Psychologist Career Profile | Career Advice and Help Australia CareerNav

Psychologist *

Last modified: November 07, 2011, 01:25 PM

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This is an ideal career for analytical and logical thinkers. Psychologists study the human mind and human behaviour. The most popular area of specialization is clinical psychology, where you’re dealing with psychological problems and mental illness. You may work in schools, clinics, government agencies, or the corporate sector with about forty percent working in private practice.

Leading Companies & Markets

As you can be a differing specialist, Psychologists work in a diverse range of settings such as:

private practice
Corporations - consulting firms, market research companies, recruitment firms, test development corporations
Education - universities, schools, career services
Government departments
Health and welfare services – hospitals, rehabilitation agencies, substance abuse services, youth services
Community agencies
Police force, law courts and prisons
Counselling services
Defence forces
Non-profit organizations and professional associations
Research institutions
Training and development services

Environment and culture of the workplace

Working conditions vary widely. Psychologists in private practice usually have comfortable offices. Most work forty hours per week. However, their schedules vary according to the type of work and may include some evening and Saturday hours. They spend additional time studying the latest developments in the field.

About the Author

Anne Parker

Anne Parker has an Arts degree and post graduate diploma from Monash University and is a registered secondary school teacher with 30 years of teaching experience in French, History, Career Education and Psychology. She has held positions of Coordinator of Languages other than English (LOTE), Coordinator of Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)and Coordinator of Career Education. These roles involved implementing major curriculum reform of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development(DEECD). An elected committee member of the Career Education Association of Victoria

(CEAV) for 2 years including 3 months as interim Executive Officer, Anne was involved in significant change management, setting of standards of training of Career Development Practitioners and the ethics governing Practitioners in line with the national peak body the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA). In 2008 she commenced Careertactics, her own consulting business.