Congrats on the Distinction, benbrand. (Whether or not it makes a big difference on your application, it's still a difference to you!) 1.) I wish I could get my cat to understand the concept of a Saturday morning lie-in. She was indignant that breakfast did not appear at six a.m. as usual, and she p...

I'm with persephone regarding honorary AP posts, it's not the same as volunteering and I've seen some person specs with incredibly high requirements, one I recall was full time, required not only a psychology degree but specifically experience working with children, and carrying out and analysing c...

Doors close and windows open. I got one of those jobs and I was catapulted into it almost immediately. I'm now teaching three days a week at a special school for children with social, emotional, and mental health problems. It's going to be a real challenge, especially as I have responsibilities that...

Esuma, isn't that always the way - they're like buses! I've been job-hunting too, as the end of my contract is drawing near, and after a dispiriting trudge through reams of application forms, the same thing has happened to me! Congratulations on your new job. I hope you enjoy it. 1.) I am so excited...

Thanks, ell. That's a helpful way to look at it. Two other interview invitations arrived today, so with any luck I should still have something lined up before my current contract ends.

I don't think that was the case here, as I met all the shortlisted candidates (we chatted in between the group task and our interviews) and none of them had worked for this service previously, in any capacity. They all seemed to have really interesting relevant experience too. I expect that sometime...

I tried the leaning slightly forward technique, and it seemed to help. The whole interview day went well, and I was made the reserve for the post. In my feedback they told me that there had been almost nothing in it between me and the successful candidate. It did sting a bit, as I enjoyed the interv...

I know how you feel about being unsure how to challenge that kind of thing. I was at a conference once (I'm hesitant even to give detail, as I know there is a high probability that some attendees will know this forum) and one psychologist on the panel compared veterans to BME people, saying that "we...

I can't top your story, Rhapsody, but I had an interview for a research fellowship last week in which I started to wish that I had some sort of delayed-action filter on my mouth. I had to give a presentation to start with, and I walked into the room to find about a dozen people on the panel, arrange...

I'm comforted to know I'm not the only one! It seems like such a weird problem to have, as it's not that I'm particularly nervous in these situations. Tonight I was at a book fair and I wanted the assistant to help me find something. He kept helping other customers even though I'd been waiting longe...

Congrats. Best of luck.

Ability to work well with others - not to dominate, not to be too reticent, able to draw out people who aren't speaking much and to help discussion flow in a constructive way, willing to consider alternative points of view, astute listening skills, able to stay focused on the task, etc. I've facilit...

I have an interview that will involve a group task, and my heart sank into my boots when I saw this on the letter. Whenever I've done groupwork with strangers I have found that people often talk over me just as I'm speaking, so I struggle to contribute my share. Friends have told me that I'm more so...

The frustration that shortlisters feel is an interesting one. I've felt it myself, I got so annoyed recently with some AP applications. When reflecting on it, I struggled to work out what was behind that frustration. I wonder if it's because I hear people complain about it being so hard to get a po...

As someone who is very much struggling to get an Assistant Psychologist or equivalent. I understand that shortlisting can be arduous and there are probably many applicants that have only taken 5 minutes to submit a generic application, but among those applicants there are many that are trying reall...