Clinical psychologist job description

Practice in the workplace

In order to become a chartered psychologist, one must first complete their postgraduate coursework and studies. Before beginning their postgraduate studies, many psychology majors are required to have at least one year of professional experience under their belts before enrolling in a program.

Building up your professional experience as quickly as you can is a smart move to do. In order to acquire the necessary level of experience before applying for a paid position, it is typically necessary for you to first work in a volunteer capacity.

The kind of experience that is required differs according to the subfield of psychology that the student want to study. Work as a clinical assistant psychologist or in related fields, such as nursing, social work, mental health work, services for persons with disabilities, mentoring young offenders, and work in correctional facilities, probation, or social services is essential.

Additionally valuable is experience working as a research assistant.

In order to pursue a career in educational psychology, one must have previous experience dealing with children in either an educational, daycare, or community environment. Experience in the classroom is beneficial to have, despite the fact that it is not required.

Those interested in occupational psychology are required to have prior experience in business and management, in addition to experience in people or human resources.

Many students who finish with a degree in psychology go on to pursue careers in other fields. Again, experience gained via paid employment or volunteer work in your subject of interest is quite valuable. This could consist of working part-time while you're earning your degree, spending the summer in an internship or placement, or doing volunteer work or job shadowing. You may also put what you learn in the classroom into practice by spending a year working in the field via programs offered by certain educational institutions.

Common types of employers

Many graduates of psychology programs end up working in professions that are linked to their field of study, even if others go on to become professional psychologists.

Earning a degree in psychology may serve as a solid groundwork for a wide variety of professional paths and jobs.

The following are some of the most important employers of psychology graduates:

services pertaining to careers and counselling

organizations in the business and industrial sectors

financial organisations

human resources departments

businesses and organizations that provide legal assistance to clients

governments on both the municipal and national levels

promoting and selling businesses

media outlets

a.k.a. "the NHS"

law enforcement agencies, the National Probation Service, and correctional facilities

Institutions of education include primary schools, secondary schools, institutes of further education, and universities

organizations that do social research

social services.

Find information about employers working in the fields of healthcare, teacher training and education, marketing, advertising and public relations, and any other relevant fields.

Your resume needs these skills.

Transferable talents include:

communication skills, both written and vocal, including the ability to write reports and give presentations

technology based on information

processing of numerical and statistical information

research that is analytical

issue solving

the capacity to operate both alone and collaboratively in a variety of settings

project management.

The scientific parts of your psychology study give helpful tools for professions in fields such as medicine, law enforcement, finance, information technology, and research. These skills include the application of a reasoned approach, the resolution of problems, and the manipulation of data.

Your expertise in human behavior and motivation, as well as your capacity for critical analysis of a problem, the formulation of a considered response, the creation of an argument, and the generation of new ideas, are excellent qualifications for careers in the creative industries, the legal field, government administration, and education.

Research in depth is required.

If you are interested in becoming a chartered psychologist and registering with the Health and Care Professionals Council as a practitioner psychologist, then you will need to complete postgraduate study and training (HCPC).

There are several subfields of psychology that may be studied further at the postgraduate level, including clinical, counselling, educational, health, occupational, sport and exercise, and forensic psychology.

Some graduates choose to become certified educators as a stepping stone into the field of educational psychology. This job does not need a teaching certification; nonetheless, having teaching experience is still beneficial and relevant experience to have.

Psychology graduates who aren't interested in becoming psychologists could decide to pursue a postgraduate diploma in their preferred field of work, such as teaching, advertising, marketing, or human resources, instead of becoming psychologists.

Some graduates pursue further education in the form of a master's degree or doctoral degree in order to pursue a career in academia that is a combination of research and teaching.