From student to talent assessment specialist: “I design and manage tools that help us hire the right talent.”

Rewarding, dynamic, international.

I moved here from my home country, Germany, which was a big step out of my comfort zone. At university, I worked on different assignments, and that experience confirmed my interest in combining psychology and data to create something meaningful for people. That’s how I was drawn to psychometrics, which is a field within psychology devoted to measuring psychological attributes, such as intelligence, personality traits, or skills.

One of the assignments I was involved in at university was validating a job personality assessment designed to measure traits and work-style preferences. I had to ensure the tool was fair and valid for people from both the United States and across Europe. Because people grow up in different cultural contexts, these cultural differences can influence how they interpret questions and what they consider normal. My task was therefore to make sure the test worked equally well for both the US and European populations, which involved extensive data analysis, something I really liked.

I design, manage, and continuously improve tools, such as psychometric tests and skill evaluations. To do this, I collaborate closely with design and development teams, and much of my work involves data analysis and product development. Those tools help our hiring managers and recruiters identify the right talent while ensuring a fair recruitment process for applicants. For example, a personality test is part of our job application process, and when someone completes it, they receive a personalised report. That report is designed for both the hiring team and the job applicant, and I make sure the results are presented in a clear, user-friendly way so that everyone can interpret them accurately.

When I contribute to improving a certain tool, it gives people a better insight into their strengths, and they gain more self-awareness; it also builds strong team dynamics and ultimately improves organisational outcomes. That gives me a strong sense of purpose.

Working with large amounts of data is a big part of my work, and that is something I learned during my Master’s specialisation. Critical thinking is also invaluable. My master's thesis supervisor kept telling me that I must always question my hypothesis. For example, I might have an assumption, which I believe is true, and then collect evidence to see whether it actually holds true. This is very important in my job because I might initially assume that a particular step in a process works smoothly, but by questioning that assumption and examining the data more closely, I may discover a flaw I haven't noticed before, which will help me refine the overall process.

I chose to study Psychology at the University of Twente because it teaches you to tackle real-world problems. For example, some students who chose the same specialisation as I did worked on medical devices that help surgeons rehearse before performing procedures on patients; others improved driving simulators to help people learn to drive. There were also projects on autonomous vehicles, so overall there was a wide range of topics to explore, as well as different specialisations to choose from, and that was one of the most exciting aspects of the programme for me.

Designing digital tools that work across different countries and cultures is an ongoing learning experience. I work with a lot of different teams, including hiring managers, software developers, designers, and subject matter experts, so I am learning to collaborate with people from various professional and cultural backgrounds.

I want to continue bridging the gap between talent and opportunities by creating tools that help people unlock their potential and grow in their careers.

What was incredibly useful to me was doing internships during both my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Psychology: I gained hands-on experience and discovered what interests me. Besides, that work experience can make you stand out when you apply for jobs.

When it comes to life after graduation, my advice is to focus on building skills that will be relevant in the future. Learn to adapt and try new approaches because things are changing rapidly, especially with the development of AI. Being able to adapt to whatever comes your way is essential.