All psychologists share a passion for unlocking the secrets held in the human brain, and discovering and outlining behavioral patterns and tendencies in humans and animals alike. No matter what specific part of the larger field of psychology they choose to enter, psychologists find in their work opportunities to constantly learn more about how people think, reason, and why they do what they do. They then apply those findings into whatever specific field they work in.
These are some of the choices that will be open to you, if you decide to pursue a career in psychology:
Research is one such choice. So much has been discovered in the realm of psychology, but yet so much remains to be done. And there are so many different aspects to even research alone. Psychologists devote their life in studying animals, human infants, emotionally disturbed people, completely well people, specifically the human brain, human development—and just about anything else, which involves the use of psychology. If you love uncovering secrets, psychology research may definitely be for you.
Some of their research takes place in laboratories, where the situation can be controlled. But many other types of research take place out in the world in workplaces, hospitals, schools—nearly anywhere. Laboratory research happens most generally at universities, government agencies, (such as the National Institutes of Health, and the armed services,) or through private research organizations.
Another branch of the field lies in study. Psychologists study human behavior, and intellectual development. A lot of these psychologists work to find ways to better a classroom's learning system by studying how a student receives information. This particular study work is progressing even today.
Psychologists also provide services by consulting with people concerning health—mental and even physical. Sometimes these psychologists work alone with private clients. Others are employed at hospitals, mental health centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and so forth. All are able to help people, and constantly learn more and more about the human mind and tendencies.
There are more job possibilities for a psychologist—teaching positions and even positions with companies, where they monitor performance and try to distinguish a good worker from a bad worker. Before you can choose a specific way to spend your career as a psychologist, you'll need to discover what interests you the most, or what would be the most enjoyable. Do you enjoy having a private practice, having a set up in a university laboratory or working in a hospital?
But the schooling you need to become a successful psychologist is essentially the same. So you don't have to make too many major decisions just yet. To make psychology your career, you must complete graduate school in psychology.
Choosing the right school for you becomes quite important, because so many different schools offer different opportunities while you're enrolled in school. Many times you will be able to start exploring the different areas of psychology while still in school, and those special opportunities can really help you decide what area you specifically want to get into once you've completed school.
While there are many different kinds of helps around for the average person who is, say, battling drug addiction, or the people seeking depression counseling, a psychologist does a bigger part. Behavioral counselors strive to help people cope with their problems, even as psychologists struggle to understand the reasons why people have behavioral problems, and strive to develop the answers that will prevent those problems entirely.
The potential impact of even a single psychologist is amazing, and the world would definitely benefit from having more people choose psychology as a career.
