1 December 2023
6 Jobs You Can Get With A Psychology Degree
Psychology is one of those degrees that you can do anything with. You could become a clinical psychologist and support people with their mental health. Or work in sports coaching, motivating athletes to be their best selves.
We use psychology in all aspects of daily life. From writing up meal plans and to-do lists to creating punchy pitches that bring new clients to a business, psychology is all about understanding people’s needs and acting upon them accordingly.
Stuck on what to do after graduating from uni? Here’s a list of six unconventional jobs you can get with a psychology degree. And their respective industries.
- Business administration – HR
- Finance – Data Analyst
- Marketing – SEO Copywriter
- Tech – UX Designer
- Law – Solicitor
- Education – Teaching
Business Administration – HR
Recruiters are responsible for finding top notch talent for their businesses. They’ll screen applications, run assessment centres, interview candidates and onboard new employees.
Having a psychology degree gives you the know-how to understand people’s personalities, what they can bring to the organisation and how they’ll gel with others in the team.
Recruiters must have a good judge of character and be able to pick up on things like intellect, professionalism, work ethic, confidence and proactivity when screening candidates.
A company is only as good as the people in it. Hire a great team and watch it take off into the stratosphere.
Hear what this HR intern had to say about their programme at G-Research:
“I greatly developed my organisation skills as these were essential to stay on top of all my responsibilities. I learnt the new skill of professional communication – both through emails and in meetings. I became upskilled in various HR systems and technical platforms, such as Workday, DocuSign, Excel, Webex, Tableau and the company performance management tool. I was also given the opportunity to attend training to develop my presentation skills.”
(Human Resources Intern, G-Research)
Finance – Data Analyst
Data analysts collect and analyse data, then use their findings to help companies make informed business decisions.
Whether predicting future sales and purchasing behaviours or analysing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, data analytics can help a company thrive.
A psychology degree will power your career as a data analyst, as it lets you articulate why certain patterns and trends might occur. This will help the company define successful business metrics and identify opportunities for improvement.
Data analytics is predominantly used in the finance sector. However, other industries such as healthcare, retail, education and cybersecurity all need the skills of a data analyst.
Marketing – SEO Copywriter
As a marketer, your job is to study your target audience to learn their wants and needs, then attract them to your products and services through high quality messaging. SEO copywriters play a huge role in marketing.
You know when you search a question on Google? The role of an SEO copywriter is to use analytics to gauge what keywords people are looking up and leverage these to create engaging content that drives website traffic.
Knowing what to write and who to write it for involves a lot of psychology and thought. Do it right and your content has the potential to land on page one of Google.
And be seen by millions.
Tech – UX Designer
UX designers are responsible for researching users and understanding their intent when visiting or using a website, product or app.
Their job is to create a positive experience for the user by understanding their wants and needs, then working with product designers to develop user-friendly services and technologies.
On a day to day basis as a UX designer, you’ll:
- Perform market research to identify problems in consumer behaviour
- Meet with stakeholders to understand business goals and strategies
- Create prototypes and validate them through A/B or usability testing.
People with a psychology degree are well suited for a career in UX design as they can gauge human behaviour and acknowledge the emotions and motivations behind a user’s actions.
One UX design intern is here to tell you all about their programme at IBM.
“I have developed strong presentation and communication skills for my design work and have gained valuable experience working on a project from research to final development. I am adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams and have a track record of delivering impactful design solutions that drive business success.”
Law – Solicitor
Solicitors are legal professionals that advise and represent clients, ranging from individuals to private sector companies and organisations. Most lawyers qualify as solicitors then go on to specialise in a specific field such as real estate, intellectual property or human rights.
You don’t need a law degree to get into law. In fact, law firms love hiring students from other degree practices like psychology as psychology is all about understanding the human mind and how it works – something that’s super important in law.
In law, no two days are the same. However, typical responsibilities include:
- Researching and preparing cases
- Drafting letters, contracts and wills
- Defending and representing clients in court
- Instructing Barristers on cases that will go to court
- Staying up to date with new legislations
- Maintaining solid relationships with the law firm’s client database.
With a psychology degree, you’ll understand how genetic predisposition, childhood experiences and social factors might cause someone to act up. Which allows you to better assess the defendant.
Education – Teaching
It might seem obvious, but teaching is a brilliant way to put your psychology degree skills into practice. If you loved your course, why not share that wisdom with a whole new generation of students?
It’s super rewarding and exposes you to lots of different people from all walks of life.
Primary or secondary education
To become a primary or secondary school teacher, you’ll need a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) after your Bachelor’s in Psychology along with some initial teacher training.
Vocationally minded? Become a teacher through Teach First and get paid to teach students from low economic backgrounds. You’ll create lesson plans in line with the national curriculum and prepare students for exams and life beyond school.
University lecturer
Alternatively, you could become a university lecturer and deliver lectures, seminars and tutorials to psychology students. You’ll need a PhD or equivalent. But it’s totally worth it.
As a lecturer, you’ll get to conduct psychology research at your university too and publish your findings. How lovely is that?
A psychology degree is a gateway to a world of career opportunities. And these just scratch the surface! All businesses need a psychological approach to get their brands out there. And a psychology degree will give you an edge.
Written by Ghazaleh
Ghazaleh is a writer from London. A culture enthusiast, she is passionate about books, films, lifestyle and travel. She has lived abroad in several European cities and is fluent in French and Spanish.