graduate jobs in Psychology

Graduate Jobs in Psychology

How do you get a graduate job in Psychology?

Graduate jobs in psychology vary depending on your career choices and qualifications. Most work in these five broad categories:

• research, e.g. university professor;
• teaching, e.g. primary and secondary
• service provider, e.g. clinical psychologist;
• managerial role, e.g. marketing manager; and
• consultant, e.g. human factors engineer

However, you will need an advanced degree after completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology e.g obtaining a masters degree and/or a doctoral degree. This is also often the case for other professional careers such as education and medicine. Most psychology career paths also require you to have a Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) which many psychology degrees should include within the course. However, you can gain a GBC through an accredited postgraduate conversion course.

What can I expect to be doing?

Due to the vast number of options available, it is difficult to say exactly what you could be doing. However, you will need a patient focus and a willingness to listen. It is also important to have an analytical mind in order to solve problems which goes hand in hand with communication skills.

Career Progression

The career paths can be split up into two categories:

1. Careers that require a GBC from the British Psychological society and a psychology degree

Examples include clinical, health, counseling and even forensic psychology. These are the specialism’s that most people in the NHS enter.

2. Careers that will ultimately want you to have a psychology degree as it will be helpful, but is not essential

Examples of these careers include social work, Psychotherapy, occupational therapy and a mental health nurse.

The Challenges

Again, this will depend on the avenue you choose, however, there is general strong competition for jobs in psychology so it is important to gain relevant work experience or by volunteering. Due to the nature of the job, challenges may include dealing with stress.

Expected Salary

This is quite varied, depending what route you take and whether you go on to complete a masters or doctorate degree. With an undergraduate degree in Psychology, it can vary between £15,000 and £25,000 but between £25,000 and £40,000 once you have complete the appropriate postgraduate degrees with a GBC.

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