Psychology is a branch of science which relates to the mind and how we behave and think. It spans a little over biology and also includes sociology. Indeed, a lot of the issues that we see in society today can be described with facts about psychologist practices. Behavioral issues such as drug addiction, interpersonal relationships, stress and even violent crime are all issues that a psychologist will be able to help us understand.
It is important, when you think about facts about psychologist work, that you realize that they are operating in a branch of science that is not exact. A psychologist can do research, act as a consultant to work with a community or organization, and even diagnose people who have psychological disorders, and help such people when they require treatment.
A psychologist might teach at a university, study the way people behave at home, at work and in social environments, promote the improvement of people’s mental and also physical health, and work in helping to meet the unique needs of society in the USA and beyond.
There are many sub-fields within the world of psychology, including counseling, educational, forensic, developmental, neurophsychology, physiological and even sports psychology. These are all important for the progression of the study, and for gathering facts about psychologist work.
An Invaluable Skill
Studying psychology is useful even if you aren’t feeling like you will work in it for the rest of your life. Employers value the skills that people who have majored in the field have – things like collecting data, interpreting it and performing complex analysis, as well as designing valid experiments and understanding statistics. There are many related careers, and people who have experience in psychology often get to apply their skills in marketing, advertising and education.
If you have strong communication skills and are interested in helping others and enjoy doing research, then you will likely find that the field of psychology is good for you. It is a field that offers a lot of collaborative opportunities to work with other professionals including doctors, lawyers, statistics experts, public health workers, and even law enforcement.
The impact that a psychologist can have on society at large is massive. Their work can shape school rooms and improve working environments, help to build offices that are better for people to spend time in, improve the patient experience in hospitals, make courtrooms less stressful for victims, and make prisons more effective for rehabilitiation.
Psychology careers are interesting and varied, but they are quite demanding. There may be a requirement to work long hours, and people may find that the demands placed on them are very stressful. This is not a field for everyone. There can be good earning potential – in some areas of the field – but the earnings vary depending on whether you are doing research, commercial work, academic work or something for the government.
A freelance sports psychologist, for example, could do well financially if they are able to pick up a lot of clients. Someone who is more focused on academic research may get a smaller allowance from their university.
The growth potential for the field, however, is massive. The American Psychological Association calls psychology the third most rapidly growing field in the USA, and believes that growth is likely to continue for a few more years at this same rate. There is demand for psychologists in the corrections sector, as well as corporate and private sector jobs.
If you have an associates degree in the field, then you can expand on that with a degree from a four-year institution. those who earn a bachelor’s degree have the option of working in rehabilitation, as a teacher, in education, as a correction’s officer, and in a number of other fields – all of which are stable and in demand. Sales, service, health and statistics are all options for someone with a good qualification.
Those who want to go a step further and get a master’s degree have even more options. Naturally, universities will want higher qualifications, and there are some government jobs and mental health jobs that place greater demands on people as well. Research jobs, and jobs where you are dealing with people who could be considered to be patients, will have more exacting demands, since it is important to put the patient first.
Doctoral graduates will command the highest pay, and have the most opportunities when it comes to the fields that they can work in. Education, counseling, health, and even industrial fields are all open to those with a doctorate. However, the length of time that it takes to earn this level of qualification is much greater.
It is a big commitment to embark on a long degree in any field – but it is important to note that if you do get such a qualification you will have plenty of opportunities to find new and exciting work as a psychologist. Understanding research methods and how the human mind works is no small feat, and people who have that understanding are going to be in demand because they can help businesses tailor their marketing and their operations in numerous ways.
If you are unsure what branch of science to major in, consider trying some psychology modules. You may find that they open your eyes to a whole new, nuanced and exciting branch of science.