Why did you decide to study Psychology?
Since childhood, I have always been very interested in people and in understanding how they are put together. Even at a young age, I knew I wanted to be a "psychologist", back then with the classic image of a Freudian psychologist helping people by talking about their childhood and inner world. By the time I actually started studying, that image had changed, but my motivation remained the same: I wanted to understand how people are put together. With that knowledge, I hoped not only to be able to help others, but also to learn to understand people better myself.
Where are you currently working?
I am currently working as a PhD student in behavioural genetics at the Department of Biological Psychology at VU Amsterdam. I just started my second year and the whole PhD track will take 4 years. In my PhD, I am researching individual differences in school skills and learning behaviour of primary school children. In doing so, we are looking at different forms of intergenerational transmission: genetic predisposition, environmental factors and how these materialise together in a child's development. It is an interesting project in which we carry out a relatively large data collection, but there is also a lot of room for methodological exploration, such as researching and applying different statistical models.
Have you always wanted to do this?
I have always been interested in psychological research, although for a long time I did not know exactly what doing research meant in practice. In secondary school, I first came across behavioural genetic research and immediately became fascinated. The advanced research designs, which are necessary because you cannot perform classical experiments on humans, particularly appealed to me. That was also an important reason to choose VU Amsterdam, because I knew there was a department specialised in this. During my master's I got a better and better understanding of what doing research really entails and the realisation grew that I could actually get a PhD position. From then on, I started working harder and harder to get a PhD position and eventually succeeded.
What inspired you to choose Psychology studies?
What inspired me to choose Psychology was my interest in human behaviour. I wanted to better understand the people around me and learn how to help others. I was often the person people came to for advice or a listening ear, and I hoped to develop further in this. During the course, however, I noticed that my interests shifted: I discovered that it was precisely the statistical side that attracted me and that I preferred to look at the bigger picture rather than focus on a few individuals. As a result, I envisaged less and less of a career as a therapist and instead sought more academic development.
How did the study fit with this? Was it what you expected / hoped for?
On the one hand, in the study I learnt a lot about how people work. Especially in the first two years, all the different courses gave me a broad introduction to the many directions you can take within psychology. On the other hand, I increasingly realised how little we actually still know about people and how big the differences between them can be. So I didn't immediately get the answers I was looking for, but I did get the methods to learn more about people. I continued along these lines in my master's, where I learned how to research the role of genes and environment in human behaviour in different ways.
What master's degree did you choose? How is it different from the bachelor's?
The master's I chose was Genes in Behaviour and Health at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. In this master's there was a focus on getting us ready to carry out independent research and data analysis in the field of genetics and behaviour. This master strongly focuses on training students to become independent researchers, with a lot of focus on data analysis in the field of behaviour and genetics. In addition, there is plenty of room for discussion, focusing on critical thinking about research methods, the implications of results and the ethical aspects of research. I found the biggest difference with the bachelor's was that in the master's you really specialise in one research area and therefore go into much more depth. The programme is small-scale, with a group of highly motivated students, which I sometimes missed in the larger Psychology bachelor's. The interaction with professors was also different: whereas during the bachelor's I sometimes felt a threshold to approach professors, in the master's this was actively encouraged. As a result, you got very personal teaching from experts in their field. Although in the bachelor's I found it extraordinary to be introduced to so many different areas of psychology, in my master's I was really ready to go in depth and further develop my own research interests.
At the same time, I started a second master's, Cognitive Neuropsychology, with the plan to complete both masters in three years. In the first year, however, I discovered that behavioural genetics attracted me much more than neuropsychology. This was not so much because of the insights of the research fields themselves, but mainly because of the research methods applied. Knowing more and more that I wanted to do a PhD in behavioural genetics, I decided in my second master year to quit Cognitive Neuropsychology. I made the ECs I earned count as extra courses towards my degree in Genes in Behaviour and Health. Although it was a difficult choice because I normally like to complete everything I start, I am very happy with it now. It would have taken me a lot of energy to fully complete the second master, whereas now I could invest that energy in my career, for example through my work as a student assistant within my research area.
How did you experience the programme at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam? What did you find the most challenging and what the most valuable?
I experienced the programme at VU Amsterdam very positively. Beforehand, I had taken a gap year, which meant I was really ready to start studying again. But it was also a challenging period because lockdown started at the end of my first year and my entire second year consisted of online education. As a result, I missed social contact with other students a lot. At the same time, it actually made studying easier in some ways: all lessons could be followed at home via Zoom and lectures were recorded, allowing me to watch them in full before exams. That gave a lot of freedom, but also required me to learn to plan well and work independently.
What I found most valuable was the broad statistical training within the programme. Many students experience this as difficult, and I also found it quite challenging at first. But through a lot of practice, I started to apply the thinking more and more, and found that I could learn to understand even the most complicated models. That gave me a lot of self-confidence and made me actually want to delve further into it.
Were there any specific courses or projects you found particularly interesting?
In my second year, I took the course Interplay of Genes and Environment, which again reminded me of my interest in behavioural genetics. As a result, I decided to follow the Genes, Cognition and Behaviour track in the third year. This was challenging, but also incredibly valuable: it introduced me to many skills that I still use today. Moreover, in this track I really felt that we were taken seriously and given the space to go into depth, both theoretically and methodologically.
How did the study prepare you for your career?
The study introduced me to the broad diversity that psychology has to offer and helped me discover where my own interests lay. In addition, I developed many skills that I still use on a daily basis today. These include statistical knowledge, which forms the basis for the data analyses in my PhD, but also academic writing, which is essential for writing articles and research papers. The interview skills and clinical insights I gained also help me to work better with colleagues and to approach research from multiple perspectives. Thus, the study not only prepared me substantively, but also gave me the practical and analytical tools I need in my current career as a researcher.
Which skills or knowledge from the programme do you use most often in your work? Do you have a concrete example of this?
The skill I use the most are the statistical techniques I learnt during my studies. My track also introduced me to the programme 'R' for the first time, which I found terrible at first because I am not at all handy with computers by nature. In fact, it was the subject I liked least and found most difficult, but in hindsight I did lay the foundations there. Now I use R daily and even enjoy it.
In addition, the feedback on my academic writing helped me tremendously. I still use that experience when writing research articles. I also learned to read academic papers efficiently during the study, which now saves me a lot of time in my PhD. And the conversation skills I gained then still help me to communicate clearly as well as empathically, for instance when I have contact with participants.
How does the knowledge and experience from the study contribute to practice and your current work?
The knowledge and experience from my study fit in very well with my current work. Especially the statistical basis and learning how to work with R form a big part of my daily work as a PhD student. Also, the training in academic writing now helps me in preparing research articles and reports. In addition, during my studies I learned to read scientific literature efficiently, which is indispensable in my current work to absorb new insights quickly. Finally, the conversation skills I have acquired come in handy in contact with participants and in working with colleagues. Thus, I find that the combination of knowledge and practical skills I developed during my studies really underpins my work as a researcher.
What are some surprises or insights you have gained during your career so far?
Three insights I have gained so far:
- The (research) world is smaller than you think: everyone knows everyone else. That can open doors if you know the right people, but it also requires you to be aware of the impression you leave.
- Research is less about "finding the right answers" and more about good methods and critical thinking. In the process, I have surprisingly discovered pleasure in statistics and programming, something I had not at all expected at first.
- Work enjoyment and rhythm are crucial. There will always be less enjoyable sides, but if you are not comfortable in your work for a long time, you have to dare to re-evaluate what you can change.
Can you give an example of what you are currently working on in your job?
At the moment, I am mainly busy preparing for data collection. That means collecting a lot of information to make the right choices, because every decision affects the quality of the data and therefore how we can answer our research questions. Specifically, this means that I read many scientific papers, regularly consult with the research team and gather input from experts. We are also investigating which measurement tools we can best use. We have already tested these with psychology students and soon we also want to test them with primary school pupils. Collaborating on this project is therefore very dynamic: on the one hand it is about psychometric or statistical choices, on the other hand it is about very practical matters.
What do you like most about your current job? What gives you the most energy?
What I find most interesting is working with complex statistical models and thinking about the possibility of applying them to different data sources. That challenges me, but it doesn't necessarily give me the most energy. I mainly get that from preparing and carrying out data collection, because that is very dynamic work. I also find it important and fun to think about contact with participants, both within our data collection and in the context of science communication.
In addition, it gives me a lot of energy that I can continuously learn new things in my work. The idea that my work, however small, can make a difference makes it extra meaningful for me. All in all, for me this is a nice mix of content that I find interesting, getting energy from learning and working together, and the feeling of contributing something.
Were you able to find a job easily? While studying, did you already know what profession you wanted to pursue?
I started looking for a job after my master's relatively early. At the beginning of the second semester, I had registered for job postings, for example through Academic Transfer. Together with fellow students, I also regularly talked to our lecturers about the possibilities after the master's and what exactly they entailed. They helped us a lot with this, including lessons on professional development, inviting guest speakers and support in finding internships.
Timing often plays a big role, and it was the same with me. I had been working as a student assistant in the Department of Biological Psychology since the beginning of my master's, and right at the end of my master's, three PhD positions became available there. I applied to two of them and ended up getting my favourite. In doing so, I had the advantage of already knowing the project and its supervisors well. Even though applying took a lot of work, I was very lucky to get a position after only two applications. Moreover, during my master's I was already sure I wanted to do a PhD, and thanks to the tutors' guidance I also had a clear idea of what I was looking for in a good project.
What are your ambitions for the coming years? Are there certain specialisations or projects you want to work on?
My main goal for the next few years is of course to write my thesis and get my PhD within four years. This includes getting the data collection right, so that I can publish meaningful articles with that data. In the process, I hope to have the opportunity to better understand and apply special models.
What comes next, I don't know exactly yet. I find doing research fun and valuable, but I am also aware of the job insecurity in academia, especially in the current political climate. Since I do not plan to move abroad, I am also keeping other options open. I think it is very important that research results are eventually applied properly, and perhaps I see a future for myself there as well. For now, the next few years are dominated by my PhD, and in the meantime I am working on building a broad network and versatile skills, so that I will soon be able to go in different directions.
What contribution do you hope to make to society from your expertise?
I do research into education and the different factors that play a role in it, and that is of course a topic that affects everyone. It is important to better understand why learning is easier and more fun for some children than for others. We therefore want to be able to offer the best support for children who find it more difficult, and I find it very valuable to investigate what factors play a role in this.
I also find it very important that scientific results are properly translated to a wider audience, especially in research in behavioural genetics. People often think that if genes play a role in a trait, this immediately means something fixed and deterministic. In reality, the role of genes is often more complex: genetic influences are usually not fully causally proven and interact with environmental factors. With my work, I therefore hope to contribute to a better interpretation and communication of research results, so that they can be responsibly applied in practice.
Do you have any tips for current students considering working in the same field?
My main tip is to try to get a student assistant position. Not only is it a fun side job, but you also learn how academia works and you immediately expand your network with contacts that can be very valuable later on.
In addition, as a PhD student it is crucial that the collaboration with your supervisors is good. After all, you are heavily dependent on your supervisory team. So make sure you check whether there is a good match beforehand. Your work environment plays a major role in your development, so find a place where you feel comfortable and where you can gain trust and build confidence with your supervisors.
Do you have any advice for alumni who have just completed their degree and want to start their career?
My advice is: you have to start somewhere. It is not at all a bad thing if your first job is not a perfect match for your interests, salary wishes or career opportunities right away. Give yourself time to try out different things and gradually discover what suits you. Where it feels right, it is important to do your best and build something. There is no rush, but be critical: don't just choose what is easy, but also what will help you in your professional development.
