Is Psychology a Good Career?
Psychology can be an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career. From treating mental health issues to helping individuals build personal strengths, psychologists can make a huge difference for the people with whom they work. But before deciding to pursue psychology as a career, it’s important to understand how this growing field works.
Pros of Being a Psychologist
- Ability to Help People: Psychologists often have the opportunity to directly help people. Whether they are working with children and families, individuals with depression, or clients with post-traumatic stress, psychologists often leave their work feeling fulfilled in knowing they made a positive influence in another person’s life.
- Variety of Opportunities: As a psychologist, you have the opportunity to specialize and focus on the areas that you are most passionate about. It can be both academically and professionally rewarding to work in a field that is tailored to your interests.
- Continuing Education: As a psychologist, you never stop learning. Whether its through additional courses, research or fieldwork, staying up-to-date on psychology-related topics is essential for psychologists.
Cons of Being a Psychologist
- Time Commitment: Becoming a psychologist is a long process. It usually takes several years to obtain a doctoral degree in psychology and additional training is often required for licensure. In addition, most psychologists work full time and put in long hours.
- Difficult Work: Working as a psychologist can be emotionally taxing. Listening to people’s distress can take a toll and take a mental and physical toll on the psychologist.
- Unpredictable Income: Psychologists that are in private practice are often paid on a per-client basis. This can make it challenging to predict when income will be coming in.
Bottom Line
Overall, psychology can be both a rewarding and challenging field. It requires dedication and an understanding of the process in order to successfully make a career out of psychology. If you have the drive and ability to commit to the time and effort, psychology can be a great profession to be a part of.
