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What job should i do

im not like completely clueless and i know i love psychology. But i just dont know what i want to do in that field. Also my plan B is to do something with criminals because i love watching criminal documentaries. can someone who is qualified or atleast knows my position help me on what to do.

Reply 1

Mohammed_2000

Original post

by AishaCastelo

Given the sounds of your passion behind criminal documentaries. Why don’t you look at policing? As a viable route if you enjoy and know the fact that no two days are the same, you can be able to say that your organised and flexible, you like evidence based work and can be able to make the correct decision upon judgment and logical thinking?

Reply 2

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Hello,

This is a great question and I'm glad to hear you have a passion for Psychology. Given your interest in Forensic Psychology there's a few things you could consider. The obvious examples are policing and investigation work which would be a great fit (and very interesting). Personally, I worked for a charity called POPS whilst studying - this a charity which runs Prison Visitor Centres and supports the families of offenders. This was a great opportunity to gain first hand experience and depending on where you are based, could be an option for you. You could also consider combining Psychology with another subject - such as forensic linguistics. There's definitely lots of options out there!

Holly
Psychology Student Ambassador, Lancaster Uni

Reply 3

University of Salford Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post

by AishaCastelo

Hi @AishaCastelo! 😊

I study BSc Psychology and Criminology, currently about to finish my second year 😄🧠🕵️ I love psychology too and can definitely relate!

I'm not sure what stage you are at in the education world, but first and foremost looking into psychology degrees is a great place to start if you are not currently studying. A course like my own would be a great fit for a psychology base, combined with criminology to bring in that study of crime and offenders. Any accredited BSc Psychology degree which includes some forensic modules (most likely in second or third year) would also be good too - I see you mention that the criminal side of things is 'Plan B' so this could be a good way of keeping your options open, and then focusing more on the forensics later on if it still interests you. I've linked the ones we hold here at UoS but have a search around different universities too and see what's out there if this interests you. If you want any more info on this I'm happy to answer any questions 😊

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Something I wanted to note - the career areas of those you see in crime documentaries could be psychologists (likely forensic or clinical), criminologists, or a whole range of law enforcement. Checking out degrees to do with criminology, policing and law might be good to explore too, as well as psychology.

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Checking out some open days could be a great way to explore different courses and chat to staff/students. These really helped me when I was deciding which course to choose ☺️

Now careers - as has been mentioned, looking into policing could be a great option if you enjoy that analytical, problem-solving area that is often seen in crime documentaries, as well as a whole host of other skills and various pathways.

However, more psychology focused...

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Psychology as a subject is very broad, versatile and can be useful in such a wide range of careers. This is great but can be overwhelming to narrow down. Knowing you have an interest in forensic psychology could be a great start, but what you feel most motivated towards is going to be very individual to you so I think my best advice would be some ways to explore all the options...

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Prospects are a great website for all things education and career exploration, I recommend the 'What can I do with my degree?' section on the 'Careers advice' tab. There's even some things like job match quizzes on there to think more about your skills and interests.

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The British Psychological Society (BPS) have a great website for all things psychology, and for checking out different careers, I recommend checking out the 'Forensic psychologist' section on this page in particular for your interest in offenders but also a good look through all the options, and anything on the 'Careers & education' tab.

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Have a think about things like how much studying you are interested in doing, what environments you can (or can't) see yourself working in, what would bring you good job satisfaction, etc. - this really helped me refine my future plans.

I hope this helps a little. If you have any questions, or more specific areas you would like some more focused advice on then I am happy to help! As a psychology and criminology enthusiast myself I absolutely love to chat about it so feel free 😁

Best of luck!

Becky
University of Salford Student Rep

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 4

UOBuckingham CLP

Official Rep

Original post

by AishaCastelo

Aisha
If you love Psychology, your best bet is to take a British Psychological Society accredited degree so that you have a degree that qualifies you to progress on to being a Psychologist. Steer clear of any psychology degrees that aren't accredited.
At The University of Buckingham we offer a 2-year BPS accredited BSc (Hons) Psychology degree | University of Buckingham which allows you to explore a wide variety of practitioner areas of Psychology

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Clinical

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Counselling

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Educational

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Forensic

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Health

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Occupational

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Sports and exercise
You may find that other areas of Psychology interest you too, so keeping your options open for your UG degree gives you the flexibility to specialise later. To become a psychologist you will need a minimum of MSc.
Good luck
Annie