The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Is the Psychology industry stagnant? - Clinical Psychologist

I am torn between becoming either a psychologist or engineer.

However it seems with an engineering degree I would easily be earning good money after the completion of my degree and even more once i get become chartered.

With psychology it seems like I must do a masters for a year or two after my degree, then gain some experience which will be hard to find, doing unpaid voluntary work and completing the dypsyclin course for three years.

Also I have browsed various job sites and the jobs for clinical psychologists seem to be very competitive and not in abundance like engineering.

also for the doctorate of psychology entry the success rate in 2013 was 16%.
1 in 6 applicants got a place on a course. (leeds uni)
(edited 10 years ago)
You seem to have a really good grasp of the issues at hand. It is important to study something you enjoy, especially if that will tie in to the career that you will pursue for the next 50 years. But if you happen to enjoy both equally then I would strongly recommend engineering. We work to make a good living and we study to get us a good job (for the most part), so being pragmatic about it I think engineering offers a lot more opportunity for a successful, stable, fulfilling and lucrative career. :smile:

All the best


Posted from TSR Mobile
I just graduated in psychology with a first from a good uni and looking at people I know, unless you want to do a masters course you need to be prepared that it will be some time working in low paid jobs (e.g. TA, support worker, HCA) which aren't even grad level jobs, and that's if you find one... it will take several years before you're on a clinical psych doctorate and the path there is hard, and there are not many high paid jobs in psychology

engineering on the other hand, from people I know has a lot better career opportunities, higher potential pay etc, almost everyone I know who did engineering got a good grad level job even if it was a generic graduate scheme (psych students have trouble getting on these because it's not a very academic degree and there are lots of people who HAVE an academic degree applying)

do what you love because you CAN do well in psychology if you're willing to work, just be prepared it wont be easy
Psychology as a career isn't stagnant, but I will say that it is hard to break into. Engineering in many ways is a more secure path, and better paid initially.

Saying that, I think a lot depends on who you are. If you are enthused by working with people, making a difference in the lives of those suffering, are a very strong academic candidate, are resourceful and can tolerate a degree of uncertainty then psychology isn't necessarily a bad choice. Your own attitudes towards risk, reward and your philosophical outlook are a massive factor.

Also it helps if you don't have huge debts, want to buy a house straightaway or dependents to look after and provide for. Lots of early career psychology jobs may require you to move around a bit and to be quite flexible. Again, these will depend on your personal circumstance and outlook.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you