career aspirations when you arrived?

I vaguely knew that I would like to continue with Occupational Psychology prior to the course, but didn't have much information to go on. However, enjoying the MSc so much made me realise wholeheartedly that this was the career path for me, and that I would aim to become a Chartered Psychologist.

I gained invaluable skills and experience (including the Occupational Test User qualification), and there is no doubt that I'm in a substantially better position career-wise having completed the course.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School? 

I have been assisting with research at the Socio-Technical Centre - my teachers have become colleagues, an initially odd but very nice transition! They are all great people and its been a pleasure being able to work alongside them. This has given me the opportunity to put key skills I learnt on the course into practice, such as data analysis, questionnaire development, article and report writing.

What are your ambitions for the future?

To carry on progressing within the Occupational Psychology world, eventually becoming a Chartered Occupational Psychologist.

Do you think your experience and skills gained here will help you in your future career plans? In what way?

The Organizational Psychology course is specifically designed to maximise the commercial skills needed within this area, and throughout the course opportunities were afforded to us to increase employability (such as a thorough grounding in research methods, the Occupational Test User course, real-world challenges working directly with organisations, and many more).

What was your impression/experience of the facilities, the staff, your peers, the student union, the City of Leeds and the region itself?

Leeds deserves its glowing reputation as a great city to study in, and there really is 'something for everyone'. The course teachers were not only very experienced and brilliant at what they do, but are also very supportive, personable people, which makes a huge difference.

What would you say is your defining memory of studying here?

I've gained so much from this course - friendships, invaluable experience, and a feeling of being 'on the right track' in terms of jobs and careers, which is a good feeling!