Chloé : As every Monday it’s the day of presentation of a student’s course of study, given the health situation, this exchange took place a few days ago by telephone. But this monday it’s special, Sarah doesn’t know me so I will also introduce myself. I hope you will like it, don’t hesitate to send me your feedback by comment and take care bye bye. Hello Sarah, how are you?
Sarah : A little bit stressed because of the situation like everyone I think and you ?
Chloé : Yes, I understand, me too, could you introduce yourself for the readers of the blog please?
Sarah : Yes of course ! Hi everyone, i’m Sarah i’m twenty three years old, I’m studying at the University of Tours and I do the Master of Social Psychology of Work and Organization and you ?
Chloé : It’s funny because I’m 22 years old and I’m currently a student in second degree, doing social psychology of Work and Oragnization. In 2016, I had my Scientific Baccalaureate degree. The year after that, I started a bachelor’s degree in psychology in Nantes. And the last year, I was in first degree.
Sarah : Really ? haha I applied to Nantes because it’s my hometown but I was not taken.
Chloé : That’s too bad… Why did you choose to apply in this master? What are your motivations?
Sarah : Hum you know, psychology was not my first choice during my last year of high school, I wanted to study law to fight injustice, But I studied this subject in high school and I realized that what interested me was to understand the human behavior and especially the effects of group. Regarding my master, I chose the Master of Social Psychology because it’s the branch of psychology that has always interested me the most, because it touches our daily relationships to the other and our deep nature. am I wrong ? Did the Master PSTO comfort you in your choice or you were rather disappointed ?
Chloé : Ha yes okay… I chose this master because social psychology was one of my favourite courses during my 3 years of bachelor. I was really involved and interested by all the studies and theories I have been studying in this field. It’s kind of hard to explain my motivations, but basically, I just knew that none of the others masters would interest me more than this one. It’s really the one that I like the most. At the end of the master, I would love to work in the field of Working Psychosocial Risks. I would like to know a bit more about your background. Did you already have professional experiences before the master?
Sarah : Yes, so my professional experiences are not at all related to my studies. I worked for 2 years in summers for a caterer, I was a waitress at events like weddings or conferences. Then I worked for a few months as an ASH in a retirement home, it’s an hospital services officer and I was in the Alzheimer’s unit of the EHPAD. I enjoyed the two in different ways. The first taught me professionally, and the second socially. And you ?
Chloé : I have been working since I was 18, I worked for 2 years in a supermarket. I got also involved in training days, based on team cohesion, and I was working with a consultant. Moreover, I did some activities and role plays with my colleagues, in a way to get to know each other’s role in the company. And during my third year of bachelor I was an intern at Fongecif, working in the field of career guidance. I participated in individual interviews and learned how to write reports. I discovered some tests, made in a way to help people in their research to find a training and a job, when they want to reorient themselves. Do you know which internship you would like to do this year or during your second degree year or in which sector you would like to work afterwards? Or maybe you have already done some?
Sarah : I don’t know yet there are many things I like, I don’t know if I would like to enter the world of work directly. Why not complete my studies with a university degree or training in clinical psychology or in criminology why not ? Moreover, I’m too stressed. I still have no internship, I’m afraid it’s too late and with the health situation it is more complicated to find an internship because we do not know how the year 2021 will be. So I don’t really know in which area I would like to achieve it. But you, by the way, where are you doing your internship ?
Chloé : I haven’t found an internship yet, but I would love to discover the field of human resources or occupational health. I’m looking for an internship in a large company with a fairly large HR department. This would allow me to discover recruitment, support for integration into a work team and the themes of well-being and health at work. But I’m also looking for firms specialising in occupational health or psychosocial risks. After the master’s degree, I would like to do a master’s degree or university diploma in occupational health to learn more about psychosocial risks in particular.
Sarah : Yes I think we are not going deep enough in psychosocial risks, so it’s a good idea to develop that with another degree. And last year did you do found an intership?
Chloé : Hmm Last year, I did a one and a half month internship in an Human Ressources consulting firm called RPC & Associés. I had four missions to carry out, initially I had to carry out a study of the executive job market in the Pays de la Loire region. Then, I looked for the factors that facilitate and hinder a professional transition, and then I proposed support keys so that the professional reconversion could be carried out in the best possible way and quickly. During this training course, I had several meetings during which I had to present my research. I also wrote a synthesis of my research and a tip sheet for executives looking for a new job.
Sarah : Oh very interesting but a little bit complicated no?
Chloé : Yes, it was quite a big mission. I imagine that you have started writing your thesis, is it related to the internships you would like to do?
Sarah : Yes! My thesis is about the risk of sexist media on the perception of women. I love my topic, I find it topical. Do you know instagram?
Chloé : Of course but I let you explain this social network for my readers.
Sarah : Yes no problem, it’s a platform where you can put pictures of whatever you want and follow your friends or celebrities. But this type of social media is dangerous for mental health. In fact, there are many photographies of women retouched. This social network often highlights the perfect woman, and this can create complexes and especially psychological or physical problems such as depression, eating disorders or bodily shame. So here we are, I would like to see if people who are a lot on social networks have more problems of this type than others. I hope to be published. And you?
Chloé : Very interesting, you will do us the pleasure to come back on the blog when you will have your results?
Sarah : With pleasure !!
Chloé : Personally, the subject of my thesis is spirituality, anxiety and stress among students. Indeed, it’s known that spirituality has positive effects on people’s health and well-being, but little research has been done on students. Furthermore, the results of other studies on the relationship between spirituality and the concepts of anxiety and stress do not form a consensus. Therefore, in my opinion, it was interesting to study this possible relationship. With the current situation at Covid-19, the students interviewed have very high levels of stress and anxiety, which complicates the analysis of the results of the emergence of a possible relationship.
Sarah : If you want I think I have a good stress level I can participate in your study.
Chloé : Thank you for this exchange Sarah, you have my number we keep in touch bye !
Sarah : Thanks to you and your readers for listening to me bye!