At some point in your career, you may contemplate pivoting to a new field that aligns with your passion for helping people overcome their mental health struggles. If that’s the case, you might as well think about whether a career in psychology is worth moving from your current job and into unfamiliar territory. For the most part, psychology offers a wide array of job roles that cater to your strengths and interests. It’s only a matter of knowing how to make the most of the transition.
Passion can only get you so far in the field of psychology; you won’t prosper if you don’t know where and how to get started. So long as you do it right, you may find your new role fulfilling and consider it a field where you feel truly at home. All it takes is applying the guide below as you prepare for what could be the most important career decision you will ever make.
1. Assess yourself and set goals
It takes more than just a feeling of boredom or a sense of stagnation to think about changing careers. Considering you’re settled in your current job, it might not be wise to shift to a new career when you’re already enjoying employment benefits. Then again, you might be unhappy and find your current job unfulfilling. It matters to weigh all the pros and cons of your decision to shift towards psychology. You may have to start learning from scratch but with persistence, you could build a highly successful practice. It’s only a matter of setting clear goals so you will know how to properly navigate around the hardest parts of the transition.
2. Pick a niche or role
The best thing about being in the field of psychology is that you have a diverse array of sectors and niches to choose from. Aside from being a psychologist, you can also use your degree to access other career pathways such as human resources, social work, and school counseling. Whichever the case, you need to have a clear understanding of what direction to take based on your interests. Thorough research of each job role can go a long way so start exploring what a psychologist does as well as other possible job roles you can take up with your psychology degree. That way, you will be able to save time and effort transitioning into the field.
3. Find time for quality training
To start a career in psychology, keep in mind that you need expert training before you can practice in your chosen niche or field. It’s a good thing that there are institutions offering psychology programs under full-remote or hybrid modalities so you have the flexibility to acquire the necessary training while you still have a day job. Be sure to sign up for legitimate programs where you can obtain a legitimate psychology degree that qualifies you for a licensure exam in your chosen field. The training you get requires exerting extra effort so be prepared to work hard even if you’re taking an online program.
4. Gain real-world experience
Classroom lectures are not enough to prepare you for the complex world that awaits new psychology graduates. No matter your age and the level of professional experience you’ve had, you still need to undergo extra real-world training that gives you a better view of the field. Even if you’ve already passed a licensure exam, sustaining your success relies largely on how well you make the most of your internship and residency experience. It’s also crucial to know how to build networks with other established professionals. You will never know if these experts will turn out to be good mentors who will help you settle into your new career.
Endnote
If you’re planning to leave your current job for one that lets you become a mental health advocate, don’t start without reading the guide above.
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