At some point in life, most of us wonder what sort of jobs we can pursue if we study psychology. We look up to our parents, teachers and friends and try to match them with a career which is similar to their personalities.
Psychology is a great major to have! It can lead to a wide variety of jobs.
Psychologists are in high demand, and one of the reasons for this is because there are so many different types of psychologists. There are clinical psychologists, who help people with mental health issues. There are counseling psychologists, who work in schools or other settings and help people with their social skills or academic performance. There are school psychologists, who work with students and teachers on special needs or behavioral issues. And there are industrial-organizational psychologists, who help companies improve their workplaces by designing better employee training programs and more efficient ways of organizing their employees’ workdays.
You can also use your psychology degree to get into research or teaching positions at universities or colleges. You could even become a writer on the subject! Other possibilities include working as an expert witness in court cases (if you’ve got forensic training), helping non-profits and government agencies implement policies that affect people’s lives (such as policies regarding mental health), or becoming a consultant for businesses who want advice on how to improve their workplaces (again, if you have training in how businesses operate).
Whether you’re interested in clinical work or research
What jobs can psychology get you
Introduction
If you are interested in studying psychology for university or through an online degree, it’s important to know that just because you study psychology does not mean your only job option is to become a psychologist. While clinical psychologists and psychiatrists make up the majority of people who work in the field of psychology, there are many other options available that can be more flexible and allow you a greater range of subjects to study while earning your degree. Here we will look at some of those options, including some careers in which it is possible to earn your degree online via distance learning options.
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical psychologists are the most common type of psychologist. They work with patients in a clinical setting and provide treatment for mental disorders, as well as other psychological problems. Clinical psychologists often specialize in certain areas such as:
- Clinical Child Psychology – this involves treating children who have emotional or behavioral problems
- Clinical Marriage and Family Therapy – this involves treating couples or families who are experiencing difficulties
- Health Psychology – this involves treating physical health problems (such as pain management) by using psychological methods
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in mental health. They have completed a residency program and are licensed to prescribe medications and talk therapy. Psychiatrists can help people with issues like:
- Mental health disorders, such as depression or schizophrenia
- Drugs or alcohol addiction
- Mood disorders, including bipolar disorder, postpartum depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
They can also provide assistance if you’re experiencing psychosis—a state of mind in which your reality is distorted by your inability to tell what’s real or imagined.
Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
Industrial/Organizational (I/O) psychology is a relatively new field that focuses on improving workplace performance by understanding how people think, behave, and interact in the workplace. This includes things like managing teams of employees or improving communication between managers and their employees. I/O psychologists are often employed by companies as part of a human resources department or consulting firm to help them make better decisions about hiring people, training staff members, setting performance standards for workers…
School Psychologist
School psychologists are responsible for identifying learning and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. They also work with teachers and parents to help improve the educational experience of students.
School psychologists may work in elementary and secondary schools, colleges, public health agencies, or private practice. Their job duties can include:
- Conducting psychological assessments of students to determine whether they have learning disabilities or emotional/behavioral problems.
- Providing individualized counseling services to help children with academic issues such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
- Helping administrators plan special education programs for struggling students by evaluating their progress over time through the use of group testing.
Rehabilitation Psychologist
A rehabilitation psychologist is a clinical psychologist who specializes in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorders that affect people’s everyday functioning.
Psychology is a diverse field that includes many different types of psychologists. Some work in hospitals as part of the medical staff, while others work as school counselors or with children and families through various agencies. Rehabilitation psychologists work within treatment settings, such as hospitals or clinics, to help individuals recover from physical injuries or mental health conditions. They may also provide therapy for patients suffering from substance abuse problems, chronic pain syndromes or other forms of behavioral health issues.
Developmental Psychologist
Developmental psychology is the study of the psychological changes that occur throughout the lifespan, from infancy to old age. Developmental psychologists study cognitive, emotional and social development as well as biological factors that influence these processes.
Developmental psychologists can work in a variety of settings such as schools, hospitals or private practices. They often work with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities. In addition to providing clinical services for children with special needs, developmental psychologists may also conduct research related to child development using various methods such as experiments or surveys.
Developmental psychology majors have opportunities to help improve young people’s lives through a variety of careers including:
Media Psychologist
The role of media psychologists is to understand how people react to and interact with the media. They study how people process and interpret different forms of media, such as television, film, music and video games. Media psychologists can work in many different fields; for example: advertising, marketing or public relations; working for a company that produces media products like movies or video games; working in education (teaching kids how to use technology safely); or working in health care by studying how people use social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.
Media psychologists must have excellent communication skills so they can share their research findings with colleagues and other professionals who may be interested in learning more about this topic.
Forensic Psychologist
- What is a Forensic Psychologist?
- A forensic psychologist is a type of mental health professional who conducts research, provides therapy and treatment to individuals, and consults with legal authorities. They work within the legal system to provide assessments and treatment for those involved in the justice system, including victims, witnesses and perpetrators.
- How do they differ from other types of psychologists?
- Not all psychologists have training in forensic psychology. Because questions about criminal behavior often involve complex social issues (e.g., culture), it’s important that clinicians have specialized knowledge in this area. Some clinical psychologists choose to become certified as a forensic psychologist after receiving their PhD or PsyD degree. There are also Masters level programs specifically focused on preparing students for careers as forensic psychologists by giving them coursework covering topics such as ethics; law enforcement policies; psychological assessment tools; offender profiling/risk assessment concepts; interviewing skills development etcetera). These programs will typically require students to complete an internship experience where they work at a mental health facility under supervision from licensed professionals in order to gain practical experience before graduation day arrives!
There are a lot of options.
There are a lot of options. Psychology is a broad field, and there’s more to it than just the therapy room. The possibilities are not limited to clinical psychology, either. If you have a degree in psychology, you can work in any industry that values people skills and empathy—that includes sales, marketing, teaching and tutoring (the latter two being some of the best job options for recent grads).
Some things to keep in mind as you look at different jobs:
- Don’t get hung up on trying to figure out exactly which job will be “right for me.” Instead, think about what types of jobs interest you most—and then find out if your major qualifies for those positions. For example: While many students think they want something like marketing or advertising because they love doing creative work; however these fields require taking classes like statistics which aren’t always seen as fun by everyone! So instead consider something like management consulting–which requires communicating with stakeholders across all levels of an organization–and write creative content for blogs/social media channels on behalf of clients rather than creating ads themselves (which might be boring after awhile). Or maybe teaching is right up your alley because it allows great flexibility while still giving back through education rather than profit driven tasks such as advertising campaigns where no real benefit comes from creating them except maybe making some money off royalties if they’re successful enough…
Conclusion
There you have it! As you can see, there are many careers in psychology. If you are looking to find a job, but don’t know where to start when it comes to picking one out of all the available options, just follow these steps. First, research what kind of job you want based on your interests. Second decide which path leads to that job (e.g., graduate degree vs certification or license requirements). Third and finally choose the type of school or training program that will give you all the skills necessary for success
