As a psychology student, preparing a stand-out application for a master’s or psychology doctoral program can feel like a daunting task. And, among those who secure an interview, some students may feel nervous about the prospect of facing a panel of experts. To help alleviate any concerns, two experts have revealed their top tips for those applying for a postgraduate program in the psychology field, from writing about yourself to preparing for your interview.
Professor Catriona Davis-McCabe, former APS President and Professor of Psychology at The Cairnmillar Institute, and current APS Board member and Emeritus Professor, Justin Kenardy, from the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, had plenty of valuable insights on what panelists are actually looking for when they read an application and conduct an interview. Here are the 12 key tips they provided.
Tips for standing out in your postgraduate program application and interview
1. Mindset and maturity matters
Justin says that having the right mindset puts applicants in good stead for becoming a psychologist. He explains that, while reading applications, he looks for candidates who are, “reflective, mature, can interact with people in a positive way, possess sensitivity, are able to take on feedback, know their boundaries, and have a good sense of ethics.”
Catriona says, “For me, the strongest applicants demonstrate self-awareness, self-reflection and genuine curiosity. They can talk about what they have learned from their experiences, rather than simply listing what they have done.
“Becoming a psychologist involves much more than academic ability. It requires an ability to build relationships, receive feedback, tolerate uncertainty, and think ethically,” she says.
Justin adds, “We need to see that applicants have the potential to be a psychologist, and have a reasonably good understanding of what the profession is and their motivation for doing it. It’s also a good idea to show you can work in teams, write and document, and are prepared to do a lot of assessment."
2. You don’t have to be extraordinary
“Panels aren’t expecting applicants to already think and respond like qualified psychologists. They are assessing readiness to undertake the training,” says Catriona.
Justin echoes Catriona’s sentiment, explaining, “You don’t have to be extraordinary. Being ordinary is not a bad thing. You need to be a stable person. You don't have to come across as if you are already acting as a clinical psych, or another professional psychologist. It's all about training people to get to that level. Another misconception is that you have to tell some kind of story about how you've overcome some significant events or circumstances. And that really isn't what people are looking for. They're really looking at how you actually deal with everyday stuff. You want ordinary people who are balanced, have experience, and have a good level of maturity."
3. Know your own limitations
Both experts acknowledge that it’s important for applicants to recognise they have more to learn, and to understand the limitations of their own knowledge at this point in their careers.
“You don't need to arrive at a master's program as a fully formed psychologist. In fact, being able to recognise what you still need to learn is a real strength,” says Catriona.
Justin agrees, “It’s important to be prepared not to know everything and to have a tolerance for uncertainty. Those are things I don’t think applicants consider when they're submitting.”
4. Academic performance carries weight
While it might not be something all students want to read, Catriona says, “Academic performance matters because master's programs are demanding, and higher education providers need some evidence that an applicant can manage postgraduate-level study.
“But,” she adds, “grades are only one part of the picture. Once applicants have demonstrated their academic capacity, other factors become very important, like interpersonal skills, reflective capacity, relevant experience, professionalism, and suitability for training. Someone whose grades aren't perfect shouldn't automatically assume they won't be considered. Relevant experience, life experience, and evidence of personal and professional development can all strengthen an application.”
“It’s a practical issue, ultimately,” says Justin, “because there are usually so many applicants. There has to be some way to establish eligibility, and grades are the easiest way of establishing it. Grades are really important as a base hurdle for any of these courses. Once you get into that shortlisting level, grades are less important. If you're able to get to the point of being interviewed, doing really well in your interview would actually make up the difference. Some universities tend to put more weight on academic performance than others.”
5. Demonstrate attributes suitable to the profession
“I'd put self-awareness very high on the list of attributes required to be a psychologist. Empathy and curiosity about other people are important, but so is humility: recognising that your own perspective isn't the only perspective,” explains Catriona.
“The ability to genuinely receive feedback is also enormously important. Psychology training involves having your work observed and discussed in supervision. Applicants who can reflect on their own contribution to a situation, rather than becoming defensive or externalising difficulties, are demonstrating something very valuable,” she says.
6. Gain experience beyond the lecture halls
Many applicants assume they must have work experience specific to mental health before they can apply for a master’s program in psychology. However, both experts agreed that this isn’t the only relevant avenue for gaining experience.
Justin says, “You don't have to have mental health experience. I’d say experience in research is important. Having research experience means you can problem solve in the way psychologists need to, and that you can look to evidence the way psychologists are required to. But there are other areas too. Any youth work in the community, rehab, disability, aged care, schools, any kind of genuinely helping role is good – whether that’s related to mental health or not. Don’t underestimate the value of being able to do things like evaluate evidence and interpret research, for example.”
Catriona agrees that work experience outside the mental health field can be beneficial to applicants. “People often think they need to have worked in a very specific mental health role or in a psychology practice already. Those experiences can certainly be valuable, but they're not the only valuable experiences. Roles and experience involving people, communication, or support can all be relevant. That might include mental health or disability work, research, volunteering, crisis support, youth work, community services, aged care, or other health settings. What matters is whether you can articulate what you've learned. One mistake we see on applications is making broad claims without providing evidence: 'I'm empathetic', 'I'm resilient', 'I'm passionate about helping people.’ Most applicants can say those things. It's much more important to demonstrate those qualities through an example and reflection. What happened? What did you learn? What might you do differently now?”
7. Consider what your interview panelists really want to know
When Catriona looks at an application, she asks, “Can this person communicate and engage with others? Can they listen? Can they reflect? How do they approach an ethical situation? How do they receive feedback? Can they consider perspectives other than their own? How do they respond when they don't immediately know the answer?”
“Importantly, panels are considering trainability. Master's training involves supervision and feedback, so being able to acknowledge limitations, think about feedback, and learn from experience is incredibly important. An interview isn't an exam where every question has one correct answer. Often panels are just as interested in the applicant's reasoning as they are in their final answer,” she says.
8. Prepare for your interview (but avoid memorising your responses)
Justin says, in an interview setting, “I think about how, in a pressurised situation, what happens to their interpersonal functioning, what happens to their communication, and to their ethical reasoning. We're asking what this applicant is going to be like as a psychologist, and in the training process. The training is stressful, and if you cannot deal with that, then you're going to struggle to actually get through a program.
“When asked about a scenario, it’s better that the applicant demonstrates a reflective process, rather than immediately jump in with an answer. We need to see that you're a problem-solving person, who can pause and think about things.”
Justin also recommends preparing experiences and thinking about evidence, rather than rehearsing or memorising a script.
“Have in mind some experiences, then talk in a much more authentic way about them when those questions are asked. It comes down to demonstrating that you have capacity to become a psychologist, and that’s demonstrated through evidence and experiences.”
Catriona says, “Trying to give the 'perfect' answer is probably one of the biggest mistakes applicants make. Applicants can become so focused on delivering everything they've prepared that they stop listening to the actual question. A good tip is to listen carefully to prompts from the panel. If an interviewer asks a follow-up question, they're often giving you an opportunity to reconsider or expand your thinking, not telling you that you've failed.
“Prepare themes and examples rather than scripts. Think about experiences that demonstrate teamwork, conflict, receiving feedback, ethical decision-making, managing a difficult situation, or making a mistake, and learning from it. Do your homework about the profession and the program, reflect carefully on your experiences, and think about what you've learned from them. And remember that you are applying for training. Nobody expects you to arrive knowing how to be a psychologist. Also, breathe, take your time, and go for it!”
9. Ask yourself: Are you really ready?
Justin says, “My first piece of advice is always: Ask yourself, ‘are you ready?’ You need to ask yourself, ‘Am I in a psychologically good place? Do I have the maturity? Do I have the kinds of experiences that actually mean I'm going to be able to do this? Do I understand what I'm getting into? In a practical sense, am I financially ready?’ It’s important to think about whether you have that financial capacity to make it through the course without it becoming an issue for you. If you're a parent or have other commitments, how are you going to make it work? Are your personal situations likely to be stable? It’s also crucial to understand the program’s expectations. Have a good understanding of the program you're applying for. All the programs are different, and they're going to have different demands.”
10. Choose the right referees
“It’s important to pick someone who knows you, rather than just someone with a high profile. If you can find a balance between somebody with a high profile and someone who knows you well, that's the perfect referee. If I get a reference from somebody that doesn't know anything about you, that's not going to be useful at all,” Justin says.
11. Don’t take failure personally
Catriona advises, “I think being able to accept rejection is important because psychology master's places are extremely competitive, and very capable people can, and do, miss out. Try not to interpret an unsuccessful application as a judgement about whether you could become a good psychologist. There are limited places and many strong applicants.
“Try to think constructively about what you can strengthen before applying again. That might be experience, interview skills, academic performance, or simply your capacity to articulate and reflect on what you've learned. Don't underestimate what another year can bring. Applicants often return with greater maturity, more experience and a much clearer understanding of why they want to undertake the training.”
Justin agrees, “Be prepared to fail and don't take that personally. Take that as an opportunity to improve. If you don’t get in this time, it’s not the end of the world. If you really want to do psychology, then you'll see it as a way of improving what you're going to do and how you're going to present. And, having been through the experience once, you will know better what is coming.”
12. Why it’s worth applying
“Finally,” Catriona says, “I would also say to anyone considering entering the profession that psychology is an extraordinary career. It will ask a lot of you. The training is demanding. You’ll be asked to study, research, think deeply, reflect on yourself, accept feedback, and undertake placements that will challenge you in ways you probably don’t expect.
“And the learning certainly doesn’t stop when you graduate. But it also gives an enormous amount back. You have the privilege of being trusted with people’s stories, of being alongside them at some of the most difficult points in their lives. It’s a profession that will keep challenging you intellectually and personally throughout your career. So, yes, getting into a postgraduate program can feel like an enormous goal when you’re applying. But it’s really only the beginning. You’re entering a profession built on trust, and with that comes both responsibility and enormous privilege. After all these years, I still think it’s a wonderful profession to be part of.”
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