If you have a degree in psychology?

[MonstranceClock]

What do you do?
I read a thread the other day where a lot of people were saying its basically worthless. I'm doing one now, and feeling very disheartened as I believed I could make a good career with it.

AIBU to ask what you do and what further training you had to do? I'd love to work for the police as a forensic psychologist, or maybe some sort of sex/relationship therapy

I think the average age of people starting the clinical psychology doctorate was 28 at one point, reflecting the level of experience people need (assistant psychologist jobs usually have over 100 applicants for one post), as well as further training beyond undergraduate.

It's funded but there are constantly rumours that this will change. Always have a plan B!

Clinical psychologist.

I intended to go into clinical work and started off working with severely autistic children. After a period of time I found this so depressing I realise my personality was actually a lot more lively than the temperament people need to maintain in a clinic setting. Tried a whole host of things over time. I don't really need to work and an primarily a mum, but do do project work involving developing business ideas and working out ways they can best be bought to the attention of the market in question. It's in a financial domain so I need a really good understanding of the way numbers work. I did so much statistical work on my degree I have a real aptitude for numbers which us beneficial and I'm really working in a sort of marketing role although it more development based so psychology has given me some good pointers about understanding people.
Almost every female I know from my degree is either a SAHM of a teacher now.

I did a psychology degree when I left school because I was expected to go to uni and I thought it would be interesting. (It could have been worse!)

I now own a garage, before that I did admin work.

I’m sure I read somewhere that psychology grads have the lowest rate of employment related to their degree.

@Forensicpsych thanks, I’ll get back to you with some questions 😊

@SandyY2K you can DM me if you want

@SandyY2K me too

R&D for a computer software company , but the software is psychology/neurodiversity related so actually not completely unrelated.

I'm a clin psych. It's a DClinPsy you would do rather than a PhD (but some clin psychs have both). It's really pretty hard to get on to training. You would have to work for a minimum of two years after you finish your undergrad, maybe more, before you would stand a chance realistically of getting on.

The DClinPsy was/is paid at Band 6 but I believe there is talk of it changing to a bursary model (terrible for the diversity of the professional which is already very predominantly white middle class female and it will become even more exclusionary if people have to self fund). Training is full time and a mix of uni days, placement days and study time. If you want to move abroad your training wouldn't be sufficient so you'd have to do a little or a lot of additional work to register in that country depending where you go. If you want to work in US that is a bit of a nightmare.

I know lots of Clin Psychs who have left the profession especially over the last couple of years. Working in the NHS is hard and political and often thankless despite the rewards with clients. We earn good money compared to most of our NHS colleagues but that's because they don't get enough financial recompense for what they do. We do not earn well compared to private sector non health jobs considering how much training we have.

I don't want to put a dampener on your dreams but it's not the glamourous, amazing job all the people scrabbling to get on training think it is. It certainly isn't cracker 😉

Gasp - i had 2 separate paragraphs.

I personally wish Id retrained as an OT. The OTs I know have a fantastic work/life balance, seems full of part time flexible workers, can get time off to see nativity play etc. A lot of variety in the role and can move sideways into roles with Sw etc, and mainly daytime work. Control over diary etc. If I'd know avout OT earlier I think it would be a great way to use my psych degree.

The separate point was about not knowing occupational psychs made 75k!!! Its a qiicker training rlute but when I looked I ahdnt been sure how it led into work and you had to pay for the training. I might have given it more thought if Id realised the salary!

Llama Is clin psych not great then? It usualky comes up on mn in the lists ofnpeople qho like their jobs, paid reasonably well, autonomy over work, meaningful etc. Do you wish you'd chosen differently?

So many teachers at the moment are trying to leave :(

Occupational psychs can make anything from not very much to six figures. There are an awful lot of graduates being turned out of the MSc now so work experience is essential. In the business space there are very few defined career paths so it is what you make it.

I work in-house as a specialist in talent and leadership and make £77k FTE.

I’m an educational psychologist

Psychology is a fantastic degree for so many careers though, not just psycholgy.

Oh and for those considering being an Ed psych- don’t believe anyone when they tell you ‘what the job involves’- it varies hugely from local authority to local authority, and the then there are also opportunities in the NHS, universities, early years settings, private practice. You can specialise in therapeutic approaches if that’s your major interest, or work with families, or children with profound needs, or anything really! I absolutely love my job

I'm a clin psych. Worked for three years after undergrad then got on to the dclin my third year of trying. It can involve lots of moving around to go where the jobs are, so that could be tricky with kids. I'd also agree with a pp that working in the NHS these days is thankless and soul destroying more often than not. Clin psychs are leaving the NHS in droves and mainly going into private work as therapists. I'm hopeful that as a profession we'll get organised and set up small consortia to provide the services the NHS no longer does. But I probably wouldn't advise anyone to come into the profession currently... also I'm pretty sure the funding for the dclin won't last much longer - my local course is on a year by year agreement now.

But, of my friends who did undergrad psych, one is a speech and language therapist, another works in oz in research trial management, another is an ed psych and others are teachers and project workers with homeless charities etc. I think it's a great all round degree.

Every job I've had asks for a 2:1 or above social sciences degree which psychology is so what you've heard is a load of nonsense you'll be pleased to hear!

Which country do you want to move to? I'd check very carefully what the UK qualifications mean over there, as in some countries you have to start from scratch with their own qualifications i.e. they are not transferable.

I didn't mean to offend anyone with my 30's is too old comment, but it is too old for me. I have no life experience yet. When I am in my 30's is when I want to actually be earning and living.
I became a mother young, I married young. I lost my husband in January, and I'm having a big life wobble and I'm so unsure if I am doing the right thing. I just want to earn a good wage and raise my children with a good life, while also enjoying my work.

Although, if I can earn while doing the doctorate, this is ok.

I work in a criminal justice, rehabilitation type area and most of my colleagues have a psychology degree, post grad qualifications often completed on the job (funded by employer)

Please don’t plan on the doctorate as a career route. The statistics for success make for sobering reading. Not trying to put you off for any other reason than trying to be realistic and practical as you have children.
Pp was right, vast vast majority of those with psych degrees do not become psychologists

Oh and I’m so sorry about your husband. Well done for trying to forge ahead in what must be an awful tine. That resilience will get you and your children places!!

I'm a lawyer. Every attempt I made to get into Psychology was thwarted so I did the GDL and LPC.

I felt this when I did mine as my school made it out like We could al just do a degree and jump into a job

I am now an educational psychologist and my route was like this

Degree
Pgce
Three years teaching (teaching is no longer a requirement but it was at the time)
Three year doctorate

It's a great degree with lots of skills taught and you can do a lot with it. But it does generally require ongoing study ornwork experience

But lots of areas that you can look into: children, adults, therapy, prison, research, academic etc

I’m not a psych but lots of occupational psychs in my business. You can think about: human capital, change management, talent and diagnostics, learning and development etc. Everything from research to front line consulting.