Since I was young I've been interested in healthcare, and especially fascinated by mental health and psychology. At 16 I worked for three months in a Doctor's surgery, which gave me an insight into the kind of pressures that those working in the healthcare sector experience on a daily basis. Throughout my BSc in Psychology I grew more attuned to the organisational and clinical side of psychology, making it difficult to choose which route to take following my degree. After toying with the idea of doing an MSc in either organisational or clinical psychology, I opted for the organisational route, aware that I could enter a career in the healthcare sector that would also incorporate attributes of organisational psychology.
Less than three months into my MSc, I decided to take on a part-time job as a Trainee Consultant Analyst with Clarity and work alongside my studies. As my MSc only required two days of attendance each week, I wanted to utilise my spare time wisely and ensure that I would be able to graduate with some consultancy experience under my belt. Entering the world of healthcare was a completely novel experience for me; I had to quickly learn the ways of the NHS, and the mind-set of a Consultant. Balancing both an MSc degree and a job was taxing at times but working for a consultancy firm ultimately helped with my MSc, as my understanding of the business world grew alongside new skills that could be transferred across to my degree.
Consultancy initially attracted me due to the variety of work, environments and people. The idea of having a monotonous job for the rest of my life doesn't appeal to me at all. Since I've been working at Clarity I've worked on two different projects, both with different groups of people in different parts of the country. I think this is hugely beneficial as you get the opportunity to meet a number of different people who each bring something different to the table and subsequently enhance the learning you do on each project. As a junior member of the company I think it is important to engage with people as much as you can and start building relationships to help you develop. As building relationships is a key element of consultancy, I have found that my confidence has grown and my ability to engage with people more senior than me has hugely improved. My analytical skills have also developed and I have adopted a different way of thinking, helping me to tackle the tasks that I am set.
I have been working with Clarity just over a year now, four of these months being full-time after having completed my MSc in September 2017. What I found really beneficial about working whilst studying is that once I finished I didn't have to go through a period of unemployment and I could graduate with a new found set of skills and experiences within this area. Since finishing my course and becoming a full-time employee I have been able to primarily focus on my job and aim towards building myself up. I am still constantly learning as healthcare is very broad and every project offers a different scenario to tackle, which keeps my job interesting. I look forward to progressing towards becoming a Consultant and increasing my knowledge and understanding within healthcare.
Lauren Field - Consultant Analyst
