I completed my placement year with Praxis Care as a support worker. I found this experience very enjoyable and beneficial. I learnt ways to support individuals with mental ill health living throughout the community to set and achieve their goals to live a more independent and enjoyable life. I developed very good working relationships with all service users and staff and feel my placement year gave me the opportunity to have a positive influence on others' lives. Furthermore, this experience helped me to develop a range of skills such as confidence, communication, problem-solving and many more. It also confirmed for me that working in the area of mental health is something I want to do. I have received a conditional offer at Ulster University to complete the Applied Psychology MSc with BPS accredited training as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. I hope to begin this course in September after I graduate. My placement year was an experience that I was able to focus on when applying to this MSc course. I look forward to my future career in mental health and hope to come back to QUB in the future to complete a doctorate in Clinical Psychology. I feel very grateful for the undergraduate Psychology degree at QUB and look back on my experience with great fondness, specifically my placement year as I found it an invaluable experience. 

This gave me insight into the working world, providing the opportunity to hone my psychological skills outside of the classroom. Working within the Information Management Branch for the Department for Communities, in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, has been an incredible opportunity to develop my data-handling competency. I have received invaluable training within the fields of Open Data, Cyber Security, and GDPR Awareness.  

These experiences, coupled with my passion for understanding human behaviour, have inspired me to pursue a master's in Business Analytics, here at Queen's University Belfast. I hope that the combination of my psychological knowledge and analytical skills will enable me to derive meaningful insights from complex data sets and make informed decisions that drive business success. I am excited to bridge the gap between psychology and data analysis, utilizing my unique perspective to contribute to the field of Business Analytics and create impactful real-world business solutions. I would advise any students with an incline toward employment outside of the psychology sphere, to make use of the one-year placement opportunity. 

I was part of the first cohort of placement students the School of Psychology employed and spent a year working alongside the professional service and research staff on a wide variety of projects involving careers, social media, data collection and representing the student voice on committees. This placement year really helped me gain a valuable insight into a thriving diverse workplace and gave me the opportunity to learn new skills that not only helped with my degree but my life experience too. During my final year I continued my work as UG representative on the SWAN committee alongside the green committee. I was also kept on as a research assistant and conducted interviews and focus groups on polarised information throughout Northern Ireland. Not only did my placement open the door to new opportunities within my school but it also gave me a greater understanding of where I would like to go with my degree and insights that I have learned from being a part of the School of Psychology community. This has led me directly to my new role as Education Officer in the Student Union where I hope to continue representing and supporting students throughout their degrees and hope to make their experience just as special as mine has been in the School of Psychology.

Dealing with Employers regarding the impact of MAB

All students who have been affected will be issued with a detailed letter to accompany their transcript (and their degree certificate), which will explain the situation to employers. In addition, the Careers service are very keen to help you deal with employers and can liaise with particular employers if need be.

To get help with dealing with an employer that you have an existing job offer with, please fill out the form at:

Graduate Employment 2023 - Information Gathering (office.com)

To get advice and support about dealing with potential employers and assistance in looking for employment, you can book an individual slot with one of the Careers advisors or contact them directly. For details on how to do this, please look at the Careers website at:

Careers, Employability and Skills | Student Centre | Queen's University Belfast (qub.ac.uk)