What did you do after your psychology degree?

[BoogleMcGroogle]

It's been interesting reading where an English Literature degree took people.

So I'm wondering what happened to those of us with a psychology degree. Apparently it's one of the degrees with the lowest earning potential/ perceived transferable skills.

I taught for a couple of years aged then trained as an educational psychologist. I love my job. It's interesting, flexible and well paid. Now I run a small independent practice, so I guess it worked out well. Others on my degree course went into academia, teaching, social work, corporate graduate schemes and a couple more are applied psychologists.

Where has it taken you?

Straight into mental health services management - my degree was of use - statistics and clinical Psychology units especially useful. Then moved into general hospital and health insurance management.
Left all those 'proper' jobs behind long ago - I'm now (mostly) self employed teaching adults.

I'm a UX Designer/Researcher. Loads of applicability of my degree (other social science degrees would be the same); cognition, behavioural analysis, research methodologies. Pays well, rising field with loads of openings although having web design skills is good and gives you more opportunities. These can be learned in a Bootcamp or with an additional degree or course.

I got a Masters in HCI (human-computer interaction) but it wasn't necessary. Helpful and I enjoyed it.

Eventually a PhD- now a counselling psychologist

Not me but my cousin, she’s currently doing her MA in mental health social work.

DS2 with Psychology degree worked for an estate agency, then a big recruitment company and now has his own recruitment business.

Those of you with doctorates how did you find doing the doctorate and did you work and have a family while doing it?

@icecreamsundae32 no. I did my PhD straight after my undergrad when I was 22. It was fully funded, so the PhD was my job.

The DClinPsy is also fully funded. I had DD between the second and third years.

Ah ok thanks @Psychologika I've seen a job advertised as a trainee Ed psych, a 2 year salaried position for a psychology graduate, with the expectation you'd then enrol on the doctorate after these 2 years. I'm not finished my degree yet so not in a position to apply, but it's good to know jobs are out there. I'm just not sure how compatible a doctorate is with 3 children?!

@icecreamsundae32 Ed Psych is different to Clinical as it is usually funded via the LA rather than the NHS. I'm not sure if you get a salary to train, as you do with Clinical

I am almost 20 years post undergrad degree and still working as a chartered psych. I love it! I did a joint hons degree and then did the psych MSc that combined them. Worked in consulting and in-house, currently in the city.

@Justkidding I knew early on, before applying for degrees, which applied area I was interested in. I tried to get as much work experience as possible which was almost impossible as they wouldn't offer experience if I didn't have any experience!! I agree that there are too many grads for the relevant roles available.

I find my qualifications have proved to be beneficial and the scientific rigour has been invaluable. I have always felt very lucky to really love my job. My current role is intellectually stimulating, very satisfying and pays very favourably.

@icecreamsundae32, I found the Prof. Doc. was pretty much a full time job. 2-3 days at Uni, clinical practice placements, supervision etc. meant it was quite full on as there were essays etc to do for the taught component.
I also worked part time as counselling psych isn’t funded, as did many of my cohort. I had no social life, but I knew it was for a relatively short time. I don’t know how I would have fitted a family in- but it is possible as some of my cohort did.

Primary teaching. I always wanted to teach and was advised by my guidance teacher that psychology was a good route to go to get into teaching. Did briefly consider doing educational psychology but once I found out what the job was actually like I went off it!

I'm currently doing a BA Hons in early childhood and youth studies with the OU and aim to then do a MA In psychology (conversion course) I want to do child psychology I'm interested in educational and developmental. Can anyone give me advice if this seems like an ok path or would I be better using the BA to do something else?

@tinatsarina what is it you want to do, exactly?

Did a MSc in Occupational Psychology and now work as an Occupational Psychologist for a consultancy

I taught, then became an educational psychologist. Had a big chunk of time not working / at home with the kids as well.

Masters in psychology and worked as a researcher ever since. I don't always get to research areas of particular interest, but am always using the skills I started learning in my degree.

@Psychologika I originally thought educational psychology but I like the developmental side of the course I'm doing at the moment. I've worked in daycares with 0-4 for 8 years now and I feel I've done all I can with my level 3 in childcare and so chose to do the BA hoping it would give me more options but still work with kids.

Thank you @YouNeedIceForThat I figured it would be extremely full on! Are you a counselling psychologist now? Did you do a masters and doctorate?

My psychology degree has dual focus on child psychology and counselling psychology and both are very interesting to me! I think id actually quite like to be a counsellor in a school or similar so maybe counselling psychologist is more for me than education psychologist... but I have to consider which is more likely to get me a job and a good salary! Or else I may end up teaching instead!

Became a Social work assistant and then my local authority paid for me to do my masters in Social work (which was my plan).

icecreamsundae the post you describe sounds like a great opportunity! Assistant
EP jobs are pretty hard to come by so that could be a good chance to get relevant work experience. The EP doctorate training is salaried and it's not that badly paid. It is pretty full on, especially in the last year, with thesis writing and job hunting.

neolara I think I remember you putting a couple of years back about getting back into the profession? I hope it's going well for you 🙂

Clinical psychologist - around 6 of my year ended up doing the same. It's a hard slog though - you have to work as an assistant psychologist usually before applying to the doctorate course and at present we get around 100 applications for every assistant post we advertise. So very few psychology graduates will make it on to the doctorate. Plus you need a 2:1.

@icecreamsundae32, yes I do work as a counselling psychologist in the NHS, in a team of clinical, counselling and health psychs. I love my job- it’s not without stress but it’s an interesting specialised role.
I didn’t do a masters but did publish research. I then faffed about travelling, working very low paid jobs and deciding what to do. Did the professional doctorate in counselling psychology and am glad I did.
Newly qualified psychs start on NHS band 7.

Nothing. Got a 1st in Psychology from the OU but couldn’t afford to do post grad and I’ve never found a job that I’ve been able to use my degree with. I might as well have not bothered. I suppose it still looks good on my CV and shows I’m dedicated etc but it was an expensive thing to do and I would have hoped to have benefited more from it

That sounds really interesting @YouNeedIceForThat.
I definitely intend to use my degree to help children in some way either educationally or counselling related so hopefully by the time I've finished it I will have a clearer idea of which specialism you follow!