Fed Up and Wasted 3 years for nothing?

wantsajob

princessdon wrote: »

I genuinely thought you couldn't do a degree without a GCSE. I feel really old, but certainly back in my day it wasn't possible without Maths and English.

Yes. Certainly most degree courses for Psychology specify a requirement for at least a grade C in both. I think the reason they do is that statistics usually forms part of Psychology degrees. Also, writing essays forms a large part of the course.

Did statistics form any part of your course? I know most people who study Psychology don't expect it to be on the course and loathe it, but if you enjoyed it it could be a potential career path.

The ironic thing is, having studied Psychology, you should have greater insight into Psychometric testing The problem with Psychometric testing, is that often they're looking for a type of person, rather than someone with a certain skill set (though creators of the test would argue the reverse). The number one major thing such tests look for is ability to work with other people and in teams.

compbren

wantsajob wrote: »

Yes. Certainly most degree courses for Psychology specify a requirement for at least a grade C in both. I think the reason they do is that statistics usually forms part of Psychology degrees. Also, writing essays forms a large part of the course.

Did statistics form any part of your course? I know most people who study Psychology don't expect it to be on the course and loathe it, but if you enjoyed it it could be a potential career path.

The ironic thing is, having studied Psychology, you should have greater insight into Psychometric testing The problem with Psychometric testing, is that often they're looking for a type of person, rather than someone with a certain skill set (though creators of the test would argue the reverse). The number one major thing such tests look for is ability to work with other people and in teams.

Yes, even though I got a D at GCSE I still managed to do a degree When I did my Access course at college (unbelievably popular with mature students who want to go to Uni), I had to do a Numeracy Module which is an equivalent to a C in GCSE Maths (although it tends not to account for much in the working world).

Indeed, my Psychology degree involved A LOT of Maths and Statistics and it was actually in these modules that I performed best at (I got a First in my Research Skills exams in Year 1 and 2).

rosered1963

Hi OP.

A degree is not "void after three years"!

A degree is an education and gives you academic training, and should mean that it gives you the ability to think, reason and be objective. There are people in all kinds of jobs where their degree subject is entirely irrelevant - look at the cabinet and shadow cabinet, and top civil servants - their degree subjects are not relevant to the jobs they are doing.

A degree is not "job training" It is about an education - "educo" - to lead out.
Whatever happens to you in your life, you are set up with that education and nothing and no-one can take that from you. It frees you. That is the point.

You now need to train to be employable. At 28, it is not too late to do anything at all. if you are academically gifted and really interested in your subject, you can do a masters degree with the Open University or a part-time masters. if you are not interested in being an academic or working in a discipline related to your degree, you need to decide what you want to do and find out how to get yourself there.

By the way, you really need to get a decent maths grade at GCSE as a basic for many jobs - I am amazed you got a 2.1 in your subject without a very good grasp of maths.

Good luck

wantsajob

In that case, some things to consider include the Fast stream graduate programme. http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/The-Fast-Streams/Analytical-Fast-Stream/ the Statistician and Social Researcher are the main ones to look into. Not sure when that next opens up to applications. The assessments are in London, and they are quite generous with expenses (overnight hotel stay if required, evening meal etc). Would highly recommend it just for the experience of the assessments. (I obviously didn't do well enough at them, lol.)

Also worth looking here http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/national-statistician/government-statistical-service/gss-recruitment/current-gss-vacancies/index.html and http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/jobs/current-vacancies/index.html

mynameistallulah

pinkshoes wrote: »

Ignore lots of the minimum requirements! Or if you're than bothered, just re-sit your maths/english GCSEs!

Just apply to the job, and if you don't have the prerequisites, then apply anyway and just leave the information out. DO NOT LIE!!! If you get called for interview, do your best to impress them, and if they ask, just be honest and say you haven't got XYZ, BUT you think you're up to that standard, and would happily sit any exams to prove it.

I got a 2:2, and both the jobs I've had required a 2:1, but I just ignored that bit and still got it!

Whilst I would have agreed with this a few years ago, the job market is very different now and one of the easiest ways to sift applications is by minimum qualification requirements - what is the point of putting time and effort into an application that will be instantly binned?

princessdon

My degree is Teaching - Therefore a C was a minimum and they wouldn't budge - don't know if still the same now.

Can't say a lot of maths was ever involved but was needed

dawyldthing

yeah i did a degree in teaching and if you didn't have a C or above in English, Maths and Science you couldn't get on it

dizzyrascal

rosered1963 wrote: »

Hi OP.

A degree is not "void after three years"!


You now need to train to be employable. At 28, it is not too late to doNoone anything at all. if you are academically gifted and really interested in your subject, you can do a masters degree with the Open University or a part-time masters.

if you are not interested in being an academic

No one has suggested that a degree is "void" after 3 years. It tends to be the cut off point for applications for graduate schemes used by the major employers.
Graduate schemes are training schemes for the future leaders and managers of that company.

IMO doing a masters without any real focus is pointless at this stage.
Also, you are unlikely to become an academic with only a masters degree.
You will need a PhD and some post doc work as a minimum.

wantsajob

dizzyrascal wrote: »

Also, you are unlikely to become an academic with only a masters degree.
You will need a PhD and some post doc work as a minimum.

There was a time a few years back ago you could go into being a research assistant with just a degree. I even had a good handful of interviews for such positions myself. Now it seems it's an employer's market and they will most of the time demand a PhD, or someone who is near completion. I agree there's few circumstances a masters genuinely helps. After having all the interviews for research assistant posts, I did a masters hoping that when I get interviews in future, it would give me the edge over other applicants. Needless to say, the masters has seemingly been of little, if any help.

mildred1978

wantsajob wrote: »

In that case, some things to consider include the Fast stream graduate programme. http://faststream.civilservice.gov.uk/The-Fast-Streams/Analytical-Fast-Stream/ the Statistician and Social Researcher are the main ones to look into. Not sure when that next opens up to applications. The assessments are in London, and they are quite generous with expenses (overnight hotel stay if required, evening meal etc). Would highly recommend it just for the experience of the assessments. (I obviously didn't do well enough at them, lol.)

Also worth looking here http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/national-statistician/government-statistical-service/gss-recruitment/current-gss-vacancies/index.html and http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/jobs/current-vacancies/index.html

As an ex senior civil servant, I would be amazed if the OP could a) get onto the fast stream and b) get in as a statistician with a degree in psychology.