PRINT CMYK PROCESS COLOURS Cyan Magenta Yellow 11.5mm spine Black Open UP Study Skills What to with your Psychology Degree Based on a survey of over 400 UK psychology graduates, What to with your Psychology Degree provides real life information on some of the many occupations and careers open to psychology graduates, ranging from jobs in health, therapy and education to private sector roles in marketing, public relations or the media By encouraging readers to think laterally about their transferable skills, the authors outline 60 career profiles that are directly and indirectly related to the discipline of psychology For each occupation the book outlines: • The main tasks and challenges involved • Personality attributes that are suited to the job • Skills needed • Further training and qualifications that may be required • Voluntary work placement, part-time, and casual job opportunities • Links to websites with further information including current vacancies For any psychology graduate, this book is the most practical resource available on career choices; whether you are embarking on your first job or looking for a change of career, this book is essential reading Dr Matthew McDonald is Director of Sense of Direction, a career development and counselling consultancy He has lectured in psychology at Roehampton University, UK, the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, and most recently the Graduate School of Psychology, Assumption University, Thailand Matthew has published widely in the popular press on his work in career development and counselling, as well as in scientific journals on his research in existential-humanistic psychology What to with your Psychology Degree Matthew McDonald and Susmita Das Dr Susmita Das is Co-director of Sense of Direction, and a careers adviser for the Careers Group at Kings College London, UK Susmita has published articles on career development and counselling in national newspapers, magazines and professional journals What to with your Psychology Degree Whether you are planning to pursue a career within the psychology profession or wondering how best to apply the skills you have gained during your psychology studies to another vocation, this practical book will help you to explore the many avenues open to you ISBN-13: 978-033522222-3 ISBN-10: 033522222-6 Matthew McDonald and Susmita Das Cyan Magenta Yellow Black What to with your Psychology Degree What to with your Psychology Degree The essential career guide for psychology graduates Matthew McDonald & Mita Das Open University Press McGraw-Hill Education McGraw-Hill House Shoppenhangers Road Maidenhead Berkshire England SL6 2QL email: enquiries@openup.co.uk world wide web: www.openup.co.uk and Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121-2289, USA First published 2008 Copyright © Matthew McDonald & Mita Das 2008 All rights reserved Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited Details of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library ISBN-13: 978 335 22222 (pb) 978 335 22223 (hb) ISBN-10: 335 22222 (pb) 335 22223 (hb) Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data CIP data applied for Typeset by RefineCatch Limited, Bungay, Suffolk Printed in Great Britain by Bell and Bain Ltd., Glasgow Fictitious names of companies, products, people, characters and/or data that may be used herein (in case studies or in examples) are not intended to represent any real individual, company, product or event Contents Introduction What kind of work is right for you? How to get your ideal job and be successful at it What employers are looking for in a potential employee How to market yourself to get your ideal job How to use this book Occupations in mental health and therapy 15 Mental health worker Counselling psychologist Tutor for autistic children Assistant psychologist Clinical psychologist Forensic psychologist Mental health care assistant Counsellor/psychotherapist School counsellor Creative arts therapist Neuropsychologist Occupational therapist Graduate primary care mental health worker Case study Catherine Farr, forensic psychologist Case study Alison Roberts, graduate primary care mental health worker 10 15 17 20 23 25 28 31 34 37 39 42 44 47 49 Occupations in the community 52 Social worker Floating support officer Helpline officer Learning disability support worker Health psychologist Housing adviser Volunteer centre officer 52 54 57 59 61 64 66 50 vi CONTENTS Mediation officer for young people at risk of homelessness Connexions personal adviser Employment adviser Probation officer Welfare rights officer Youth worker Drug and alcohol adviser Police officer Mental health and well-being adviser Mental health policy officer Case study Rachel Maslen, mediation officer for young people at risk of homelessness Case study Brian Hancock, police officer 93 94 Occupations in education 95 Special needs teacher’s assistant Special educational needs teacher School teacher University lecturer in psychology Educational psychologist Sport and exercise psychologist Research assistant/officer (psychology) Outdoor education instructor Basic skills and IT teacher in a specialist college Case study Sam Coster, research fellow Case study Jenny Morgan, basic skills teacher 95 97 100 102 105 109 111 114 117 119 120 Occupations in organisations and the private sector Human resources officer Equality and diversity officer Training and development officer Health and safety adviser Occupational psychologist Public relations officer Fund raising officer Market researcher Recruitment consultant Careers adviser Sales executive Events manager Science writer/journalist Web designer Information analyst 68 71 73 75 78 80 82 85 88 90 122 122 125 127 130 132 135 138 140 143 146 148 151 153 156 159 CONTENTS Human–computer interaction consultant (ergonomist, human factors) Advertising media planner Social researcher Information officer Life coach Consumer psychologist Case study Afolabi Sanaike, occupational psychologist Case study Michelle Smith, market researcher Index vii 161 164 166 169 172 174 177 177 179 Introduction • Did you a psychology degree because you were interested in the subject but are now considering what work you could that utilises your knowledge and skills? • Did you think you wanted to be a psychologist but have realised this isn’t the career for you and are wondering what else there is? • Are you unable to afford or unwilling to pay for the postgraduate study required to fulfil your first choice of career and want to know what the alternatives are? • Are you a psychologist thinking of changing career and looking to identify other possibilities? • Do you know which career you want in psychology and are wondering what steps you need to take to get there? If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of these questions then this book will help you to identify the ideal job for you Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes It is concerned with human motivation, learning and emotions in order to determine how and why we interact with the world and each other in a particular way Any occupation that involves a degree of human interaction can benefit from the input of psychological knowledge because human behaviour is fundamental to most aspects of our lives There is now increased interest in psychological issues such as stress, personal development, mental illness, health, well-being, and management techniques Consequently, a degree in psychology is an excellent qualification because it allows you to pursue a wide variety of interesting and fulfilling careers Some of these are obvious, such as counselling and psychotherapy, while others are not so obvious, such as public policy, event management and outdoor education This book provides information on 60 different occupations that are available to you Based on real-life experiences, this book describes each occupation and the steps you need to take to get there Each occupational description has been 176 OCCUPATIONS IN ORGANISATIONS Skills needed in this job Research skills (design, data collection, interpretation) Knowledge of marketing Behaviour analysis Applying consumer behaviour theory Excellent verbal and written communications skills Ability to conduct systematic observations, surveys, interviews and focus groups Further qualifications/training required and work experience opportunities No qualifications other than a degree in psychology are required Nevertheless, consumer psychologists are expected to offer expertise on consumer attitudes and behaviour Therefore, it is recommended that candidates gain work experience through a formal work placement while studying for their degree, voluntary work, or part-time or casual work as an assistant consumer psychologist Similarly, candidates may wish to undertake further study by undertaking an MSc in business, economics and/or consumer psychology Employment opportunities It is difficult to gauge the demand for consumer psychologists as the majority of occupations in this area are advertised under titles related to marketing and advertising Consumer psychologists are employed by organisations in marketing, retail development, public relations, adverting, consumer research, and consultancies specialising in business development and marketing There is also a growing demand for consumer psychologists to work in the information technology and ergonomics industries Average salary Starting salary: Senior level: £17,000–£23,000 £50,000+ Work environment Consumer psychologists are office-based and will work normal office hours They will work in the field from time to time undertaking observations, surveys, interviews and focus groups CASE STUDY: MARKET RESEARCHER 177 Vacancies and further information IPSOS Mori – www.ipsos-mori.com Marketing Week – www.marketingweek.co.uk Market Research Industry – www.mrweb.com Market Research Society – www.mrs.org.uk The Guardian newspaper (Monday) – www.jobs.guardian.co.uk The Independent newspaper (Tuesday) – www.jobs.independent.co.uk Case study Afolabi Sanaike, occupational psychologist Afolabi graduated with a BSc degree in psychology from Birmingham University in 1999 After his undergraduate degree, Afolabi decided to go travelling for 14 months On his return he found a job in recruitment Though he found it was good experience, he realised that he didn’t enjoy the sales side of the job As a result he started to identify what kind of work would be more suitable ‘I decided on occupational psychology because it combined both my psychology degree and my recruitment experience.’ Afolabi then went on to complete an MSc in occupational psychology from City University London, in 2004 ‘When I graduated it was not easy to find a job initially I filled in lots of applications Then I saw an opportunity for work experience with Ford advertised in the appointments section of The Psychologist I went on to spend two months working for free for the company, though I didn’t go in every day.’ This experience proved to be invaluable for Afolabi, as during this period of time an advertised position in the company became available, and because the company were happy with his performance as a volunteer he was successful ‘What I really enjoy most about my role is the variety I have been involved in diversity training, stress management, assessments, training and one-to-one work My advice to anyone wanting to get into occupational psychology is to get some related work experience such as human resources or recruitment before you your master’s It’s a competitive field so make sure you stand out from the crowd Be prepared to work for free and use your networks to find a job.’ Case study Michelle Smith, market researcher Michelle graduated with a BSc degree in psychology from University College London in 1997 She didn’t have a clear idea of the kind of career she would 178 OCCUPATIONS IN ORGANISATIONS like to pursue and thought that psychology would provide a good basis for a wide range of jobs After graduating, Michelle decided to take a year out, travel around the world and think about what she would like to On her return she took a job as a media planner and buyer in Cambridge However, after months she realised that this didn’t really suit her and what she wanted to was market research Michelle applied both directly to companies and through agencies to obtain market research work and eventually found a post in London Michelle has found that market research is a popular choice of work for psychology graduates, because it utilises a lot of the skills that you gain from a psychology degree such as questionnaire design, data analysis and human behaviour ‘I am really interested in the psychology of shopping, what makes people choose one brand over another.’ She also gains satisfaction from seeing the final product: ‘When I go into a shop and see that a product is being sold in a particular way I know that I have had input into how those choices are formed There is also some cachet in working with high profile clients and of course another positive is the freebies.’ One of the aspects of market research that Michelle is less keen on is the routine analysis of statistics ‘It’s important to be numerate, be able to statistics and have a good eye for detail but when there are pages of data, sometimes that can get a bit boring.’ Index accreditation, 11–13 advertising media planner, 164–6 average salary, 166 employment opportunities, 165 enjoyable aspects of the work, 164 further qualifications required/work experience, 165 job description, 164 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 164 main tasks, 164 personality attributes suited, 165 skills needed, 165 vacancies/further information, 166 work environment, 166 Age Concern, 79 alcohol adviser see drug and alcohol adviser appropriate work, 3–5 evaluation and decision making, opportunity awareness, self-awareness, 3–4 taking action, assistant psychologist, 23–5 average salary, 25 employment opportunities, 25 enjoyable aspects of the work, 23 further qualifications required/work experience, 24 job description, 23 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 23–4 main tasks, 23 personality attributes suited, 24 skills needed, 24 vacancies/further information, 25 work environment, 25 autism see tutor for autistic children auxiliary nurse see mental health case assistant basic skills and IT teacher in specialist college, 117–21 average salary, 119 employment opportunities, 118–19 enjoyable aspects of the work, 117 further qualifications required/work experience, 118 job description, 117 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 118 main tasks, 117 personality attributes suited, 118 skills needed, 118 vacancies/further information, 119 work environment, 119 British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 12, 35, 38 British Psychological Society, 4, 12–13, 27, 30, 38, 44, 63, 108, 111, 134 Cancer Research, 139 career resilience, careers adviser, 146–8 average salary, 148 employment opportunities, 148 enjoyable aspects of the work, 146 further qualifications required/work experience, 147 job description, 146 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 147 main tasks, 146 personality attributes suited, 147 skills needed, 147 vacancies/further information, 148 work environment, 148 180 INDEX casual work, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, 124, 126, 129, 145 chartered status, 11–13 clinical psychologist, 25–8 average salary, 27 employment opportunities, 27 enjoyable aspects of the work, 26 further qualifications required/work experience, 27 job description, 25 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 26 main tasks, 26 personality attributes suited, 26 skills needed, 27 vacancies/further information, 28 work environment, 27 Connexions personal adviser, 71–3 average salary, 72 employment opportunities, 72 enjoyable aspects of the work, 71 further qualifications required/work experience, 72 job description, 71 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 71 main tasks, 71 personality attributes suited, 72 skills needed, 72 vacancies/further information, 73 work environment, 72 consumer psychologist, 174–7 average salary, 176 employment opportunities, 176 enjoyable aspects of the work, 175 further qualifications required/work experience, 176 job description, 174 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 175 main tasks, 174–5 personality attributes suited, 175 skills needed, 176 vacancies/further information, 177 work environment, 176 counselling psychologist, 17–20 average salary, 20 employment opportunities, 20 enjoyable aspects of the work, 18 further qualifications required/work experience, 19 job description, 17–18 less enjoyable of the work, 18–19 main tasks, 18 personality attributes suited, 19 skills needed, 19 vacancies/further information, 20 work environment, 20 counsellor/psychotherapist, 34–6 average salary, 36 employment opportunities, 36 enjoyable aspects of the work, 34 further qualifications required/work experience, 35 job description, 34 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 35 main tasks, 34 personality attributes suited, 35 skills needed, 35 vacancies/further information, 36 work environment, 36 creative arts therapist, 39–42 average salary, 41 employment opportunities, 41 enjoyable aspects of the work, 40 further qualifications required/work experience, 41 job description, 39 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 40 main tasks, 39 personality attributes suited, 40 skills needed, 40–1 vacancies/further information, 41–2 work environment, 41 Criminal Records Bureau, 13 current world of work, decision making, Department of Health, 47, 92 development officer see training and development officer diversity officer see equality and diversity officer drug and alcohol adviser, 82–5 average salary, 84 employment opportunities, 84 enjoyable aspects of the work, 83 INDEX further qualifications required/work experience, 84 job description, 82–3 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 83 main tasks, 83 personality attributes suited, 84 skills needed, 84 vacancies/further information, 85 work environment, 85 educational psychologist, 105–8 average salary, 108 employment opportunities, 108 enjoyable aspects of the work, 106 further qualifications required/work experience, 108 job description, 105–6 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 107 main tasks, 106 personality attributes suited, 107 skills needed, 107 vacancies/further information, 108 work environment, 108 employability, 5–7 employment adviser, 73–5 average salary, 75 employment opportunities, 74–5 enjoyable aspects of the work, 73 further qualifications required/work experience, 74 job description, 73 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 74 main tasks, 73 personality attributes suited, 74 skills needed, 74 vacancies/further information, 75 work environment, 75 equality and diversity officer, 125–7 average salary, 127 employment opportunities, 126 enjoyable aspects of the work, 125 further qualifications required/work experience, 126 job description, 125 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 125–6 main tasks, 125 181 personality attributes suited, 126 skills needed, 126 vacancies/further information, 127 work environment, 127 ergonomist see human–computer interaction consultant evaluation, events manager, 151–3 average salary, 153 employment opportunities, 153 enjoyable aspects of the work, 151 further qualifications required/work experience, 152–3 job description, 151 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 152 main tasks, 151 personality attributes suited, 152 skills needed, 152 vacancies/further information, 153 work environment, 153 exercise psychologist see sport and exercise psychologist field experience, floating support officer, 54–7 average salary, 56 employment opportunities, 56 enjoyable aspects of the work, 55 further qualifications required/work experience, 56 job description, 54–5 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 55 main tasks, 55 personality attributes suited, 56 skills needed, 56 vacancies/further information, 57 work environment, 56 forensic psychologist, 28–31, 49–50 average salary, 31 employment opportunities, 31 enjoyable aspects of the work, 29 further qualifications required/work experience, 30 job description, 28 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 29 main tasks, 29 personality attributes suited, 30 skills needed, 30 182 INDEX forensic psychologist – Contd vacancies/further information, 31 work environment, 31 fund raising officer, 138–40 average salary, 141 employment opportunities, 140 enjoyable aspects of the work, 138–9 further qualifications required/work experience, 139 job description, 138 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 139 main tasks, 138 personality attributes suited, 139 skills needed, 139 vacancies/further information, 141 work environment, 141 getting your ideal job, 5–7 current world of work, how to manage your career, more opportunities, work experience, practicums, volunteer work, graduate primary care mental health worker, 47–51 average salary, 49 employment opportunities, 49 enjoyable aspects of the work, 47 further qualifications required/work experience, 48 job description, 47 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 48 main tasks, 47 personality attributes suited, 48 skills needed, 48 vacancies/further information, 49 work environment, 49 health psychologist, 61–4 average salary, 63 employment opportunities, 63 enjoyable aspects of the work, 62 further qualifications required/work experience, 63 job description, 61 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 62 main tasks, 62 personality attributes suited, 62 skills needed, 63 vacancies/further information, 64 work environment, 63–4 health and safety adviser, 130–2 average salary, 132 employment opportunities, 132 enjoyable aspects of the work, 130 further qualifications required/work experience, 131 job description, 130 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 130–1 main tasks, 130 personality attributes suited, 131 skills needed, 131 vacancies/further information, 132 work environment, 132 helpline officer, 57–9 average salary, 59 employment opportunities, 58 enjoyable aspects of the work, 57 further qualifications required/work experience, 58 job description, 57 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 58 main tasks, 57 personality attributes suited, 58 skills needed, 58 vacancies/further information, 59 work environment, 59 HIV/AIDS, 18, 54, 61 homelessness see mediation officer for young at risk of homelessness housing adviser, 64–7 average salary, 66 employment opportunities, 65 enjoyable aspects of the work, 64 further qualifications required/work experience, 65 job description, 64 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 65 main tasks, 64 personality attributes suited, 65 skills needed, 65 vacancies/further information, 66 work environment, 66 human resources officer, 122–4 average salary, 124 employment opportunities, 124 INDEX enjoyable aspects of the work, 123 further qualifications required/work experience, 124 job description, 122 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 123 main tasks, 122 personality attributes suited, 123 skills needed, 123 vacancies/further information, 124 work environment, 124 human–computer interaction consultant, 161–3 average salary, 163 employment opportunities, 163 enjoyable aspects of the work, 162 further qualifications required/work experience, 163 job description, 161 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 162 main tasks, 161 personality attributes suited, 162 skills needed, 162 vacancies/further information, 163 work environment, 163 ideal job, 5–7, 9–10 identifying occupations, 1–14 decisions about occupation, 10–14 how to get ideal job and be successful in it, 5–7 marketing yourself to get ideal job, 9–10 what employers look for in potential employees, 7–8 what kind of work is right for you?, 3–5 information analyst, 159–61 average salary, 160 employment opportunities, 160 enjoyable aspects of the work, 159 further qualifications required/work experience, 160 job description, 159 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 159–60 main tasks, 159 personality attributes suited, 160 183 skills needed, 160 vacancies/further information, 161 work environment, 161 information officer, 169–71 average salary, 171 employment opportunities, 171 enjoyable aspects of the work, 169–70 further qualifications required/work experience, 171 job description, 169 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 170 main tasks, 169 personality attributes suited, 170 skills needed, 170 vacancies/further information, 171 work environment, 171 internship, IT teacher see basic skills and IT teacher in specialist college Jobcentre Plus, 75 key skills identified, 8–9 learning disability support worker, 59–61 average salary, 61 employment opportunities, 61 enjoyable aspects of the work, 60 further qualifications required/work experience, 61 job description, 59 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 60 main tasks, 59 personality attributes suited, 60 skills needed, 60 vacancies/further information, 61 work environment, 61 life coach, 172–4 average salary, 174 employment opportunities, 173 enjoyable aspects of the work, 172 further qualifications required/work experience, 173 job description, 172 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 172 main tasks, 172 184 INDEX life coach – Contd personality attributes suited, 173 skills needed, 173 vacancies/further information, 174 work environment, 174 managing your career, market researcher, 140–3, 177–8 average salary, 142 employment opportunities, 142 enjoyable aspects of the work, 141 further qualifications required/work experience, 142 job description, 140 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 141 main tasks, 141 personality attributes suited, 141 skills needed, 142 vacancies/further information, 143 work environment, 142 marketing yourself, 9–10 mediation officer for young at risk of homelessness, 68–70, 93 average salary, 70 employment opportunities, 70 enjoyable aspects of the work, 69 further qualifications required/work experience, 70 job description, 68 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 69 main tasks, 69 personality attributes suited, 69 skills needed, 70 vacancies/further information, 70 work environment, 70 mental health and well-being adviser, 88–90 average salary, 90 employment opportunities, 89 enjoyable aspects of the work, 88 further qualifications required/work experience, 89 job description, 88 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 88–9 main tasks, 88 personality attributes suited, 89 skills needed, 89 vacancies/further information, 90 work environment, 90 mental health care assistant, 31–3 average salary, 33 employment experience, 33 enjoyable aspects of the work, 32 further qualifications required/work experience, 33 job description, 31 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 32 main tasks, 32 personality attributes suited, 32 skills needed, 33 vacancies/further information, 33 work environment, 33 mental health policy officer, 90–3 average salary, 92 employment opportunities, 92 enjoyable aspects of the work, 91 further qualifications required/work experience, 92 job description, 90 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 91 main tasks, 90–1 personality attributes suited, 91 skills needed, 92 vacancies/further information, 93 work environment, 92 mental health worker, 15–17 average salary, 17 employment opportunities, 17 enjoyable aspects of the work, 16 further qualifications required/work experience, 17 job description, 15 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 16 main tasks, 15 personality attributes suited, 16 skills needed, 16 vacancies/further information, 17 work environment, 17 Mind, 19, 92 more opportunities, National Curriculum, 98, 100, 116 National Health Service, 17–18, 24, 27, 31, 33, 36, 41, 59, 92, 112, 135, 159–60 INDEX neuropsychologist, 42–4 average salary, 44 employment opportunities, 44 enjoyable aspects of the work, 42–3 further qualifications required/work experience, 43–4 job description, 42 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 43 main tasks, 42 personality attributes suited, 43 skills needed, 43 vacancies/further information, 44 work environment, 44 occupational profiles, 11–14 average salaries, 13–14 employment opportunities, 14 further information, 14 further qualifications/training, 11–13 vacancies, 14 occupational psychologist, 132–5, 177 average salary, 135 employment opportunities, 134–5 enjoyable aspects of the work, 133 further qualifications required/work experience, 134 job description, 132 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 133 main tasks, 133 personality attributes suited, 134 skills needed, 134 vacancies/further information, 135 work environment, 135 occupational therapist, 44–7 average salary, 46 employment opportunities, 46 enjoyable aspects of the work, 45 further qualifications required/work experience, 46 job description, 44 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 45 main tasks, 45 personality attributes suited, 45 skills needed, 46 vacancies/further information, 46–7 work environment, 46 185 occupations in the community, 52–94 Connexions personal adviser, 71–3 drug and alcohol adviser, 82–5 employer adviser, 73–5 floating support worker, 54–7 health psychologist, 61–4 helpline officer, 57–9 housing adviser, 64–6 learning disability support officer, 59–61 mediation officer for young at risk of homelessness, 68–70, 93 mental health and well-being adviser, 88–90 mental health policy officer, 90–3 police officer, 85–7, 94 probation officer, 75–7 social worker, 52–4 volunteer centre officer, 66–8 welfare rights officer, 78–80 youth officer, 80–2 occupations in education, 95–121 basic skills and IT teacher in specialist college, 117–21 educational psychologist, 105–8 outdoor education instructor, 114–17 research assistant/officer (psychology), 111–14, 119–20 school teacher, 100–2 special educational needs teacher, 97–100 special needs teacher’s assistant, 95–7 sport and exercise psychologist, 109–11 university lecturer in psychology, 102–5 occupations in mental health and therapy, 15–51 assistant psychologist, 23–5 clinical psychologist, 25–8 counselling psychologist, 17–20 counsellor/psychotherapist, 34–6 creative arts therapist, 39–42 forensic psychologist, 28–31, 49–50 graduate primary care mental health worker, 47–51 mental health care assistant, 31–3 mental health worker, 15–17 neuropsychologist, 42–4 186 INDEX occupations in mental health and therapy – Contd occupational therapist, 44–7 school counsellor, 37–9 tutor for autistic children, 20–2 occupations in organisations and the private sector, 122–78 advertising media planner, 164–6 careers adviser, 146–8 consumer psychologist, 174–7 equality and diversity officer, 125–7 events manager, 151–3 fund raising officer, 138–40 health and safety adviser, 130–2 human resources officer, 122–4 human–computer interaction consultant, 161–3 information analyst, 159–61 information officer, 169–71 life coach, 172–4 market researcher, 140–3, 177–8 occupational psychologist, 132–5, 177 public relations officer, 135–8 recruitment consultant, 143–5 sales executive, 148–41 science writer/journalist, 153–6 social researcher, 166–9 training and development officer, 127–9 web designer, 156–8 opportunity awareness, outdoor education instructor, 114–17 average salary, 116 employment opportunities, 116 enjoyable aspects of the work, 115 further qualifications required/work experience, 116 job description, 114 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 115 main tasks, 114 personality attributes suited, 115 skills needed, 115–16 vacancies/further information, 117 work environment, 116 paid part-time work, police officer, 85–7, 94 average salary, 86 employment opportunities, 86 enjoyable aspects of the work, 86 further qualifications required/work experience, 86 job description, 85 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 86 main tasks, 85 personality attributes suited, 86 skills needed, 86 vacancies/further information, 86 work environment, 86 portfolio career, 6, 111 practicums, primary care mental health worker see graduate primary care mental health worker probation officer, 75–6 average salary, 77 employment opportunities, 77 enjoyable aspects of the work, 76 further qualifications required/work experience, 77 job description, 75 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 76 main tasks, 75–6 personality attributes suited, 76 skills needed, 77 vacancies/further information, 77 work environment, 77 public relations officer, 135–8 average salary, 137 employment opportunities, 137 enjoyable aspects of the work, 136 further qualifications required/work experience, 137 job description, 135 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 136 main tasks, 136 personality attributes suited, 136 skills needed, 137 vacancies/further information, 138 work environment, 137–8 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 9, 160 INDEX recruitment consultant, 143–5 average salary, 145 employment opportunities, 145 enjoyable aspects of the work, 143–4 further qualifications required/work experience, 145 job description, 143 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 144 main tasks, 143 personality attributes suited, 144 skills needed, 144 vacancies/further information, 145 work environment, 145 Register of Chartered Psychologists, 13 registration, 11–13 Relate, 19 research assistant/officer, 111–14, 119–20 average salary, 113 employment opportunities, 113 enjoyable aspects of the work, 112 further qualifications required/work experience, 113 job description, 111–12 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 112 main tasks, 112 personality attributes suited, 113 skills needed, 113 vacancies/further information, 114 work environment, 114 sales executive, 148–51 average salary, 150 employment opportunities, 150 enjoyable aspects of the work, 149 further qualifications required/work experience, 150 job description, 148 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 149 main tasks, 149 personality attributes suited, 149 skills needed, 150 vacancies/further information, 150–1 work environment, 150 school counsellor, 37–9 average salary, 39 187 employment opportunities, 38 enjoyable aspects of the work, 37 further qualifications required/work experience, 38 job description, 37 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 37 main tasks, 37 personality attributes suited, 38 skills needed, 38 vacancies/further information, 39 work environment, 39 school teacher, 100–2 average salary, 102 employment opportunities, 102 enjoyable aspects of the work, 101 further qualifications required/work experience, 101 job description, 100 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 101 main tasks, 100 personality attributes suited, 101 skills needed, 101 vacancies/further information, 102 work environment, 102 science writer/journalist, 153–6 average salary, 155 employment opportunities, 155 enjoyable aspects of the work, 154 further qualifications required/work experience, 155 job description, 153–4 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 154 main tasks, 154 personality attributes suited, 154–5 skills needed, 155 vacancies/further information, 156 work environment, 156 self-awareness, 3–4 Shelter, 79 social researcher, 166–9 average salary, 168 employment opportunities, 168 enjoyable aspects of the work, 167 further qualifications required/work experience, 168 job description, 166 188 INDEX social researcher – Contd less enjoyable aspects of the work, 167 main tasks, 166–7 personality attributes suited, 167 skills needed, 168 vacancies/further information, 169 work environment, 168 social worker, 52–4 average salary, 54 employment opportunities, 54 enjoyable aspects of the work, 53 further qualifications required/work experience, 53–4 job description, 52 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 53 main tasks, 52 personality attributes suited, 53 skills needed, 53 vacancies/further information, 54 work environment, 54 special educational needs teacher, 97–100 average salary, 99 employment opportunities, 99 enjoyable aspects of the work, 98 further qualifications required/work experience, 99 job description, 97–8 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 98 main tasks, 98 personality attributes suited, 99 skills needed, 99 vacancies/further information, 100 work environment, 100 special needs teacher’s assistant, 95–7 average salary, 97 employment opportunities, 97 enjoyable aspects of the work, 96 further qualifications required/work experience, 97 job description, 95 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 96 main tasks, 95 personality attributes suited, 96 skills needed, 96 vacancies/further information, 97 work environment, 97 sport and exercise psychologist, 109–11 average salary, 111 employment opportunities, 111 enjoyable aspects of the work, 109–10 further qualifications required/work experience, 110–11 job description, 109 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 110 main tasks, 109 personality attributes suited, 110 skills needed, 110 vacancies/further information, 111 work environment, 111 success in your ideal job, 5–7 current world of work, how to manage your career, more opportunities, work experience, practicums, volunteer work, taking action, Terrence Higgins Trust, 79 training, 11–13 training and development officer, 127–9 average salary, 129 employment opportunities, 129 enjoyable aspects of the work, 127 further qualifications required/work experience, 129 job description, 127 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 128 main tasks, 127 personality attributes suited, 128 skills needed, 128 vacancies/further information, 129 work environment, 129 tutor for autistic children, 20–2 average salary, 22 employment opportunities, 22 enjoyable aspects of the work, 21 further qualifications required/work experience, 22 job description, 20 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 21 main tasks, 21 personality attributes suited, 21 INDEX skills needed, 22 vacancies/further information, 22 work environment, 22 United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, 12, 35 university lecturer, 102–5 average salary, 105 employment opportunities, 104 enjoyable aspects of the work, 103 further qualifications required/work experience, 104 job description, 102 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 103 main tasks, 103 personality attributes suited, 103–4 skills needed, 104 vacancies/further information, 105 work environment, 105 volunteer centre officer, 66–8 average salary, 68 employment opportunities, 68 enjoyable aspects of the work, 67 further qualifications required/work experience, 68 job description, 66 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 67 main tasks, 66 personality attributes suited, 67 skills needed, 67 vacancies/further information, 68 work environment, 68 volunteer work, web designer, 156–8 average salary, 158 employment opportunities, 158 enjoyable aspects of the work, 157 189 further qualifications required/work experience, 158 job description, 156 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 157 main tasks, 156 personality attributes suited, 157 skills needed, 157 vacancies/further information, 158 work environment, 158 welfare rights officer, 78–80 average salary, 79 employment opportunities, 79 enjoyable aspects of the work, 78 further qualifications required/work experience, 79 job description, 78 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 78 main tasks, 78 personality attributes suited, 79 skills needed, 79 vacancies/further information, 80 work environment, 79 what employers look for in potential employee, 7–8 work experience, work placement, World Health Organisation, 92 youth worker, 80–2 average salary, 82 employment opportunities, 82 enjoyable aspects of the work, 80–1 further qualifications required/work experience, 81–2 job description, 80 less enjoyable aspects of the work, 81 main tasks, 80 personality attributes suited, 81 skills needed, 81 vacancies/further information, 82 work environment, 82 PRINT CMYK PROCESS COLOURS Cyan Magenta Yellow 11.5mm spine Black Open UP Study Skills What to with your Psychology Degree Based on a survey of over 400 UK psychology graduates, What to with your Psychology Degree provides real life information on some of the many occupations and careers open to psychology graduates, ranging from jobs in health, therapy and education to private sector roles in marketing, public relations or the media By encouraging readers to think laterally about their transferable skills, the authors outline 60 career profiles that are directly and indirectly related to the discipline of psychology For each occupation the book outlines: • The main tasks and challenges involved • Personality attributes that are suited to the job • Skills needed • Further training and qualifications that may be required • Voluntary work placement, part-time, and casual job opportunities • Links to websites with further information including current vacancies For any psychology graduate, this book is the most practical resource available on career choices; whether you are embarking on your first job or looking for a change of career, this book is essential reading Dr Matthew McDonald is Director of Sense of Direction, a career development and counselling consultancy He has lectured in psychology at Roehampton University, UK, the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia, and most recently the Graduate School of Psychology, Assumption University, Thailand Matthew has published widely in the popular press on his work in career development and counselling, as well as in scientific journals on his research in existential-humanistic psychology What to with your Psychology Degree Matthew McDonald and Susmita Das Dr Susmita Das is Co-director of Sense of Direction, and a careers adviser for the Careers Group at Kings College London, UK Susmita has published articles on career development and counselling in national newspapers, magazines and professional journals What to with your Psychology Degree Whether you are planning to pursue a career within the psychology profession or wondering how best to apply the skills you have gained during your psychology studies to another vocation, this practical book will help you to explore the many avenues open to you ISBN-13: 978-033522222-3 ISBN-10: 033522222-6 Matthew McDonald and Susmita Das Cyan Magenta Yellow Black .. .What to with your Psychology Degree What to with your Psychology Degree The essential career guide for psychology graduates Matthew McDonald & Mita Das Open University Press McGraw-Hill... to be able to when you complete your degree • University students currently studying psychology – you may have begun your degree with certain expectations about what you would like to but may... is to help you to think laterally about your ‘transferable skills’ from your degree or previous occupations so you can use these to market yourself much more effectively in order to achieve your