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Rahul Patel

Alumni Profile: Rahul Patel Currently, an assessment specialist. Education experience: 2017-2021, B.Sc. (Honours) in psychology at Queen’s University. 2021-2023, M.A. in industrial/organization psychology at University of Guelph. 2023-2027, Ph.D. in industrial/organization psychology at University of Guelph. Career timeline: 2021-2023, part-time science consultant. 2023, advisory intern. 2024, part-time recruitment & selection consultant. 2024-current, assessment specialist. What made you choose this path? I chose this career path during my undergrad due to inspiration from working as a Marketing Assistant Manager, completing an Organizational Behavior course, and being a Research Assistant. Working as a Marketing Assistant Manager exposed me to managerial tasks which made me curious about how organizations hire qualified candidates by interviews and other assessments out there. I took an Organizational Behaviour course to understand human-centric issues in organizations, which mapped onto what I observed as a manager. I was also a Research Assistant within the Psychology department, though I felt I was missing a practical piece, leading to an “Aha!” moment: researching my experiences in the workplace would fill these practical gaps. I then researched Industrial/Organizational Psychology and the Canadian programs that offer this degree. Do you have advice for students interested in pursuing a similar path? Reflect on what you would generally value from a career, which should guide your decisions. My career path values research and evidence to base decisions that impact candidates and employees. Secondly, reflect on your current courses and extra-curriculars—what is it that you enjoy? I knew that I enjoyed research, but the Psychology research and courses I was taking were missing the practical component of the human workplace. Thirdly, network with people—your professors, your TAs, alumni from your program, and professionals on LinkedIn. Simply asking for a quick chat could lead to the source of inspiration for your career path. Lastly, get relevant experience and think from an outside perspective as to what is needed to make you operate effectively in that role and for the lab/organization as a whole. In other words, become curious about your work environment! What has been the biggest challenge on your career path so far, and how have you navigated it? The biggest challenge of my career path was getting into graduate school. With the limited Canadian programs that offer Industrial/Organizational Psychology degrees, many applicants apply for the same few programs, so the application process is very competitive. For research-based graduate programs, research experience is typically valued. I started volunteering for a lab in the Psychology department the summer after my first year, which taught me that I liked research. Still, to be sure of my interests, I obtained diverse research experience by assisting in labs studying different topics in second and third year. My variety of research experiences demonstrated my research competence for graduate program applications in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. What has been the biggest joy on your career path so far? The biggest joy in my career path so far is that it is still evolving. My constant learning, reflection, and curiosity enable me to pursue opportunities that challenge me—some of which are outside my domain of expertise. Sometimes, discomfort enables growth, and that realization of growth brings me joy.

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