Aimee Mould
BSc (Hons) Psychology 2020
Position and company: Senior Statistical Office at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Aimee works at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where she applies statistics in a policy and economist role. Before this, she was a data analyst at the Ministry of Justice, where she analysed statistics related to criminal justice outcomes, including prosecutions, convictions, and sentences.
When asked about her biggest achievement to date, Aimee said: “Graduating with a first-class degree and finally getting a role involving statistics after a couple of years in a stop-gap job!”
Regarding her biggest challenge, she shared: “Imposter syndrome has been the largest hurdle to overcome in both my academic and personal life—it's still something I am actively trying to improve.”
At the time Aimee applied to study, she was a mature student with a very young daughter. She was drawn to the University of Sunderland because of the support available. She explained: “I liked the support and the welcoming environment that the university, particularly the psychology department, provided.”
Aimee felt fortunate to have been surrounded by several amazing lecturers who brought a range of insights and experiences to their teaching. She notably mentioned: “I have to shout out to Dr Catherine Kenny for igniting my love of statistics in the advanced module!”
During her time at the University of Sunderland, Aimee received the Futures Fund Excellence Scholarship, awarded to penultimate-year students on track for a first-class degree. She shared how the scholarship supported her: “It allowed me to focus on my studies while caring for my five-year-old daughter, without the added pressure of needing a part-time job.
“This relief enabled me to concentrate on achieving the grades I wanted. Being recognised with this scholarship boosted my confidence in my abilities and changed my attitude towards assignments—transforming self-doubt into belief in my potential to succeed.”
Aimee’s advice to graduates entering the job market is: “Don’t undersell yourself. Read through examples of interview questions and structure your applications and verbal points using the STAR method—it works wonders. Preparation for interviews and applications is much more important than it may seem, especially in a competitive job market. Also, if you don’t end up where you want to be in your career right away, see every role as an opportunity for skill development!”
Aimee concluded, “One day, I would love to continue my studies and return to academia. That was my original motivation to work within the psychology department—it would be great to eventually come back in one way or another!”