What do you like about this Master's specialisation and why?
During the Bachelor's I really enjoyed the organisational- and work psychology courses and I wanted to pursue this interest. I feel that this Master's specialisation gives you better options for your future career. You can develop yourself in many different directions and this will give you plenty of choices for the workfield. Also, I really like the practical focus of the programme. During the lectures, several professionals talked about their work life and experiences, and we worked on various case studies.
What do you think about the atmosphere in class?
The atmosphere is nice and the groups are pretty small, so you get to know everyone well. The interaction is mostly informal and equal as teachers and students interact in a way colleagues do. I've gotten to know a few friends extra well, as we form the board for our study association Argon. Together with the committees, we organise activities like business excursions, training events, dinners and a yearly city trip. This is a really cool experience, as we learn new things and expand our network even more.
What do you find most challenging in your Master’s? Have you encountered any obstacles?
The programme requires more practical thinking and initiative in comparison to the Bachelor's, giving the opportunity to improve your personal and professional skills. For me, the biggest challenge in the beginning was the way the essay assignments were designed. They do not give as many instructions as in the Bachelor's, meaning you need to guide yourself through the process of getting to the goal and developing a product.
Are you currently doing an internship? Or what is your thesis about?
I am doing my internship at a big bank in Germany. As an HR-intern, I started working on recruiting tasks like checking resumes, inviting candidates for an interview but also doing the interviews. Luckily the Master's programme prepared me well for this, not just with different theories but also by having interview practice sessions. I'm currently focusing on the sales training programme for new employees. Besides helping developing and planning the training, I have also had the opportunity to give the training. For my thesis, I will look into this training programme and evaluate its effectiveness.
Why do you think it is important that there are people with this degree? What are your plans once you have received your Master's degree?
I think it's important having more professionals with a psychological background in large companies shifting the focus and emphasis on well-being and efficiency. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do after graduation, but I enjoy working on the training programme and giving these trainings. It is really rewarding to share knowledge and I liked having the role of a teacher. So I might be leaning towards a job in learning and development.