Working in psychology is a very rewarding career path. You will be able to work closely with people in need, which is a great way to give something back to your community. Psychologists aren’t like regular doctors and physicians who focus on physical ailments and conditions. You will be helping people with psychological problems. This ranges from mental health to child behavior. Once you become a qualified psychologist, you will need to pick one field in which to specialize. But how do you get to be a psychologist in the first place? Here are the steps you need to take to find work in this sector.
Get The Qualifications
There is no way of getting around this point: you need to get certain qualifications if you want to become a psychologist. The best way of doing this is going straight to college after graduating from high school. At college, sign up for a degree in psychology. However, if you are slightly older and already working, it is still possible to earn these qualifications. The best way is to go back to college or sign up for a class at your local night school. You could even look into doing an Online Psychology Bachelor’s Degree.
Work Experience
As well as your education, it is also important to get some useful work experience. This should be shadowing or working alongside an experienced psychologist. During your work experience, you will get the feel of exactly what life as a psychologist is like. It will also give you valuable experience of interacting with patients. You need to try and tailor your work experience if possible. If you want to end up working with kids, try and find a work experience position on a children’s ward at a hospital.
Work Settings
As a psychologist, your work settings can vary wildly. Some work in a hospital. While others find work within a company and become industrial psychologists to assist the company’s employees. So first things first; you need to decide what kind of psychologist you want to be. Once you know this, you will have a better idea of what your work settings will be like. If your choice of psychology work can be used in various settings, choose the one that you would prefer. For example, if you want to work with children, you might prefer to work at a school rather than at a children’s hospital.
Freelance Or Full-Time Employment?
Some psychologists prefer to work on a freelance basis rather than being tied to a certain company or hospital. Again, this is another decision that you need to make. There are certain perks to being a freelancer, such as being able to choose your own work hours. However, you will need to sort out your own taxes yourself. But if you are up for the challenge and want to be independent, being a freelancer could be the best option for you.
Hopefully, this blog post has told you everything you need to know about becoming a psychologist.
