×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Careers and opportunities in psychology

Last Updated 10 September 2014, 15:41 IST

With abundant chances around, a career in psychology should no longer be considered a stigma, says Satheesh Varma M.

Psychology is considered a growing profession in India. Lack of awareness about the opportunities in the field and popular myths and misconceptions associated with it have deterred aspirants from taking it up as a career. However, the situation is changing today. Psychology now, is not only a helping profession, but also a rewarding career.

Psychology is a broad umbrella under which, exists a variety of job profiles. Clinical, industrial and school psychology are some of the traditional branches of psychology while rehabilitation, health, assessment, consumer, sports and military psychology are some of the nascent branches in India. 

Clinical psychology, the most developed branch of psychology is an integrated part of modern mental health practice. It is a profession focused on diagnosing and treating mental disorders. Clinical psychologists do not use medications to treat mental illness, but treat patients using different psychotherapies like cognitive behaviour therapy, rational emotive behaviour therapy etc.
According to the guidelines of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), psychotherapy should be conducted only by a trained clinical psychologist. In India, an MPhil or a four-year PhD in clinical psychology from an RCI recognised institution is the requisite qualification to become a clinical psychologist. 

Counselling psychology is another career vista in psychology, where individuals with less severe mental and emotional problems are treated. To become a counseling psychologist, one needs to have a master’s degree in psychology and requires to practise under a senior counsellor for a few years. Health psychology is another related clinical branch of psychology developing in India. Health psychologists help medical professionals in prevention and cure of diseases by understanding and solving mental, emotional and socio-economic problems of the patients. 

Industrial and organisational psychology are two closely related areas where students can develop lucrative careers. Industrial psychology concentrates on enhancing productivity of human resources in corporate industries. Professionals in the field of industrial psychology make employees more productive and try to make the workplace more pleasant and employee-friendly by applying the tools and techniques of psychology. 

Job analyses, psychological assessment, talent management, recruitment and selection, training, performance management, employee engagement, occupational health and wellbeing, work-life balance etc. are some of the areas where industrial psychologists work. Organizational psychologists on the other hand help management professionals to take better decisions by providing psychological insights on various individual, group and organisational behavioural issues. Many industrial psychologists work directly for companies in human resource development departments, while few others work as individual consultants or as a part of consultancies.

Psychological assessment centers also recruit industrial psychologists, where the candidates need to be well versed in the psychological test development, research methodology and statistics. An entry level professional in industrial psychology can start the career with a master’s degree in industrial and organisational psychology, while a higher level position requires PhD from reputed institutions.

School psychology is another well developed career area in psychology, where psychologists help students excel in education. School psychologists typically work with students, teachers, families and school administrators. A master’s degree in psychology with school or child psychology specialisation are necessary qualifications. Currently, due to better awareness about the importance of psychology in education number of national and international schools recruiting school psychologists increased. 

Rehabilitation psychology is an emerging career option in psychology with the new RCI guidelines and few recent Supreme Court verdicts on promoting licensed rehabilitation professionals. Rehabilitation psychologists help people with disabilities to cope better with their lives. They work in hospitals, therapy centres, psychiatric hospitals and mental health clinics. An MPhil degree in rehabilitation psychology from an RCI recognized institutions the prerequisite to get registered as a rehabilitation psychologist. 

Consumer Psychology is another highly rewarding career area of psychology which is getting more popular. Consumer psychologists help marketing managers develop and promote their products in accordance with the psychological makeup of consumers. Most of the consumer product giants and marketing agencies presently employ consumer psychologists in large number. A master’s degree in psychology with knowledge in marketing and consumer behaviour is sufficient to start an entry level career, while PhD in consumer psychology will be helpful to develop a senior level career in this area.  Military psychology is another promising career option for budding psychologists. Military psychology is an allied branch of psychology which supports the armed forces in selection, training, effective machine and soldier interface. It also enhances motivation, mental health and operational efficiency of the army personnel.
 Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) under Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is a leading recruiter of psychologists in India. Psychology postgraduates also can enter military service through postgraduate and technical graduates entry schemes of various armed forces.

Sports psychology is another interesting career for those who have excellent track record in sports and psychology. Sports psychologists train psychological skills to athletes and coaches to utilise their full potential. A master’s degree in psychology with sports background is essential for starting a career in this area. Sports authority of India is the leading recruiter of sports psychologists in India.

There are many reputed institutions in Karnataka, which offer competent courses in psychology, ensuring a bright future to the student.
(The author is assistant professor of psychology.)

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 10 September 2014, 15:41 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT