Psychology is consistently ranked as one of the most interesting subjects to study- and it’s no wonder really. As humans we are fascinating creatures, we understand surprisingly little about ourselves, our deeper thoughts and motivations.
Learning more about how we work and what makes us tick both from an evolutionary and cognitive perspective can be hugely enlightening and allow us to understand ourselves and others much more.
A psychology degree provides you with a wide range of skills which are coveted by employers and you open up the door for lots of entry-level careers when you graduate.
According to the University of Southern California, it is an essential component of virtually every organization and business putting you in a very strong position for future career success. However, depending on what you want to do, your psychology degree could be just the first step.
Here are some things to think about.
Pursuing a Job In Psychology
Maybe you’ve graduated in psychology and decided you love the subject and want to continue down that route. If so, you will more than likely need to continue with your education.
Your first step would be to decide what you want to specialize in- it could be anything from sports psychology to workplace psychology, counseling or something else entirely. Once you know where you want to go next on your path then find courses in that subject.
The next step after gaining your degree would usually be to study for a Masters, or alternatively, you could opt to go into research by doing a Ph.D. In most cases, you will have to pay for these studies yourself, although there are funding options available so don’t write off the idea until you’ve done plenty of research and know what’s out there. Another way you can, and should be gaining experience in psychology if you want to continue down this path is by doing voluntary work.
There are often positions in mental health hospitals, with charities and with prisons and courts that you could look into. This can help you to improve your skills and knowledge and give you some insight into the workplace.
If you want to reach the top of this career path becoming a psychologist or psychiatrist, you can expect to do eight to twelve years in a higher education setting- so be prepared to be in it for the long haul.
On the plus side, these types of careers are very well paid so you can expect an excellent wage once you have qualified and landed yourself a career. Setting up a practice of your own means your earnings are limitless and you can expect to make a lot of money.
If you choose not to go down the route of setting up a private practice, as a psychologist you could end up working in a diverse range of settings. These include everywhere from a prison to a hospital to an army base- you could be in a hospital or a private clinic it all depends on what you specialize in.
No matter where your career takes you, being a psychologist is an incredibly rewarding role as you get to genuinely help people to work through issues that have plagued them for a lifetime. You can inspire people to make huge positive changes in their life and completely change their way of thinking.
Considering Roles Outside of Psychology
Working in psychology is exciting and rewarding, however, there are plenty of reasons why you might choose to not follow this path after graduating. Maybe you can’t afford to do more education, or perhaps the idea of studying for close to another decade isn’t for you.
You might just be keen to get started in the world of work and begin earning yourself some money. If this is the right decision for you then that’s fantastic, and as a psychology graduate, you have plenty of options. You could go into advertising, career counseling, social work or market research to name a few things.
These will all require skills that you’ll have learned and nurtured during your time studying. With a degree, particularly one that’s so versatile you can apply for just about any entry-level job, meaning that if you want to make a complete change of your career path you can easily go about it.
Spend some time thinking about what you want to do in your career and the direction that you want to take. Once you’ve already been working in a role for a number of years it can feel a little harder to make a change, so being sure of your decision now is a wise move.
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