What do you want to do with your psychology degree?
Poll
What do you want to do with your psychology degree?
As someone who works clinically and teaches in psychology, I am always curious about people's intentions about studying psychology when they come to it at university. So, I would like to ask all you graduates, undergrads and undergrads to be (and postgrads for that matter) what do you want do with your degree(s) ultimately? For the purpose of this poll, discount any immediate postgraduate/experience related requirements and focus on the end point of where you want to get to.
If its more than one of the above options, pick the one that you feel motivates you most.
If its more than one of the above options, pick the one that you feel motivates you most.
(edited 12 years ago)
When I first started my undergrad I wanted to become a clinical psychologist but after taking an introductory course in organisational psychology in my third year I realised that this area would suit me better. After completing my undergrad I have been working in a role related to organisational psychology to build up relevant work experience. I have applied for and been accepted onto an MSc course in Occupational Psychology for the 2011/2012 academic year and hopefully in a few years time I will become a chartered occupational psychologist. 
I want to be an educational psychologist, so fingers crossed!
I voted for 'A career or job not specified above'. I want to be a police officer - it's all I ever wanted to do deep down, genuinely since I was about 6 or 7! Considered other things, but always come back to that. Unfortunately it's very very unlikely, and even if my history didn't rule me out I'm not real I'd have the right personality for it! But that is what I want to do.
I have considered Forensic Psychology otherwise though, so that would be my second option. Currently looking into postgraduate courses in Forensic Psych, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Policing, etc to find somewhere where I could do research into policing. I wrote a hypothetical PhD application as part of an assignment for uni this year on the police/perfectionism and they said it has the 'potential to be very well received in the field', so I am considering that one day. Anything with the police basically.
Considered Clinical Psychology, but it's so competitive anyway, and to be honest I don't want that area to take over my whole life. Considered Educational Psychology or SEN teaching, and I've considered Sport Psychology...but always go back to the police! And if I can't do that, researcher in an area where I could research aspects of policing would be fine!
I have considered Forensic Psychology otherwise though, so that would be my second option. Currently looking into postgraduate courses in Forensic Psych, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Policing, etc to find somewhere where I could do research into policing. I wrote a hypothetical PhD application as part of an assignment for uni this year on the police/perfectionism and they said it has the 'potential to be very well received in the field', so I am considering that one day. Anything with the police basically.
Considered Clinical Psychology, but it's so competitive anyway, and to be honest I don't want that area to take over my whole life. Considered Educational Psychology or SEN teaching, and I've considered Sport Psychology...but always go back to the police! And if I can't do that, researcher in an area where I could research aspects of policing would be fine!
This September I am starting the Educational Psychology Doctorate, so I think it's safe to say I want to be an EP! Although I haven't always known what I wanted to do or be, it's been rocky road to this point. I know making it onto the Doctorate course for clinical or Ed Psych can seem out of reach or too hard a slog to aim for. However, I have made it and I’m not s super special genius, just determined. So I'd like to outline my journey to encourage others to go for it!
I went to uni at twenty, I’d always intended to go to uni (to be the first generation of my family to do so) but after my sister passed away suddenly when I was 15 I went through a rather tough 5 years. I achieved good GCSE's, A*s, A's, couple B's. Then I went onto sixth form and initially performed well in my As levels, until I had a nervous break down at the beginning of my second year (due to grief & family issues), so I quit sixth form! Not my finest moment or most lucid thinking
. I completed my A-levels the following year, but only took 2 A levels to completion as I wasn't well (Psych - A, Eng Lit - B).
I worked for a year before realising I did want to go to uni. To be honest I chose to do psychology just because I enjoyed it, not because I had a great yearning to be a psychologist. Again I didn't make the right choice regarding uni’s as I was still in a weird place mentally. I got offered a place at a uni that is 25th in the league tables, another that is 39th, but I chose to go to a uni that was 60 something! Because I felt a good vibe there and it was closer to home.
I had a great 3 years (graduated with a high 2:1), loved the course, the uni, partied hard, if I'm honest I played and coached netball as much as I did study, at times more! After final year exams, I got a good job as a Learning & Development Advisor in a corporate HR department. Which was prompted by the fact that I had loved my third year module Organisational Psychology. After a year in L&D which I enjoyed I realised I could go down the HR graduate scheme route or go and do an MSc in Occupational Psychology and gain a very well paid graduate job with one of top consultancy firms. Although I thought I would find this career stimulating, love the lifestyle and money, I had this annoying voice inside me that for years had wanted to work with children & families as a psychologist, but had been too scared to try.
So I quit my good job, turned my back on a more lucrative career path, moved home to my parents and started work as SEN teaching assistant. Started researching the various psychologist careers, met an Ed Psych at the school I was working at and they kindly let me shadow them. Had an epiphany moment and realised I wanted to be an EP!
I realised it was going to be a long road that would take years, throughout all of which I would be low paid until I qualified! But the more I found out about the profession the more I knew it was for me. I realised that to gain a place on the course I would need a minimum of 2 years relevant experience and even then that might not be enough, as there are only 120 funded places a year throughout the country on the Ed Psych Doctorate training course. Only 15% of applicants gain a place, some people don’t get on until they’ve applied several years in a row and some give up! Anyway I relentlessly pursued my career, after 1 yr as a TA I moved to London for a job that was one level up and that would give me grater relevant experience (Learning Mentor in school devising and delivering interventions for pupils), after 1 yr I moved to another position for the same reasons as before (Family Support worker).
Then disaster struck! The new government came into power and suspended the EP training scheme (booooo!)
, I was gutted and panicking 
. I bugged the course providers for inside info and found out that although things were up in the air the training scheme may still run for the 2011 intake, but it would be a rushed application process with a shorter timeline and that it may be the last year that trainees are fully funded by the government. I was determined to get on the course with my first application, so I quit my job, secured a position as an unpaid Psychology research assistant in a local authority EP service (hoping to gain relevant research skills and improve my application chances). Moved home to live rent free at the age of 26! Ouch!
Low and behold the training scheme re-opened just in time for applications for the 2011 intake. However one of the senior EP’s within the service I was volunteering for was also one of the course leaders and selectors at one of three uni’s I was applying for (the one I really wanted!). She said that her reservations regarding my application would be around my academic credibility, as I hadn’t done my degree at a distinguished uni! I was gutted and felt my ambition may be squashed
, but the conversation just spurned me on further. I spent two weeks formulating a concise written application, I got an interview, revised and prepared like crazy, especially for the academic interview, dissecting the research papers they’d given us to comment on in the interview.
As a result I proved myself worthy of a place on the course, I was up against some great candidates some of which had masters (not all though) and most of whom went to uni’s high up the league tables. I got offered a place at my chosen uni
, and since then my feet have not touched the ground, I am soooo excited to start in September and embark on a fascinating career that will be a vocation and not just a job. Oh but if I hadn't gained a place I would have scraped together my meagre savings and done a relevant Masters to prove my academic ability.
Sorry for long life story, but the path to gaining a place on a funded Doctorate course to be a psychologist is so competitive and can seem so hard, which it is to a degree. This and the fact that I had not gone to a top uni, or originally planned to be a psychologist like others who know what they want to do and as a result undertake relevant voluntary or paid work during their undergrad degrees, almost put me off striving for a career as a Psychologist.
I wanted to write my story here to show that it can be done and to encourage others to go for it if it’s really what they want!
p.s. if anyone is trying to work out the maths i'll be nearing 30 yrs old when I qualify! Incidentally 9 or 10 yrs is the average to qualify, from starting your undergrad psych degree to completing your doctoral training, worth taking into consideration.
I went to uni at twenty, I’d always intended to go to uni (to be the first generation of my family to do so) but after my sister passed away suddenly when I was 15 I went through a rather tough 5 years. I achieved good GCSE's, A*s, A's, couple B's. Then I went onto sixth form and initially performed well in my As levels, until I had a nervous break down at the beginning of my second year (due to grief & family issues), so I quit sixth form! Not my finest moment or most lucid thinking
. I completed my A-levels the following year, but only took 2 A levels to completion as I wasn't well (Psych - A, Eng Lit - B).I worked for a year before realising I did want to go to uni. To be honest I chose to do psychology just because I enjoyed it, not because I had a great yearning to be a psychologist. Again I didn't make the right choice regarding uni’s as I was still in a weird place mentally. I got offered a place at a uni that is 25th in the league tables, another that is 39th, but I chose to go to a uni that was 60 something! Because I felt a good vibe there and it was closer to home.
I had a great 3 years (graduated with a high 2:1), loved the course, the uni, partied hard, if I'm honest I played and coached netball as much as I did study, at times more! After final year exams, I got a good job as a Learning & Development Advisor in a corporate HR department. Which was prompted by the fact that I had loved my third year module Organisational Psychology. After a year in L&D which I enjoyed I realised I could go down the HR graduate scheme route or go and do an MSc in Occupational Psychology and gain a very well paid graduate job with one of top consultancy firms. Although I thought I would find this career stimulating, love the lifestyle and money, I had this annoying voice inside me that for years had wanted to work with children & families as a psychologist, but had been too scared to try.
So I quit my good job, turned my back on a more lucrative career path, moved home to my parents and started work as SEN teaching assistant. Started researching the various psychologist careers, met an Ed Psych at the school I was working at and they kindly let me shadow them. Had an epiphany moment and realised I wanted to be an EP!
I realised it was going to be a long road that would take years, throughout all of which I would be low paid until I qualified! But the more I found out about the profession the more I knew it was for me. I realised that to gain a place on the course I would need a minimum of 2 years relevant experience and even then that might not be enough, as there are only 120 funded places a year throughout the country on the Ed Psych Doctorate training course. Only 15% of applicants gain a place, some people don’t get on until they’ve applied several years in a row and some give up! Anyway I relentlessly pursued my career, after 1 yr as a TA I moved to London for a job that was one level up and that would give me grater relevant experience (Learning Mentor in school devising and delivering interventions for pupils), after 1 yr I moved to another position for the same reasons as before (Family Support worker).
Then disaster struck! The new government came into power and suspended the EP training scheme (booooo!)
, I was gutted and panicking . I bugged the course providers for inside info and found out that although things were up in the air the training scheme may still run for the 2011 intake, but it would be a rushed application process with a shorter timeline and that it may be the last year that trainees are fully funded by the government. I was determined to get on the course with my first application, so I quit my job, secured a position as an unpaid Psychology research assistant in a local authority EP service (hoping to gain relevant research skills and improve my application chances). Moved home to live rent free at the age of 26! Ouch!Low and behold the training scheme re-opened just in time for applications for the 2011 intake. However one of the senior EP’s within the service I was volunteering for was also one of the course leaders and selectors at one of three uni’s I was applying for (the one I really wanted!). She said that her reservations regarding my application would be around my academic credibility, as I hadn’t done my degree at a distinguished uni! I was gutted and felt my ambition may be squashed
, but the conversation just spurned me on further. I spent two weeks formulating a concise written application, I got an interview, revised and prepared like crazy, especially for the academic interview, dissecting the research papers they’d given us to comment on in the interview. As a result I proved myself worthy of a place on the course, I was up against some great candidates some of which had masters (not all though) and most of whom went to uni’s high up the league tables. I got offered a place at my chosen uni
, and since then my feet have not touched the ground, I am soooo excited to start in September and embark on a fascinating career that will be a vocation and not just a job. Oh but if I hadn't gained a place I would have scraped together my meagre savings and done a relevant Masters to prove my academic ability. Sorry for long life story, but the path to gaining a place on a funded Doctorate course to be a psychologist is so competitive and can seem so hard, which it is to a degree. This and the fact that I had not gone to a top uni, or originally planned to be a psychologist like others who know what they want to do and as a result undertake relevant voluntary or paid work during their undergrad degrees, almost put me off striving for a career as a Psychologist.
I wanted to write my story here to show that it can be done and to encourage others to go for it if it’s really what they want!
p.s. if anyone is trying to work out the maths i'll be nearing 30 yrs old when I qualify! Incidentally 9 or 10 yrs is the average to qualify, from starting your undergrad psych degree to completing your doctoral training, worth taking into consideration.
(edited 12 years ago)
Graduate medicine, if not, postgrad in neuroscience or something like it and be a researcher in that area
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by EP2be
Firstly, congratulations on getting the place! I'm worried about the fact that you said it may be the last fully-funded year tho
I've applied twice and so far not even got an interview, but I guess I'm young compared to other candidates (24 now, was 23 when I applied back in Feb). Would you possibly be able to send me your PS, so I can have a look at it? Would still really like to apply next year!Hi xKTx,
Check out this link http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/r/dfe%20review%20of%20ep%20training.pdf
Or if that doesn't work go onto the CWDC Ed Psych training page and they have a link to the DfE website which actually takes you straight to the a PDF that outlines the government review.
Basically the government is saying that they cannot afford to continue funding the current training scheme so they are reviewing the provision. Training will continue but as of 2013 it will be under a different format and may be funded slightly differently. They even mention something about the possibility of individuals (the trainees) having to contribute to the cost! (But don’t panic they are reviewing all the options and we have know way of knowing what they decide on).
There is some contradictory advice regarding the 2012 intake as the CWDC pages say they are not sure if there will be 2012 intake and the gov review outline says that there are provisions in place for the 2012 intake until the new scheme comes in for 2013. I emailed the DfE regarding this contradiction and the response I got didn't include a concrete answer!
That was why I was desperate to get on this year.
What experience are you gaining to help you get on the course? Which uni's have you applied for, did you get any interviews?
Can you do private chats on here? If so we can look at my PS, I’d be happy to have a look at yours.
Take care
Fitzyditzy
Check out this link http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/r/dfe%20review%20of%20ep%20training.pdf
Or if that doesn't work go onto the CWDC Ed Psych training page and they have a link to the DfE website which actually takes you straight to the a PDF that outlines the government review.
Basically the government is saying that they cannot afford to continue funding the current training scheme so they are reviewing the provision. Training will continue but as of 2013 it will be under a different format and may be funded slightly differently. They even mention something about the possibility of individuals (the trainees) having to contribute to the cost! (But don’t panic they are reviewing all the options and we have know way of knowing what they decide on).
There is some contradictory advice regarding the 2012 intake as the CWDC pages say they are not sure if there will be 2012 intake and the gov review outline says that there are provisions in place for the 2012 intake until the new scheme comes in for 2013. I emailed the DfE regarding this contradiction and the response I got didn't include a concrete answer!
That was why I was desperate to get on this year.
What experience are you gaining to help you get on the course? Which uni's have you applied for, did you get any interviews?
Can you do private chats on here? If so we can look at my PS, I’d be happy to have a look at yours.
Take care
Fitzyditzy
I want to be a writer, but the psychology degree is kind of a back up plan for when that idea goes down the drain.. which it will.
It's a sinking ship that I am more than happy to be escaping from.
Either go on to do a PGCE to become a teacher or a GDL and later qualify as a solicitor.
At the moment I like the sound of research...Lecturing maybe. I just don't know. I find certain areas of psychology really interesting and I love studying and learning new things and discovering stuff, and I also enjoy teaching so I guess academia seems like the obvious choice, even though it is a really difficult field to get into.
My question is, for those interested in research and lecturing, is teaching experience necessary? Would it be useful to have done some tutoring at least, alongside all of the academic qualifications needed?
My question is, for those interested in research and lecturing, is teaching experience necessary? Would it be useful to have done some tutoring at least, alongside all of the academic qualifications needed?
Original post by llacerta
At the moment I like the sound of research...Lecturing maybe. I just don't know. I find certain areas of psychology really interesting and I love studying and learning new things and discovering stuff, and I also enjoy teaching so I guess academia seems like the obvious choice, even though it is a really difficult field to get into.
My question is, for those interested in research and lecturing, is teaching experience necessary? Would it be useful to have done some tutoring at least, alongside all of the academic qualifications needed?
My question is, for those interested in research and lecturing, is teaching experience necessary? Would it be useful to have done some tutoring at least, alongside all of the academic qualifications needed?
Same, I think at the moment research would be the most rewarding experience, and i don't think i'd want to teach a level psychology so academia seems to be a good career path. But to be honest im only starting a degree in october so im very likely to change career path or even subject :P
If you search nature jobs on itunes you will see a series of podcasts about the different career paths available in science (including a lectureship). For a lectureship, you need a PhD where you would (probably) get some teaching experience, then at a post-doc position you start really getting some experience teaching. Those podcasts are really helpfull though they have infomation on a variety of careers and funding opportunities...
(edited 12 years ago)
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