Idea you have a psychology degree what career path did you take?

[zippyswife]

I’m seriously considering a degree in psychology. It’s always really interested me and it’s probably the degree I should have done (rather than the geography one I did do).

Thing is I’m early 40s now and so would need to start a new career from scratch. I’m prepared to do that but just wanted to understand my options. I have been a police officer for 15 years or so and am very Victim focused. Not sure if my experience could assist in my new career?

I have a psychology second degree. But it was OU (fab course) and I took a break to have kids. Not sure at 40+ psychologist training is now realistic but interested in similar fields.

@cantthinkofanythingwitty hi there fellow health & psych teacher!

I have a first in Psychology from a good uni but gave up trying to pursue anything in the field even though I loved it, too hard, too low pay......I do something completely different

I am in a similar boat, OP - except a bit further along, since I did a conversion MSc last year following a career in communications, and am doing some placements/counselling trainings (am in early 40s). I am now mulling over what next (Occupational v Counselling, or perhaps something like behavioural science which isn't a formal psychology discipline, but basically shares that approach. Here are my thoughts/what I wish I'd known. If anyone has done these two routes and is willing to talk to me, I'd be really grateful as I am muddled. Similarly, please PM me if you want to talk about the psych conversion MSc.

• What do you understand by 'wanting to work in psychology?' It isn't one subject - it is so many different subjects, from social psychology, to biology and cognition, and then research methods. Do you want to work to help and support people directly? or are you interested in this kind of psychology-centred research methods? I think this is important because if it is the latter, there are a bunch of different routes. Like, you could do criminology and work in government policing policy, say, or you could do a behaviour change MSc

• Presuming this is about using psychology with people, what population/setting are you interested in? Do you see yourself in a hospital, or an office, or freelance? Do you specifically want to work with seriously mentally ill people? Clinical and to an great extent counselling psychology are a training that allows you to work with a high level of severity, and across client groups -which isn't for everyone. I am weighing up the question of 'which group' for myself, alongside the fact that I really love quant and qual research.There are a number of other trainings (eg counselling/psychotherapy/coaching) that would allow you to work with a single group and lower level of clinical severity.

• What are your finances like? Basically, my impression, like others, is that educational and clinical (the funded routes) are a nightmare to get onto. You need a combination of excellent academics (I have an oxbridge first degree, and a pretty high distinction in my MSc, and to be honest, from what I can see this just meets a baseline and isn't even at all impressive for these courses) and an amazing portfolio of experience with different groups which could take years to build (my first career was good, but irrelevant). Other routes are self-funded and it is worth knowing that. Quite a lot of the people going down the self-funded routes from my MSc were careers changers with highly paid partners; in this scenario it can work well.

Good luck! For what is it worth, despite the current confusion I adored my MSc and the subject, and at our career point, and injection of enthusiasm is a beautiful thing :)

I did a psychology degree and Occupational Psychology masters.

Ended up in HR - far far easier to get HR jobs than psychology jobs. I didn't want to be in a really specific role where if your job goes, or you want to relocate or something you're buggered.