WWYD with 1st class degree and lots of work experience?

[Dazzedandconfused]

I've NC for this as it's very outing.
Curious what you would do if you were me?
I've just gained a first class honours degree in psychology. I've been undertaking this degree part time alongside working full time as a youth and community worker. I have 12 years experience working with vulnerable young people and their families as well as volunteering as a counsellor.
I've been accepted to do a distance learning masters in Health psychology which alone wouldn't qualify me as a psychologist so I would need to go on to do a clinical psychology doctorate after that. However, places are very competitive and I would need one that pays a wage while I learn as I have a mortgage and bills to pay with no family support.
I've also been considering two other career routes that would lead to a better paying job without the competitiveness of psychology... Social work or teaching. I could do a masters in either part time whilst working.
So baring in mind I need to work while I study... What would you do if you were me?

My au pair is going down this path at the moment. She's been told that to get into the doctorate programme, she needs experience working with children (with and without special needs) that she has. Work experience with the elderly - she's currently she's doing P/T care work shifts and also experience within the NHS in a caring role - she will then do this as a healthcare assistant when she leaves us in September.

It depends on you OP, your interests and ideals - I wouldn't do any of them personally, I like the autonomy of my career (I'm an Optometrist), although I'm also a Brownie leader.

Longer term you would have much higher earnings potential as a clinical psychologist rather than a social worker but it is a longer slog getting there.
Teaching is a long hours profession and those with the most successful careers do the least teaching in the long run.
You should know what each of the careers looks like with your background, which do you actually want to do?
I'm a social worker, children's mental health and I have teachers in my family, I wouldn't recommend either unless you really want to do it.

Clinical psychology is currently a funded doctorate (you are paid nhs band 6) so it’s worth bearing that in mind.

As you have lots of experience working with children you would be in a strong position to get an ap job in camhs but they are competitive.

Have you seen the website ClinPsy?

You don’t need to do a masters to get onto the doctorate with a first but you may want to.

Cp is competitive but not impossible and once i finished my undergrad the bulk of the work I did was paid.

I work with Clinical Psychologists. It's very competitive and takes a long time to qualify. Not sure I would particularly want their job either!

What are your strengths? What lights you up? How do these tie in with the options you've mentioned?

Thanks for your replies. It would be a funded doctorate I'd need to get on which makes it even more competitive and I dont have the option to go for a fulltime university based doctorate. I did my psychology degree hoping to become a psychologist with CAMHS but it seems like a bit of an uphill struggle and will take me years to reap the rewards.
This is why I'm now considering the other roles I'd enjoy. I love helping vulnerable children which is why I'm intrigued by social work. Primary teaching is also something I think I'd love as I run a lot of youth groups which I enjoy session planning and teaching new skills.
I know I'm in a very fortunate position with my 1st and experiences but seem to be second guessing my career plans.

If you're interested in teaching and young people, have you thought educational psychology? It's a funded 3 year doctorate.

Neolara
I did think about educational psychology but I couldn't see any funded places in Scotland.

Name change fail?

Is your current degree BPS accredited? If so, you could get a job as an Assistant Psychologist or an Assistant Educational Psychologist.

How about occupational psychology? Lots of money to be made in that field, especially post Covid!

If you want to go down the psychology route, could you not work in that field at the moment? Someone I work with did CBT type after her undergraduate degree.

Social work is very underfunded and stressful. Lots of people go into wanting to change the world and end up burnt out within no time usually.

Occupational therapy might be a good fit for you. You'd need to do a masters (2 years full time or 3 years(?) part time).

If you are in scotland there are CAP positions (I don’t fully know of what the acronym stands for!).

However at the moment only lancaster does the doctorate part time.

Psychology is competitive but the work experience you currently have means you are ahead of the majority of graduates right now.

I did my SW diploma after doing a psychology degree. I really wish I hadn't as it was such a high stress job. I eventually left.

I am not sure how easy it would be to work and do a SW diploma given you need to do placements during the course.

If I had to go back in time I would have gone on further with psychology in some form.

Yes my undergraduate degree is BPS accredited. I've been keeping an eye on AP positions but the ones coming up have been temporary contracts which wouldn't suit. The problem is the majority of entry level 'psychology' jobs are around support work which would mean a substantial decrease in my salary so isn't worth it. You also need a specific masters for a CAP post that I'm not able to do part time.
I will look in to occupational therapy as well, thanks for the feedback.
That's my concern with Social Work that it would be too stressful and I would burn out. My work would probably support me to complete the masters though.

Before you even mentioned it I thought, ooh you'd make a good social worker.

It's a hard masters to do whilst working due to the placement (70 and 100 days) but if you get an understanding employer it is possible.

regarding the decrease sometimes in order to progress your career it is unfortunate you may have to accept a decrease in salary for a while but you need to look at the bigger picture/long term goal.

Can't you use your quals in the private sector.
My advice is get a job which allows you to buy a house, ie afford a mortgage. NHS, social work, support work is underfunded and could be frustrating.

Start to have a look at the graduate schemes certain companies are offering. It's tough to get one but well worth it

I really appreciate all the feedback so far.
I've never thought about going in to the private sector as I'm not sure what roles would suit my experience and transferable skills?
I think the main thing I want from a career is a purpose. I want to be able to help children and young people in a more profound way than my current role allows, which is why I'm drawn to psychology, social work and teaching.
The problem is I've responsibles (such as a mortgage) which mean I couldn't study full time or take a low paid or temporary position to build extra experience. Hency why It would need to be related to my current career.

I worked in the NHS, now retired.
Family members worked in private companies. The difficulties with their work was always members of staff/other employees whether bosses or subordinates, never the job itself. I feel you can help people in the private sector too by helping people advance their careers, fit in caring responsibilities, enjoy their working life. There is plenty of 'caring' needed there too.

I worked while doing my SW MA, most people on the course did.
It was a long time ago but I don't think the course has changed that much.
I have a lot of friends who did a couple of years in front line child protection and then moved to other areas.
But austerity has reduced the work options and a lot are short term contracts, a lot of CAMHS work is also.

What about Education Mental Health Practitioner? I think its a relatively new role? (I could be wrong) but I saw a trainee position on my local NHS jobs website and it sounds like you have all the right knowledge and qualities?