Do you love finding out what makes people tick? If so, a degree in psychology might be right up your street.
There are many different specialisms which you can adopt, either during your studies or once you enter the working world.
But what would that working world look like for you? Here are some paths down which you could choose to go as you establish your career.
Psychologist
Perhaps the most obvious path is to put your degree into practice by becoming a mental-health professional. You’ll likely need a post-grad degree, where you will hone in on a specialism.
Your next decision is whether you want to join an existing practice or set up your own business offering psychological help to people.
You may want to consider researching everything that goes into owning your own company, such as insurance for therapists, business rent and much more.
Social Worker
Social work is not for everyone, but it can be such a rewarding career if you have the drive and determination to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
You may well see people at their lowest moments and in difficult situations. It can be a challenge for some to separate this from their own personal lives.
The joy of possibly bringing families back together, helping young people to find purpose in their lives and giving refugees a sense of safety and security are just some of the hugely gratifying things that you could experience as a social worker.
Human Resources
Understanding how people tick and how to get the best from them is something that businesses of all kinds crave as they seek better results and tidier profits.
If you can turn your understanding of people’s minds to providing frameworks that help them to work better, a career in HR could be right up your street.
Major skills in psychology such as conflict management and critical thinking also lend themselves well to this field as you try to help business leaders improve working conditions for their employees.
Education
You may find that your skills are ideally suited to all kinds of education settings, including those where students have special educational needs.
Your ability to understand the different ways in which minds can work could help you to open up opportunities to students who might otherwise have been left behind.
Retail and marketing
The psychology of the purchaser is something into which retail businesses the world over try to tap on a daily basis.
Have you picked up knowledge from your studies about why people follow impulses in a certain way? You might be the perfect salesperson-in-waiting without realising it!