Research Teaching Applied Work Animal Training Clinical/Counseling Consumer Engineering Forensic Health Psychology Human Services Industrial/ Organizational School Sports

Careers in Psychology What do you usually think of when you hear the word "psychologist"? A Doctor talking to a patient lying on a black couch? A researcher in a white lab coat placing a rat in a maze? Perhaps we all have a different view of what a psychologist does. Considering that psychology is defined as the study of the mind and behavior, a psychologist can work in any kind of career that focuses on the mind and/or behavior. A few of the settings in which a psychologist might work are listed below. Hospitals and Clinics Private Companies Non-profit Organizations Schools Laboratories Health and Fitness Centers Zoos Governmental Agencies Law Offices Colleges and Universities Generally, a psychologist can work in three different types of areas: research, teaching, or applied work. It is important to understand that none of these areas are mutually exclusive. In other words, many researchers are also involved in teaching and applied work. Also, psychologists with academic careers at a university are usually involved in research. For more info: Majoring in Psych? Career Options for Psychology Undergraduates, Morgan & Korschgen (Allyn & Bacon, 1998) Counseling Psychology Career Associates (1985). Career choices for students of psychology: How to match your fields of study to job opportunities. New York: Walker and Co. DeGalan, J., and Lambert, S. (1995). Great jobs for psychology majors. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons Super, C. M., and Super, D. E. (1988). Opportunities in psychology careers. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons Research Some of the most important findings about human nature have come from the work of psychological researchers. Many psychological researchers are employed at university settings. In addition to engaging in research, many are also involved in teaching. Psychologists research a huge number of topics ranging from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children to the best ways to increase attendance in an organization. Some psychologists work as full-time researchers for organizations other than universities. These individuals often work for companies who employ scientists to study various research topics. The Army Research Institute (ARI), for example, frequently hires psychologists to investigate topics such as leadership performance and training evaluation. Other research psychologists might work for companies who design experiments to test the effects of drugs on the behavior of patients. Teaching Teaching on the college level is one of the most frequently chosen career paths of psychologists. In fact, one survey found that close to 1/3 of all psychologists work at a college or university. A majority of the teachers at the college and university level have Ph.D. degrees. Psychologists with master's degrees are typically employed at two-year or community colleges. Teaching offers psychologists the opportunity to teach a host of different subjects to students. In the same way that many career paths exist for psychologists, so do the choices of subjects to teach. Listed below are only a few of the subjects that psychology professors might teach: Child Therapy Cognitive Psychology Experimental Psychology Forensic Assessment History of Psychology Hypnotherapy Learning Neuropsychology Psychology of Aging Psychology of Self Social Psychology Systems of Psychology For more info: Rheingold, H. L. (1994) The Psychologist's Guide to an Academic career. American Psychological Association: Washington Applied Work If work as a researcher or teacher isn't for you, you may be interested in one of the many applied career options. The degree requirements depend, of course, on the type of career you choose. Some individuals with only bachelors degrees are able to find employment in some of these areas. In others, it is necessary to have a more advanced doctoral degree. Animal Training Do you enjoy working with animals? Many psychologists do also. In fact, psychologists work with many different kinds of animals ranging in size from a small field mouse to a giant African elephant. Generally, these psychologists receive their degrees from schools that emphasize the scientific study of behavior, especially animal behavior. Some psychologists open their own animal training practice and specialize in training animals such as dogs or horses. Other psychologists are hired by companies that train animals. Sea World, for example, hires trainers to work with porpoises and killer whales. Zoos also hire psychologists to develop more humane ways of handling animals as well as developing methods to improve training. Clinical/Counseling Perhaps you would enjoy a career that centers around helping others. Pursuing clinical or counseling psychology might be the right career choice. Almost 50% of all psychologists work as clinical or counseling psychologists in a private practice or therapy setting. However, counseling and clinical psychology have somewhat different focuses. Counseling psychology deals with helping people cope with problems, make decisions, and deal with the stresses of life. A counselor works directly with clients in an attempt to assist in their personal development and adjustment. Clinical psychology deals with the assessment and treatment of individuals who exhibit mental, emotional, or physiological disorders. Clinical psychologists usually work with clients whose behavior problems are more severe than those of clients of counseling psychologists. A clinical psychologists might provide individual or group therapy, assist clients with drug-related problems, or test patients for psychological and neurological problems. The services provided by clinical and counseling psychologists almost always require at least a masters or doctoral degree. Most of these psychologists have completed four or five years of graduate training and many have completed additional years in a supervised therapy setting. The degree requirements for clinical psychologists are usually more stringent than those of counseling psychologists. For more info: Clinical Psychology Links Counseling Psychology Resources The clinical psychology handbook (1991). New York: Pergamon Press Consumer Have you ever wondered about subliminal suggestion? Do you enjoy commercials? Do you wonder why some marketing campaigns are so effective? If these questions interest you, consider checking out consumer psychology. A large part of consumer psychology deals with understanding how consumers process information, form judgments, and make decisions regarding the purchasing of products and services. Consumer psychologists are involved in determining the factors that lead to these decisions. For example, a psychologist might design a study to evaluate which type of cereal box design will most likely influence individuals to purchase a particular type of cereal. In addition to the marketing of products, consumer psychologists are also employed in the area of merchandise sales. Psychologists have extensively studied different types of sales techniques and can offer advice to salespersons as to what techniques have been found to be most effective. Consumer psychologists are also asked to analyze target populations of individuals. Purchasing trends or demographic information may be collected to determine consumer needs and interests. For more info: Society Consumer Psychology Understanding Consumer Psychology Percy, L. and Woodside, A. G. (1983). Advertising and consumer psychology. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books Grossack, M. M. (1971). Consumer psychology: Theory and practice. Boston: Brandon Press Engineering Some people who enjoy both engineering and psychology pursue degrees in engineering psychology. Most engineering psychologists work in industry or for the government. They typically deal with the evaluation, design, and use of equipment. Engineering psychologists design machines and systems that can be used more effectively by individuals. The focus is typically on the interaction between man and machine and specific ways to improve this interaction. Engineering psychologists are also hired to design tools, equipment, and work procedures to limit the stress and fatigue placed on workers as well as to increase efficiency. Many engineering psychologists are also hired as safety engineers to ensure that the company's man-machine systems do not endanger workers. For more info: Engineering Psychology: Another Science of Common Sense? Wickens, C. D. (1984). Engineering psychology and human performance. Columbus: Merrill Forensic Movies such as Silence of the Lambs and events like the O.J. Simpson trial have lead to an increase in popularity of forensic psychology. This discipline deals with applying psychological principles to the law. Some forensic psychologists deal more specifically with the clinical aspects of victims and/or defendants. They might counsel victims or evaluate their ability to testify in court. They can also evaluate a defendant's mental competence to stand trial. Other forensic psychologists work as consultants to law enforcement officials. They are often involved in creating profiles in order to apprehend criminals. Profiling can be used to identify the type of person who is likely to commit a crime or the actual person who committed the crime. Forensic psychologists are also used in the evaluation of potential jurors. These psychologists evaluate the verbal and nonverbal behavior of individuals in attempts to predict pro and anti criminal sentiment. Other forensic psychologists serve as expert witnesses regarding the reliability of eyewitness testimony. For more info: Wrightsman, L. S. (1991) Psychology and the legal system. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks and Cole Cooke, G. (1980). The role of the forensic psychologist. Springfield, IL: Thomas Health Psychology Could you picture yourself advising others about health issues? You might consider health psychology. A health psychologist is concerned with the promotion and maintenance of sound health practices. In addition, they often apply psychological principles to the prevention of illness. Stress management is perhaps one of the largest areas of interest for these psychologists. They often counsel clients on identifying and minimizing the effects of everyday stressors on personal health. Maintaining health is important in many other areas as well. Health psychologists often help individuals quit smoking, counsel individuals with weight loss or weight gain goals, and design fitness programs. Other health psychologists work closely with doctors to ensure that patients adhere to prescribed treatment. Because some researchers estimate that 93% of patients fail to adhere to their medical treatment, psychologists are often called upon to design programs to keep patients in treatment. Human Services A demand almost always exists for those who work with "special" populations of individuals in a human service setting. Human services refers to the psychological assistance that is given to a number of individuals from different populations: elderly, mentally retarded, disabled, juvenile delinquents, alcoholics, etc. Technically, counseling and clinical psychology is considered a form of human services. However, psychologists in human service settings usually work with one of the above mentioned "special" populations. A large number of human service psychologists work with disabled individuals, such as those with mental retardation. In fact, students who receive bachelors degrees in psychology frequently obtain full-time employment in this type of setting. These individuals usually work directly with disabled clients to help them acquire basic skills like communication, home living, and self-care. For more info: Career Guide: Counselors and Social Workers Collison, B. B. (1996). Careers in counseling and human services. Washington, D.C.: Taylor & Francis Paradis, A. A. (1996) Careers for caring people and other sensitive types. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Are you interested in working with owners, managers, and employees of business and industry? I/O psychology is the application of psychological principles to the workplace. When people hear of I/O psychology they often think of therapy provided to industrial workers. However, I/O psychology does not deal with therapy but rather focuses on issues of improving performance in the workplace. A majority of practicing I/O psychologists work for consulting firms. This type of company provides services to different companies, advising them on topics ranging from organizational development to employee motivation. Many other psychologists are employed by private companies and governmental agencies. Personnel administration and selection is another area in which an I/O psychologist might work. He or she might be employed by a company evaluating and improving methods of selection, promotion, or even compensation. Other areas include training and motivating workers, developing ergonomically-designed equipment, designing leadership training courses, evaluating performance of employees, and ensuring sound legal and ethical treatment of individuals in the workplace. For more info: The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist School If you are interested in psychology and want to work with students, faculty, and administrators, you might be interested in becoming a school psychologist. School psychologists have been described as counselors in an educational setting. They deal with the psychological, emotional, and intellectual well-being of individuals in an elementary, junior high, or high school setting. School psychologists work directly with students as well as parents and teachers to develop healthy emotional and educational learning experiences. Although they may do some parent/child counseling, school psychologists will usually refer more severe behavioral problems to specialists. Some school psychologists also assist in the development and administration of tests given to students to determine intellectual levels. They can also test students for problems, such as learning disorders, and determine special needs. School psychologists are also expected to work closely with teachers and administrators in improving their ability to deal with students that have behavior problems. For more info: What is School Psychology? Fagan, T. (1994). School psychology: Past, present, and future. New York: Longman Phillips, B. N. (1990). School psychology at a turning point: Ensuring a bright future for the profession. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass Sports If you have an interest in sports, perhaps sports psychology would be a good career for you. Sports psychologists usually work in one of two areas: counseling of athletes or enhancement of performance. Since athletes face a unique and demanding lifestyle, psychologists are often employed to assist these individuals adjust to the demands. This might include teaching stress reduction strategies, providing interventions to enhance self-esteem, or assisting athletes adjust to changes brought about by injuries. Psychologists involved with performance enhancement work with athletes and coaches to develop the skills and abilities of athletes. Some psychologists, for example, use imagery to enhance athletic performance. Others might use strategies that involve goal-setting, feedback, and rewards. For more info: Mind Tools: Sports Psychology Williams, J. M. (1986). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield May, J. R. and Asken, M. J. (1987). Sport psychology: The psychological health of the athlete. New York: PMA