Searching for, finding and reflecting on work and voluntary experience in psychology (8 December 2026)

In this session, delegates will explore techniques for identifying suitable work experience, and reflecting on, articulating and applying skills developed from work experience to further your career journey. These techniques have been developed in collaboration with academic staff, students and careers professionals.

Delegates will be supported to:

• conduct a skills gap analysis, focusing on relevant skills for your career goal; 
• critically reflect on your previous work/volunteer experiences and articulate your skill development in the context of your career ambitions; 
• reflect and identify relevant work and voluntary opportunities that can further develop these skills;
• develop a targeted CV and application. 

We will also discuss hints and tips in searching for opportunities, and strategies to overcome potential challenges.

What will I learn?

The learning outcomes for this webinar are to:

• understand the relevant professional skills and experience required for a specific graduate career and apply this to your own context;
• critically reflect on your skill development, analysing strengths and weaknesses to learn lessons and improve future practice;
• identify suitable work/voluntary opportunities using relevant sources and data;
• communicate professional skills in a CV and application for a target audience.

What is the course structure? 

Date: Tuesday 8 December 2026

Time: 5-6:30pm

This is a 90-minute webinar.

Webinar joining details: The Zoom link will be available in the webinar page within BPS Learn, and you will also receive an email notification 24 hours before the webinar. Please ensure you check your spam/junk folder for an email from noreply@bps.org.uk.

Please note, we use Zoom to host our webinars. If you require any help with Zoom, please refer to these Zoom instructions. 

This webinar will be recorded. 

This webinar is available to book until 5pm on Monday 7 December and is available in English only. 

How long will I have access to this course for?

You will have access to this webinar and its supporting resources for 12 weeks after the live session.

Will I receive a certificate for completing this course?

Attendees of this webinar will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Is this course right for me?

This webinar is appropriate for undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students, academic staff teaching psychology, and careers professionals.

Who is the presenter? 

Dr Maxine Swingler CPsychol

Dr Maxine Swingler is Director of Education in the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow. In her leadership roles, Maxine has driven curriculum changes and policy, such as embedding qualitative research methods, assessed group work and professional skills training as core in the BPS accredited degree. In her teaching, Maxine supports students to develop a personal professional skills portfolio and co-leads the University’s College of Medical Veterinary and Life Science Employability Working Group, providing insight into and good practice in employability across disciplines.

Maxine is a chartered member of the BPS and a current member of the BPS Education and Training board. Maxine has led the BPS Division of Academics Researchers and Teachers (DARTP) Higher Education and Pre-tertiary Psychology Teacher of the Year awards and has external examining experience with BPS accredited PGT conversion programmes in the UK.

Maxine's research interests focus on assessment and feedback in higher education, group work, and the impact of test anxiety on students’ health and wellbeing.

Maxine is passionate about supporting psychology students to surface, articulate and enhance the transferable skills developed in their psychology degree in fast-changing employability markets.

How much does it cost?

Price: £10.00 (+ VAT)

Please log in to see your best price. 

In addition to the site policies this course is subject to additional terms and conditions.

Our accessibility statement gives more details on our approach. 

Group discounts

If you or your colleagues are looking to book onto this course as a group you can make savings by booking five or more places.

Invoicing

In order to request a quote for five or more learners, please email cpd@bps.org.uk. If you are looking to book for fewer than 5 learners please proceed directly to requesting an invoice.

To request an invoice for you or your group, please complete this invoice request form. We also provide guidance to support this process. Please note, to raise an invoice you will need to provide a Purchase Order. Once the invoice has been paid we will provide your learners with details of how to access their learning.

Contact 

This course has been organised by BPS Professional Practice and Development. You can contact us at cpd@bps.org.uk

You may also be interested in our other courses on BPS Learn, including those related to student support, careers and your professional skills.

You can also explore the range of BPS books available via Routledge where BPS members receive 25% discount.