Student of the Year: “Psychologists are needed!”
Kajsa Asplund has studied the psychology programme, and during her study days helped to develop the job fair Psychology Day Uppsala. She is also a consultant at Psykologifabriken AB and has worked voluntarily for the Red Cross.
How did you come to launch the job fair Psychology Day?
‘After studying the psychology programme for some time, I realised that there were a lot of areas where psychologists were needed but where there were currently none. Some fellow students and I wanted to broaden the image of what psychologists are and what they can bring to the table. But we also discovered that there were no contact points where psychologists and potential employers could meet. At the same time, the department wanted a labour market event, so they were very supportive.
So we set-up an association called Psychology Day, with an aim to annually arrange a job fair, including an exhibition, lectures and individual talks between psychologists and students. And of course a party!’
What will you do after you have qualified?
‘I'll start researching at the Stockholm School of Economics. The project is about talent and how Swedish employers look for talent. There is a great deal of talk that talent is in short supply. But what actually is it? What do companies do to determine who has talent and who does not? Our assessment of people is not an objective process. We all carry a lot of luggage, which affects our judgment. And how, for example, do we relate talent compared to loyalty?
Nowadays clinical psychology stands on a much firmer ground than earlier. The management culture should now be next. In Sweden, no one is currently researching this within psychology. So it is also a way of broadening the subject of psychology.’
In the autumn, you were “Uppsala Student of the Year”. What do you intend to do with the money?
‘It was fantastic and unexpected to receive the scholarship! I feel very honoured. It's not just the money, as gaining access to the Anders Wall network is worth just as much. It's a melting pot of artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, researchers and others. It's an incredibly creative group.
The money will be spent on the development of a stress programme for middle management that was the basis of my thesis.’
Where do you get your drive?
‘I think my enthusiasm comes from being extremely curious! I want to know, both teach myself and pass knowledge on to others. My studies have benefitted by everything being so stimulating. I've probably got this from home. Mum was much the same.’