120 Psychology-Related Jobs & How To Figure Out Which One Is Best For You
University can be a great time for trying new things, living alone, becoming your own person, making friends and becoming super talented, skilled and versed in the subject you adore. However, after your fond memories of Fresher’s Week fades, and the freebies from the Fresher’s Fair are no longer so fresh and you’ve been through the gloomy 9am lectures and overnight library stints; You’ve waded through the exams and the re-takes, the homesickness and the emotional scarring from your dissertation; You’ve dazzled in the glitter and the glamour of graduating and received your gorgeous shiny pictures, and now…you’re lost. You have finally graduated – now what?
I mean, you HAD a plan. You had MANY plans, and they changed and shifted and grew into bigger and better images in your mind, just as you changed and grew into a bigger and better you, too. But now you’re on the other side and you suddenly have no more time to think and plan. You need money and more importantly, you need to start putting your degree to some good work before too much time has gone past so that you still look desirable to employers! So what do you do?
You check out this guide. But first, grab a piece of paper and a pen.
Step 1: Identify Who YOU Are
Yes, you know who you are, you’ve been with yourself for over 20 years! But let’s go deeper than that and unpick the facets of who you really are and what you can do with that.
Answer the next following questions as openly and honestly as you can with a few sentences. Reflect on your answers when looking through the different psychology-related careers in ‘Section 4: Start Your Hunt’.
What are your interpersonal relationships like? And what kind of dynamic makes you feel most confident and at-ease?
For example, are you an introvert or an extravert, or an introvert disguised as an extravert? (they exist). How do you get on with people best and most honestly? - and how does that make you feel?
What are your perceptions of yourself and your self-image?
Are you confident and driven? Do you imagine yourself in all the suits, with all the soft-sculpted hair and fearless business attitude, ready to lead and dominate? Or are you more laid back and enjoy a softer, personal approach?
In 10 years’ time when you are working in your future field, what does the vision of future ‘you’ look like? And more importantly, what does it feel like?
Do you want to climb the ladder within a particular vocation? Do you want to earn a lot and move somewhere amazing, away from where you grew up? Are children part of this picture and how do they fit in with this lifestyle and version of you? Do you want to become your own boss, or have multiple different roles over time? What kind of pace of life excites or scares you? Tear away the glitz and glam of what you COULD achieve for a second (because you CAN achieve anything, but that won’t necessarily make you happy or be sustainable in the long-run if you honestly aren’t that kind of person) – what do you think realistically will give you a lifestyle that will honestly make you feel happy, useful and feel fulfilled? Are you someone that doesn’t deal well with stress and long-hours or does that make you feel empowered and driven? These are things to think about.
What are your passions, interests, skills, strengths and weaknesses (personally and intellectually)?
Do you love helping people? Do you adore the book-ish, sciency-feeling of doing research and contributing to a cause that you stand by? Do you enjoy working with people? Animals? Children? For the environment? What are your skills, your training, your qualifications, your experiences and things you want to learn and develop? What personal and professional advantages do they give you? Are you good at working hard and producing within tight deadlines? Are you frightened of public speaking? Does working with blood make you feel queasy?
What makes you scared?
For example, do you love the idea of being a counsellor but find the 1:1 thing far too bewildering? Sometimes working in medicine or mental health can involve being exposed to some horrifying people, situations and stories. Are these things that you are HONESTLY going to be able to cope with, whilst remaining neutral and non-judgemental? What are ‘deal-breakers’ for you? Decide if those things could threaten your well-being and sense of self if you were to travel down a particular life-path.
What makes you excited?
Are you naturally a strong bubbly person that thrives in group and team settings? Do you enjoy putting yourself ‘out there’ and ‘holding-court’ socially? How would you feel if you had to work in such a way, by either managing a team or co-ordinating a project or movement for example?
What makes you proud?
Do you love puzzle-solving, research and applying theory into practice? Do you enjoy playing Sherlock Holmes and being ‘THAT PERSON’ that can pull off something worthwhile or interesting? Do these kind of achievements light your fire and motivate you to go bigger and better next time so to hone your skill and excel in your lane? Maybe this would be something that could translate when job-hunting such as figuring out someone’s diagnosis, designing a treatment plan or teaching? Think about what ‘gets you going’ and what kind of positon would fulfil that.
Step 2: Is It Feasible?
Sometimes when we complete something - such as a degree or a certain level of training – we may believe that the world is officially our oyster! But this very well may not yet be the case. For example, you may not yet have your driving licence, meaning that certain further-away jobs are out of your reach. Or, you may need to take on a further qualification such as a Master’s degree – can you afford this? How is the funding set up? If you can’t afford it, is it your only option in order to get a particular job - or are there other routes? Do some research on that – phone or email your target company/organisation and ask them for advice and options. Alternatively you can reach out to your old university and request guidance and support about how to get to that next step.
Step 3: Your CV
If you have your target job laser-focused and clear in your mind, then great! You can start constructing your CV with all your experience and training in a relevant tone for that nature of industry.
However, if you are unsure about what you would like to do, then do the following:
Identify a minimum of 4 different types of position you would like to apply for (e.g. teacher, well-being practitioner, mental health nurse etc.) – See ‘Step 4’ for a comprehensive list of 120 jobs within psychology;
Research online (for ideas) for what transferrable skills you have gained from your previous experience and training and bullet note them down;
Research online the practical and transferrable skills your 4 different positions are looking for in a candidate;
Construct 4 different CVs that are written in different tones for each specific position. Re-order your skills and abilities appropriately for each copy, for each position. Re-phrase certain aspects about yourself, your experience and what you can offer so to emulate their ideal candidate. It is important that you do not lie on your application, but instead learn how to structure your CV and represent yourself in the most attractive and relevant light for that particular job, so that your content is tailored and well-structured. For example, your passion and experience in nurturing and growing other people’s skills and confidence may not help you in your application for becoming a psychiatric warden or charitable events organiser, but it could be really beneficial when advertising yourself to employers as a potential youth counsellor, teacher, or life-coach. By tailoring what and how you choose to represent the content of your CV, you will be better able to increase your visibility on the job-market and improve your chances of being selected as an ideal candidate.
Step 4: Start Your Hunt
To make things simple and easy, below are three sections:
The Top Highest Paying Careers in Psychology;
The Top Most Unusual Careers in Psychology;
A-Z of Psychology Careers.
Click on a career name listed to find out more about that role.
The Top Highest Paying Careers in Psychology
Industrial-Organisational Psychologist
The Top Unusual Careers in Psychology
A-Z of Psychology Careers
Career or Vocational Counsellor
Correctional Treatment Specialist
Forensic or Criminal Psychologist
Industrial-Organizational Psychologist
Psychological wellbeing practitioner
Psychosocial Rehabilitation Worker
Sport and exercise psychologist
University Psychology Professor
Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellor
For more information about careers within psychology, visit UCAS or the BPS website.