Careers for Graduates with a Degree in Psychology
High School Guidance Counselor Most American high schools have at least one, and often several, guidance counselors. The educational background of these counselors is diverse, many coming into guidance after years spent in some other high school teaching discipline.Not surprisingly, many graduates with a degree in psychology also find their way to careers in high school guidance
Much of the work of high school guidance counselors involves getting to know young people as individuals and trying to help them, and in some cases their families, work through not only academic choices but life problems as well. Because graduates with a degree in psychology have spent four years studying human behavior and development, they are ideally suited to take up career paths as high school guidance counselors.
The work of high school guidance counselor however is not geared for every graduate with degree in psychology. Working as a high school guidance counselor means feeling comfortable and competent in your own ability to work with teens. Teens can be challenging, moody and changeable and some graduates with a degree in psychology decide quickly that this is not the career for them. Choosing to be a high school guidance counselor though taxing, offers a decent and reliable income, generally good benefits and summers off to pursue other interests or part time employment .
On College Campuses Careers for graduates with a degree in psychology are often found at locations where people are dealing with life changing decisions and the stress that accompanies them. One such place certainly is a college campus. For high schoolers choosing a college can be a decidedly life altering event. Young people and their parents are concerned that the four years spent in a college community will be a positive experience. Graduates with a degree in psychology often take on careers as college admissions officers because their degree has furnished them with skills that help them to carefully evaluate a young person’s likelihood for success at a given institution. Reading student applications, conducting student interviews, reviewing student essays all provide clues that the graduate with a degree in psychology can use to piece together a student’s readiness for a particular college or university.
When college students complete their four years and approach graduation they begin to look at the rest of their lives face to face. For many college juniors and seniors leaving the security of college life is a terrifying prospect. At exactly this juncture in their educational and personal development, they may seek out the services of a college based career counselor. There are careers for graduates with a degree in psychology in many college career counseling offices. Some additional study may be needed to bring graduates with a degree in psychology up to date with career options. Still the career counselor who has a degree in psychology is more than well equipped to logically, reasonably and productively address a student’s practical and emotional concerns for the future. At both the beginning and the end of the college process there are clear opportunities for graduates with a degree in psychology who like the idea of staying in the world of academia and working with young adults as they mature.
Community Centers Many life changing events , activities and patterns are part of on going life in a community. Many urban, but also suburban and rural, communities support community centers that help residents to live better, fuller lives.
Some centers offer counseling programs for single parents, senior citizens and at risk teens. Graduates with a degree in psychology can apply for positions which match their counseling skills and special areas of expertise with the specific needs of a given community.
Most careers that take graduates with a degree in psychology into community center work are not likely to pay high end salaries even at the administrative level. But for many graduates with a degree in psychology who choose this type of employment the reward of lives mended, lives being redirected or in some cases even lives being saved more then compensates for the lack of a trendy car or fancy apartment.
Substance Abuse Counselor The number of Americans who lead fractured lives because of drug and/or alcohol abuse is astronomical and rising. Across the country there are programs and facilities offering help and counseling for those suffering from addictions. Each program has a director and a number of counselors. Graduates with a degree in psychology and some additional training specific to substance abuse will find career opportunities in programs in almost every state in the nation in cities, suburbs and small towns.
The salary for substance abuse counselors is not likely to be what attracts a graduate with a degree in psychology. A desire to make a difference, to help rebuild broken lives, the belief that people can change, these things might direct a graduate with a degree in psychology to a career as a substance abuse counselor. Choosing this career is not without its own psychological pitfalls for the counselor including depression , burnout and temptation to become an abuser. The training in human behavior that is part of the degree work for graduates with a degree in psychology can be crucial in his or her ability to work successfully in this type of trying employment environment
Ministry Graduates with a degree in psychology sometime take their learning and skills with them on their own spiritual journey. Those who feel called to ministry may discover what a marvelous ministry tool a degree in psychology can be.
Certainly those ordained or consecrated in the ministry of any organized religion or formal faith must also complete training in a seminary or comparable degree work to prepare them for the spiritual and faith aspects of their ministerial life. But once working in a parish or faith community ministers often find that the members of any congregation frequently seek out their minister as a source of counseling or psychological support. Graduates with a degree in psychology who have entered the ministry are doubly prepared to assist congregants. Their training in psychology gives them an insight into human behavior and relationships that coupled with their spiritual training can be effective in reaching out to assist people in need.
Anyone entering ministry knows that this is not really the profession to chose to receive a six figure salary but it is a career with enormous emotional and spiritual rewards.
Psychology delves into the mysteries of human existence and behavior. Career opportunities for graduates with a degree in psychology can be found wherever human beings are facing important life decisions. That covers quite a bit of territory.
