If you’ve recently had the opportunity to look for clinical psychology training in Canberra, or child psychologist professional development events in Sydney, then you’re clearly someone who has opted for a rewarding career in the psychology field. Do you remember what it was originally that pushed you towards this line of work? As it happens, there are actually many reasons people get into psychology careers.
1. Psychology Unlocks the Secrets of the Human Mind
The most common driving factor behind people getting into psychology is in the way that the subject is centred around trying to fathom the mighty complexities of the human mind, as well as human behaviour. In trying to unlock those secrets, budding psychologists usually are excited not just to learn about their fellow man, but also about themselves.
In all of our lives, we at some point may lie awake at night thinking about something embarrassing we once did and try to work out what made us do or think like that. We also share in common a great love for experiencing those great “a-ha” moments when everything falls into place. When you’re a psychologist, understanding the former and enjoying the latter is essentially your entire career!
2. You Get to Help Others
Besides the academic and intellectual fascination, there is also an emotional force that compels many into psychology careers, and that’s a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Just like any doctor or nurse, psychologists can weave their professional magic to help heal minds, bind emotional wounds, and mend broken spirits.
Careers where helping other people is at the heart of what you do each day are the kind that it’s easy to get passionate about. They’re also careers of people who sleep well at night, knowing they’re doing good.
3. It’s Analytical
While many aspects of a psychologist’s career do pertain to human emotion and behaviour, there’s a deep-seated and data-driven analytical aspect to the profession, too, that attracts the curious professional. Many psychologists are well trained in the practices of gathering, organising, and analysing data.
Therefore, for those who love studying data, and who equally love coming up with creative and innovative solutions to solve the problems hidden within that data, solutions that could improve the overall human condition, a psychology career is pretty hard to resist.
4. Career Flexibility
We’ve used terms like “psychology careers” already but we have perhaps failed to do justice to the amount of variety that exists in that field. There are dozens of specialisations that psychologists can take up, allowing them to build interesting and unique careers. Many also go on to set up their own practices, which in turn allows them to work independently and flexibly. It can be easier than ever to get the work-life balance you want when you’re the boss!
Essentially, psychology is an appealing path to many because there is just so much that one can do with it.
5. It’s Potentially Lucrative
For those who do well in their careers, there are potentially great financial rewards that lie ahead. Statistics show that the average Australian psychologist is earning more than AU$102,000 each year. As averages go, that’s a pretty hefty sum. For those who become thought leaders of their field, even greater rewards await, including research grants, awards, the chance to author popular psychology books, and more.
While money isn’t the top driving force behind most people’s choice to go into psychology (hence it being bottom of our list), it’s not like it’s driving anyone away from it, either! It should be noted, however, that the field is very competitive as psychology has consistently been a popular undergraduate subject.
