Future Skills mock assessment centre experience sparks psychology graduate's personal growth

When a Future Skills mock assessment centre highlighted an area for development, psychology student Megan Lartey embraced the opportunity to challenge herself and push beyond her comfort zone.

Reflecting on her degree journey at her graduation ceremony, Megan recalled arriving at Kingston University with anxiety and little confidence in putting herself forward for new experiences. 

While she recognised that communication was an area she wanted to develop, taking part in a mock assessment centre – a simulated graduate recruitment exercise featuring interviews, group tasks and employer-style feedback – in her second year helped her identify clear opportunities for personal growth. The experience formed part of the Explore phase of the University’s sector-leading Future Skills programme, which all undergraduate students take part in alongside their subject-specific learning.

"The mock assessment centre was a real turning point for me. I thought I was prepared, but when it came to the interview I left feeling disappointed in how I communicated,” she said. “Receiving feedback from the assessors was invaluable. It made me realise that if I wanted to improve, I needed to keep putting myself in situations where I had to communicate with new people.”

Embedded as a taught and assessed part of every year of every undergraduate degree, Future Skills ensures students develop the skills, confidence and knowledge to thrive in their professional and personal lives. Through the programme, students build key graduate attributes such as self-awareness, adaptability and creative problem solving, and gain practical experience with industry.

Determined to improve her ability to showcase her strengths in interviews following the mock assessment centre, Megan began actively seeking opportunities that would challenge her and help her build confidence. This included securing a research assistant role in the psychology labs at Kingston University. The position involved conducting interviews, administering IQ tests and working directly with research participants, giving her regular opportunities to practise the communication skills she had set out to improve.

She also took on presentations at university open days and became a student ambassador. Each experience helped her build confidence and develop the human-centric skills most valued by employers that had once felt out of reach.

"Delivering presentations at open days was scary at first, but I've done it so many times now that I can speak much more freely and don't need a script any more,” she said.

Megan also completed a placement supporting children with disabilities, giving her first-hand experience of working with young people with complex needs. The role helped her explore potential career paths and develop a deeper understanding of the real-world issues she may encounter in her future profession.

"As a psychology student, I think it's really important to immerse yourself in other people's experiences," she said. "You hear about the challenges people face, but it's very different when you see them for yourself."

While developing her communication skills was a major milestone, Megan said another valuable aspect of Future Skills was the opportunity to reflect on her progress and future ambitions. Through regular self-reflection – a key strand of the programme – she was able to recognise not only how much she had achieved since starting university, but also how her career aspirations had evolved.

“Before I came to university, counselling was the only psychology career I really knew about,” she said. “Through all the opportunities I’ve since taken on, I’ve realised there are so many different directions I could go in. I’m much more open-minded about my future and feel confident that I have options.” 

Looking back on her Future Skills journey, Megan is proud of how far she has come. “When I look back at everything I'd done over the three years, I am really proud of myself. It’s proof of my growth and evidence that I'm a different person now,” she said. 

• Find out more about the University’s Future Skills approach to education.