If you are looking at psychology jobs you might feel that your goal, whether that’s to be a specialist in a busy, exciting hospital, or have your own bustling private practice is an almost unimaginably long way away.
Fortunately, though it will need a lot of hard work, getting a job as a qualified psychologist requires only a few foundation stones, that we’ll look at today.
Degree Courses
The most direct route to a career in psychology is to follow your A Level studies with a degree course in the subject. It’s important to research different universities before you make your choice: different institutions have varying reputations, not just overall between different subjects. You can find university rankings online, and also research into the student experience and find out if the university is close to a town that provides the nightlife you are interested in, has a sports team you want to join, or a good reputation for extracurricular theatre you want to get involved in.
It’s never too early to start thinking about this: Psychology is a BSc course that will require careful choice in you’re A Levels to make sure you have the qualifications the university wants in its students. Though these vary from institution to institution, there will be some common subjects that will give the best chance at getting onto the best course for you.
Bursaries and scholarships may also be available to help fund your education, so do your research and write to local institutions and councils as well just looking at the university website.
Conversion Course
If you’re approaching the study of psychology later in life, and don’t wish to commit another 3-4 year course of full time study, conversion courses are available at some institutions that can intensively teach the knowledge and skills you’ll need if you’re already qualified to degree level.
Work Experience
Whether you are looking at a degree course or your first jobs in psychology being able to demonstrate work experience is invaluable. It’s not easy to find work experience placements or internships directly in a psychologist’s office or clinic as there few of these positions and they are extremely sought after.
Thinking creatively can be useful here: volunteering with charities like Mind, which focus directly on mental health or with homeless charities like Shelter can get you valuable experience and also demonstrate your interest and commitment to the field.
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