Download the file here : https://tinyurl.com/yyeudl42
Arthur Peltier : Hello I’m Arthur Peltier, I’m in my first year of master degree and wanted to discuss with a person in second year of master degree in order to learn from your experiences, do you agree ?
Anaëlle Colas : Yes hello, I agree indeed. I’m Anaëlle Colas, I’m in my second year of master degree in psychology.
AP : So, is there a particular person who made you want to become a psychologist ?
AC : Yes, at the end of my high school degree I met a professional, an IO psychologist who told me about her work. She was so motivated and what she told me, I really liked it, it was a first meeting that made me want to become one and now here I am. Why did you choose IO Psychology ?
AP : I want to become an organizational psychologist since high school, I just wanted to have an helpful and social job and my political convictions made me want to defend workers against employer excesses and to help them improve their everyday life. After that, I made a little internship with an organizational psychologist and it reinforced my choice.
AC : Okay, very nice.
AP : Where did you make your internship and what did you do there ?
AC : Last year I did my internship in a firm called Fidélia assistance, which is an insurance company, actually it takes the calls from people who are insured and help them with their issue according to their contracts. So, there I recruited the seasonal workers whose job was to answer calls of people having issues with their car and help them with their insurance contracts.
AP : Okay.
AC : Now tell me, what kind of job do you want to do after your diploma ? What is your dream job after the diploma ?
AP : I’m not sure yet about my dream job, but maybe organizational psychologist in a company or in the public sector and if is not possible I would like to become a career counsellor. I’m waiting for the internships during my master degree to precise my ideas
AC : Okay, lovely.
AP : Did you have difficulties during your first year at university ? And now is it difficult to make a research project ?
AC : Yeah, about the first part, yeah. The first year at the university was difficult, it was hard because there was a lot of first year students like me, I was only 17 when I arrived and we were all quite lost in ou private life, being independent for the first time and what was asked in psychology courses. Also the exams were horrible, they were really really hard… But at the end it all went together I guess ! And about the second part, about my research project, I like that I’m autonomous in my research project, I can take the knowledge I gathered and put it together and do something where I chose my subject, I can write what I want in my final report.
AP : Okay !
AC : Now about you, if you were talking to a high school students wanting to study psychology, what would you tell him/her ?
AP : I don’t know if I can give some good advice but I think I would say to high school students with difficulties that psychology studies are accessible, with work and singleness you can make it, it’s not going to be fun all the time but you can make it.
AC : Yes, that’s true !
AP : Did you have professional experiences which you think that the action of a I-O psychologist would have been necessary ?
AC : Yes,actually I worked as a secretary, in a Crous accommodation facility, so I would take care of the students coming to get their accomodation and in my service there was quite a lot of problems, between my service and the hierarchy, with the orders that were given. My colleagues were all quite in burnouts situations, they were not really happy with what they were doing, so I think an IO psychologist would have been helpful there to be between, or work around communication and to help with the health issues.
AP : Okay.
AC : What is your favourite psychology theory/school of thought ?
AP : My favorite one is the humanist school of thought, I like that the patient is called a client and that the solutions are considered inside everyone. Humanists think that the psychologist doesn’t bring any solutions but help the client find his inner self. That’s why I like it.
AC : It’s indeed very nice !
AP : Do you think it’s obligatory to be passionate of psychology to become a psychologist ?
AC : Yes, I really do believe this ! First I think that psychology is something really asked for in the first year of studies , then you still need five years to go through, so it’s important to know why you’re there, to be motivated and to like your subject. Also the subject is humankind ! So you gotta like it too, it’s about passion in a way too and I think it’s more about an identity thing, where you study for five years or more and it’s not a work that is really recognized so it’s important to have a certain passion to drive you and know who you are as a professional.
AP : Nice.
AC : Tell me, if you hadn’t studied psychology, what would you have done ?
AP : I think a manual job, I love cycling and when I have to repair my bike it’s not boring, I like to learn how a bike works and how to make it last in time. But I’m also interested by the permaculture, I would like to learn how to grow plants with the most natural and smart ways that exist in order to have a lot of fruits and vegetables while respecting nature. But for now I’m focusing on psychology. Did your internship change your future ambitions and your vision of I-O psychology ?
AC : I think now, yes, it’s clearer what I want and what kind of career I’m aspiring to do. I think my internship gave me a different light on what I’m good at and what I must improve. Also I realized I really liked working with different, with other people first, in services for example, and with people who have other professions, to be in a multidisciplinary, kind of environnement, indeed. And you, do you already have an internship ?
AP : No i don’t have one yet, to be honest I didn’t start looking but I will get going soon. Ideally I would like to have one with an I-O psychologist or a career counsellor but if I can not find one I will not turn my nose up and i will take what comes.
AC : Okay, I hope you will find one that you will like very soon. Thank you !
AP : Thank you !