Question: Why did you do such a variety of jobs before you ended up where you are now as a psychologist?

Louise Rodgers answered on 3 Mar 2019:

That’s a good question amburito and to be honest it wasn’t in my life plan, but they have all been genuinely really useful for me and shaped me into the practitioner I am today. I have learned something from every job I’ve done, particularly being a teacher (no real surprise that this experience helps me understand what helps teachers and schools, and what is helpful, important unusual or worrying with children). Being a Trade Union Steward involved a lot of ‘collective bargaining’ – this is negotiating, usually when two sides are being very hostile or aggressive to one another. I had to develop ways to be calm under pressure, make connections with people quickly and put myself in other people’s shoes. I use these skills almost every day now!

So if you end up one day going down path you didn’t expect to find yourself on, it might not be a total disaster and you may have something to learn from it!