Do you want to become an expert in reading people’s mind and earn money for it? Are you aware about the career prospects in psychology? Read on to know why it is a perfect career option for you!

Psychology as a career is emerging as a popular option among students not only in USA, Canada, UK, but also in India. Before planning to pursue a career as a psychologist, it is imperative to understand what psychology study is all about.

What is Psychology?

It is the scientific study of human behavior, which includes relationships, personality, perception, behavior, emotions and individuality. In other words, it is about understanding what people do, why they do it, what makes them sad or happy, and how will they react to certain things? It focuses on the treatment of mental health or psychological problems by identifying the biological and physical processes of humans. Psychologists rely on different tools such as psychological therapy, cognitive understanding, human concepts and behavioral theories to offer treatment to people. Seems interesting? If yes, there’s a lot more to know about this field.

Employment Options

With an increase in work stress, relationship complications, and unhealthy lifestyle, people are facing depression or developing other psychological problems. This has increased the demand for skilled psychologists making it a lucrative career option in India. Psychologists can find different avenues of employment depending upon their field of specialization. Degree in educational, criminal or child welfare psychology can offer job in family court, police force, and non-governmental organization.

The other job opportunities are available with Consultation firms, Hospitals, Market Research group, Placement agencies, Rehabilitation centers, Social welfare organization, etc. The different job roles include Career Counselor, Industrial Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, Genetics Counselor, or Engineering Psychologist, among others. Students in the field are capable of finding ways into other popular careers like Public relations, Advertising and Human Resource due to the interpersonal, communication and people skills developed in this field.

Specializations

Psychologists can specialize in different work areas. Take a look at some of them.

• Research psychologists- They are involved in the investigation of emotional, social, cognitive and physical aspects of human behavior.
• Clinical psychologists- The work involves dealing with people in clinics, psychiatric centers, remand centers, old age homes and orphanage. They help people suffering from emotional and mental turmoil.
• Legal and Criminology psychologists- They are employed in special hospitals, prisons, and juvenile centers to offer group and individual therapy through a range of rehabilitation programs.
• Sports psychologists- They deal with the psychological factors of sportspersons to improve their performance and help to overcome any mental health problems. These professionals are in great demand and are employed by athletes or sports academies to improve performance level.
• Consumer psychologists- Market researches require them to study consumer preferences for different products and services.
• Developmental psychologists- It involves the study of behavioral changes and patterns during childhood, adolescence or infancy. These professionals describe the different stages of emotional behavior and issues.
• Educational psychologists- They offer counseling to students, teenagers, parents and educational institutions to help them in different issues related to education.
• Health Psychology- Their area of work involves promoting, maintaining and treating any health issues. They conduct several programs to help people who want to quit smoking, alcohol, lose weight and release stress.
• Industrial and organizational psychologists- They work closely with organizations to make them understand the psychology of the employee by using different tools like policy planning, training and developments. This helps them to manage the organization effectively.
• Occupational psychologists- They educate companies on improving in different areas like job satisfaction, productivity and training. Behavioral problems such as workplace issues, low productivity and low self-esteem are handled by them by offering counseling and vocational training.
• Social psychologists- It deals with generic problems such as the impact of social issues on human mind. Professionals in the specialization are expert in understanding human behavior, non-verbal, and group behavior traits. They study of human behavior while interacting with society and the impact of social surrounding on them is the area of concern.

Where to study?

A degree in specialized fields like health, education and counseling from prestigious colleges is the gateway to a successful career. Psychology courses are taught at 10+2 as well as graduation level. An educational background in Computer Science and Research Methods is an added advantage for the aspiring candidates. However, PG courses in the field require graduates in psychology only. Psychology courses are available at almost any college and nowadays you can even take courses online. Many people chose online school due to the convenience and time flexibility it allows. By completing school online you can also work part or full time while still studying to obtain your degree. You can find out more about a master’s in psychology online and what careers are available for this type of degree. Obtaining a degree in psychology opens up more career options, which in the end typically leads to an increase in salary.

Colleges

Take a look at some of the leading colleges and universities that offer education in the field. These include:

• Saarvy Institute of Health and Management (SIHM), Gurgaon
• Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), Chennai
• Christ College, Bangalore
• Tata Institute of SOCIAL Sciences (TISS), Mumbai
• Institute of Psychotherapy and Management Sciences, Mumbai
• Christian Medical College, Tamil Nadu
• University of Calicut, Kerala
• Patna University, Patna

Madras School of Social Work is another college that recently introduced B. Sc. degree program in psychology. Students are imparted practical and theoretical knowledge in psychological tools and psychometric testing at the undergraduate level. Further specializations are offered in counseling, social, organizational, medical and behavioral psychology.

Graduates are offers employment opportunities with different workplaces ranging from schools to hospitals, and corporate houses to court houses. Thus, you get ample reasons to choose a career in psychology, which is emerging as a career-oriented field.

Swati Srivastava is a prolific writer who likes to write on topics related to education in different fields. Her articles give useful information about various lucrative courses such as psychology courses in India.