6 Job Sectors a Psychology Graduate Can Excel In

A Degree in Psychology will lead you to a boundless sea of career options. Here are 6 industries you can work in as a psychology graduate.

Updated 25 May 2022

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Do you have your heart set on pursuing a Degree in Psychology but struggle to defend your case to your parents when it comes to job prospects?

The truth is that psychology can be a versatile degree as it provides you with a deep understanding of the human mind, making you a valuable asset in a wide variety of industries.

In this article, we lay out the many different industries you can work in with a Psychology Degree and what some of these jobs might entail.

#1. Education

Do you love children and want to make an impact on our future generation?

A Psychology Degree is a useful tool in the field of education as you have a keen understanding of how different students learn differently and how their behaviours can be influenced by others.

Some of the jobs in this field include:

School counsellor: Provides guidance to secondary students to help them with a variety of issues, including personal problems (e.g. family troubles, exam pressure, depression), higher education pathways and career prospects.

Education counsellor: You can work with education institutions or education agents to offer guidance to students about their education and career pathways based on their results, interests and personality.

Teacher: Psychology graduates can go on to become teachers in either primary or secondary schools upon getting an additional teaching certification.

Educational psychologist (postgraduate education required): Diagnoses and prescribes treatment plans for children and young adults with learning difficulties and related disorders, such as autism, dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To pursue this career, you will need a Masters Degree or a Ph.D. in educational psychology.

Lecturer (postgraduate education required): Teaches undergraduate or postgraduate students, as well as carry out research for the university. This career will require you to have at least a Master’s Degree in a related field.

#2. Business

Psychology graduates in this field typically use their knowledge in human behaviour to help corporations improve their business and employee productivity.

Some of the jobs in this field include:

Corporate consultant: Advises a company on how to boost productivity in the workplace (e.g. implementing technology) while maintaining the wellbeing and morale of employees.

Training and development specialist: Carries out training programmes in companies to help employees develop new skills and plan their career growth.

Human resource executive: Manages numerous aspects of employees in an organisation, such as recruitment, onboarding new hires, managing compensation and benefits (e.g. payroll, performance rewards) and handling employee issues (e.g. attendance).

Market researcher: Collects, analyses and interprets data based on trends and customer feedback to help businesses improve their services and increase their profitability.

Industrial & organisational psychologist (postgraduate education required): Advises companies on how to improve employee performance, motivation and job satisfaction by applying psychological principles. You will need at least a Masters in Industrial & Organisational Psychology to pursue this career.

#3. Media/Communications

Are you drawn to this fast-paced industry that never sleeps?

Psychology graduates can adapt easily into this line of work as their mature understanding of human behaviour can help media outlets (e.g. television, radio, websites) to provide a more pleasant and effective experience to consumers.

Some of the jobs in this field include:

Advertising executive: Promotes products, services and ideas to consumers. Your knowledge of human behaviour can help you run advertising campaigns to attract and engage consumers to influence them to buy.

Journalist: Researches and writes news for various platforms (e.g. print, online, TV channels). A journalist spends most of their time scouting the latest scoop, networking, conducting interviews and providing breaking news to readers/viewers.

Public relations (PR) executive: Manages a person or company’s public image. A day in the life of a PR consultant may include preparing communications material such as press releases and speeches, organising events and running campaigns to improve their client’s public image.

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#4. Social Work

If you’re an empathetic person who wants to help troubled individuals, social work might be your calling.

A career you can branch into is:

Social worker: Works to improve the lives of those suffering in society, such as abused children and women, pregnant teens and substance addicts. Their tasks may include conducting interviews, documenting assessments and recommending solutions.

#5. Law

The knowledge you gain on human behaviour from a Psychology Degree can also be useful in the field of law. While you won’t be able to practise law in the traditional sense, your knowledge in psychology may help you understand your clients and relate to them better.

Some of the jobs in this field include:

Mediator: A neutral third-party who helps to negotiate and resolve disputes between two parties without court proceedings. Mediators can be engaged in non-criminal cases such as familial disputes, child custody cases and tenant-landlord disagreements. To be a mediator, you’ll need to complete and pass a mediation course by the Malaysian Mediation Council.

Forensic psychologist (postgraduate education required): Develops psychological profiles for those accused of committing a criminal offence. A forensic psychologist might evaluate an offender’s mental function, work with law enforcement to identify potential offenders or provide therapy for inmates. This career generally requires a Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology.

#6. Healthcare/Mental Health

Are you looking to pursue a career in healthcare but want to break free from the common denomination of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry?

Although psychologists aren’t termed as medical professionals, they still play a large role in the healthcare system given that mental health can make a difference to a person’s overall health and quality of life. Careers in this field, however, generally require further education beyond an undergraduate degree.

Some of the jobs in this field include:

Clinical psychologist (postgraduate education required): Diagnoses and treats moderate to severe psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and learning disabilities through therapy and counselling. To specialise in this field, you will need to obtain at least a Masters in Clinical Psychology.

Counselling psychologist (postgraduate education required): Helps people deal with a variety of emotional problems such as stress, dysfunctional relationships, coping with grief and negative events and self-esteem issues. You will need a Masters in Counselling to pursue this career.

DID YOU KNOW

Psychologists and psychiatrists are vastly different professions. Find out their differences here!

So there you have it — 6 different industries you can enter as a psychology graduate, each with its own array of exciting careers. A Degree in Psychology may not be easy, but it is a stepping stone to a vast variety of jobs, depending on your interests, personality and skill set.