6 Job Opportunities for Psychology Majors

Now that you have finished university with a degree in psychology, you know all about the human mind. You not only know the science behind human behavior, you are actually able to apply that to how people behave in social situations. You are also a pro when it comes to research, writing and analyzing statistics. You may not realize it, but these skills can be applied to many different fields, and no, not all of them are in therapy.

Engineering Psychologist

Are you the type of person who desperately fears the ramifications of a society being overly reliant on technology, like smartphones? Well, here’s a
career you may not have even knew existed. Engineering psychologists focus on how human beings interact with machines and advanced technology on a daily basis. They focus on how we interact with, how we perceive and how we are influenced by various products. Not only do they study the impacts of technology on our psyches, they also work with manufacturers and corporations to try and mitigate any harmful side effects a reliance on technology might have. For instance, we’re willing to bet that engineering psychologists had a heavy hand in every smartphone
company’s decision to add “night modes” to their cell phones, which help minimize negative impacts the brightly lit screens have on our sleeping
patterns at night.

Child Care

If you love children, this one may be for you. Though working in child care may seem like an odd choice for someone with a psychology degree, it is actually perfect. Kids don’t have the skills to communicate on an adult level, which means that someone with a deeper understanding of how they think is an asset in the child care industry. Whether you pursue a job at an established daycare center or go onto private care, you will find the work rewarding and challenging.

Genetics Counselor

Being a genetics counselor is pretty cool. In this position you will be flexing your psychology and biology skills. By analyzing a person’s genetics, you will be evaluating any possible health risks they might come across in the future based on inherited traits. You can also specialize in certain areas, such as prenatal care. Women or couples often see genetics counselors to go over their family histories, discuss what types of tests are available during pregnancy and find out advanced possibilities of chromosome abnormalities such as Down syndrome. You could also work specifically with cancer research to help people figure out if they have a higher cancer risk based on their family history. With so many options, you might work in a hospital, a private doctor’s office, a genetics laboratory or even an insurance company.

Counselor

Obviously, becoming a counselor is a great way to utilize your psychology degree, but it does require more schooling. No worries, you can get your master’s in counseling at this website and then get to work. As a counselor, you can work with families or individuals and can enter private practice or join a medical group. Plus, the subjects are vast as well, from marriage counseling to drug abuse counseling to career counseling.

Forensic Psychologist

Some of us grew up watching The X-Files, thinking, “Man, I want to be just like Mulder and Scully…only without the aliens.” Being a forensic psychologist is probably the closest you can get, since it combines actual field work at crime scenes with delving into criminal minds to figure out how they tick. It is the perfect combination of law and psychology. It will be your job to analyze the human mind to try and determine what types of people are more likely to commit what types of crime, why they do it and how future crimes might be prevented. It’s a big task, so you better be up for it.

Human Resources

Every major company in every major industry has a human resources department that does everything from bringing new hires into the fold to making sure that departments are run correctly. Since you have a deep understanding of how people really tick, you will be able to figure out which new applicants will actually fit in well with the company, which is why you handle new hire recruitments and will be a part of all new hire interviews.