The human psyche is complex and whether we realize it or not, it is responsible for almost every action we take, throughout our lives. As a result, the student of psychology has career opportunities available in just about every field.
The scope of psychology degrees goes beyond just the route of being a therapist or a teacher, although, they are viable and lucrative career choices as well. To have the ability and knowledge to understand human psychology can help most professionals in various fields become more productive as well, so the opportunities of studying psychology aren’t only limited to fields directly related to the subject, but they are much more branched out than one may imagine.
On that note, let us now take a look at nine excellent career choices that students of psychology can choose from.
Counselor for Alcohol/Drug Abusers
Substance abuse is a huge problem in our society and therapists who work in the field remain the best hope for addicts and their families to ever get back to a normal, healthy lifestyle again. Substance abuse counselors may have to work with people who are addicted to any and all forms of drugs and/or alcohol, but experience plays a big role here. Given that this is a growing problem all around the world, there is a serious demand for substance abuse counselors internationally, but especially in the US.
Psychometrist
A job more suited for fresh graduates who are looking to gain experience, a psychometrist has two jobs; administering psychological tests and scoring the performance. They do not have the authority to interpret the results or provide assessments though. Also, a psychometrist can only work under a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist. A graduate-level degree in clinical psychology is required to be a psychometrist and it should only be treated as a learning phase, rather than the final career destination. Nevertheless, there is ample opportunity for a psychometrist to be employed in public and private organizations.
Human Resources
A student of psychology will find that there are plenty of opportunities in Human Resources since qualified personnel is essential to guide the HR manager in preparing company policies for the employees. Aside from the policies, implementation of performance improvement strategies and apt recruitment also takes a good understanding of human psychology and that’s where the student of psychology comes in. In fact, getting yourself a graduate degree in psychology (which you can easily find using a site such as educations.com if you haven’t already enquired about available courses) might even land you a job as an HR manager down the line and especially if it is also accompanied by a business degree.
Marriage Counselor
Divorce is supposed to be a last resort but of late, it has become more common than it should be. A marriage counselor is specialized in preventing divorces where it is not necessary and more importantly, they work towards keeping the original, emotional bond within the couple from breaking away completely. Love fades and bonds become loose because of reasons that even couples do not understand properly and it is the job of the marriage counselor to find out those root causes and address them. To become a marriage counselor, you will need to be licensed, which comes only after you have completed your Master’s in the field and have spent enough hours as an intern under a licensed counselor.
Forensic Psychologist
On becoming a forensic psychologist, he/she will have to work closely with the law enforcement department, the legal department, and the justice system. This requires more than a degree in psychology as understanding the country’s judicial system and the laws that govern it is just as essential. As a forensic psychologist, you will be considered an expert witness, whose evaluation and recommendations regarding the defendant’s competence to stand a trial will be crucial to the decision of the court in sentencing the accused.
Sports Psychologist
Sports psychology is a very lucrative career option for students of the field and there are some tremendous earning potentials here for those that make a name for themselves. Competitive, professional sports is an extremely stressful scenario for not just the body, but the mind as well. Sports psychologists are tasked with the job to keep athletes in peak mental condition, even after losses, injuries, or any other significant impedance. He/she works with the coaches and other management staff to also devise strategies that encourage teamwork and boost morale to improve the performance of the concerned athletes. Therapy is part of the job as well, and it is often necessary to counsel an athlete out of a bad situation.
I-O Psychologist
I-O psychology stands for industrial and organizational psychology, which is necessary in every field of work these days to keep each employee motivated in this highly competitive world. The I-O psychologist observes the behavior of each employee in a workplace and devises improvement plans accordingly. His/her job is to figure out what clicks for whom and make the company’s workforce more productive through appropriate training arrangements. The I-O psychologist will also play a big part in the recruiting and placement of each employee by suggesting which of the applicants would be the best fit for the vacancy and which employees could be more productive by being shifted elsewhere. For those that freelance, the earning potentials of an industrial and organizational psychologist are very high since they are directly associated with boosting the company’s productivity.
School Counselor
You can learn more about school counseling careers here, and while being a school counselor is not the highest paying job on this list, it certainly is one of the most responsible ones because it can help to shape young lives. More often than not, the counseling offered at school can change the future of troubled youth for the better. For example, in the year 2016, Molly Hudgens, the school counselor of Sycamore Middle School in Tennessee, talked a student out of shooting teachers and police officers, in spite of the student carrying a loaded gun at that moment. Even when the situation isn’t as dire as that, school counselors regularly help students to overcome problems in their lives, destress and achieve more.
Psychiatrist
Psychiatrists are doctors and they can prescribe medication to their patients, if and when necessary. In some states, it is necessary to complete medical school to become a psychiatrist, so it isn’t the cheapest avenue of education to follow for a psychology student, but it is by far the highest-paid job in the field, with the income potentials easily exceeding $200,000. Once a student becomes a psychiatrist after completing all the necessary degrees and attaining the license, they can basically opt for almost every job that there is in the field of professional psychology.
A point to be noted here is the fact that it’s important to complete your degree in psychology from a reputed institution because during interviews, the employers will be more interested in the university and the degree, than whether the applicant completed it online or by physically going to school.
Therefore, do take a look at all the available psychology degrees before making a choice. There are plenty of opportunities to go abroad for better education as well. At times, it’s a good idea to have a look at human psychology from a different social point of view, because it broadens one’s perspective and understanding, which in turn, helps make better psychology professional.
