For a beautiful mind

There are options galore for students pursuing psychology. From schools and hospitals to sports clubs and MNCs, there is a requirement for a counsellor in every sector. The industry is brimming with job opportunities in the subject’s main arena as also in its sub sectors. Piyush Srivastava tells you more 

 

There is an increased demand for psychological services in schools, hospitals, social service agencies, mental health centers, substance abuse treatment clinics, consulting firms and private companies. If you hold doctorates from leading universities and have specialised in popular streams like counseling, health and school psychology, there are a plethora of opportunities in this field. A background in quantitative research methods and computer science will be an added advantage.

Among the specialties in this field, school psychologists especially those with a specialist degree or higher usually enjoy the best job opportunities. The growing awareness among parents and schools about how students’ mental health and behavioural problems (like bullying, attention deficit disorders etc) can affect learning has increased the demand for school psychologists to offer student counseling.

Similarly, a fast-paced work life, an unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, alcoholism, obesity), marital problems etc has led to an alarming increase in depression and other mental disorders among people. Clinical and counselling psychologists are needed to help people assess, diagnose, treat and prevent mental disorders arising out of these problems. It’s the largest sub-field within psychology and offers career opportunities in a number of sub-specialty areas including substance abuse treatment, child mental health and health psychology.

large companies and businesses are hiring industrial—organisational psychologists to help boost employee productivity and retention rates within the organisation. These psychologists help companies deal with issues like workplace diversity and anti-discrimination policies. Companies also will use psychologists’ expertise in survey design, analysis, and research to develop tools for marketing evaluation and statistical analysis.

Another sub-specialty area that is seeing rising demand in India is sports psychology. These psychologists typically perform a diverse range of tasks related to sports performance and education. You can teach at the university level or work directly with athletes motivating them and helping them improve their performance.

If you have specialised in forensic psychology, you can work in different settings like family courts, drug courts, criminal courts and private consulting.

Career Options

Depending on your specialisation, your career path can also vary. Studying psychology leads you to varied career options—

·         Career or vocational counselor

·         School psychologist

·         Counselor

·         Genetics counselor

·         Forensic psychologist

·         Engineering psychologist

·         Clinical psychologist

·         Sports psychologist

·         Industrial—organisational psychologist

·         Special education teacher

 Remuneration

Salaries vary considerably based on specialty area and employment sector. Psychologists in general earn anywhere between Rs 12,000 to Rs 55,000 per month. Clinical psychologists earn between Rs 12,000 to Rs 35,000 per month. School psychologists take home around Rs 10,000 to 15,000 a month.

 Colleges

·         Indian Institute of Psychology, Noida

·         Amity University, Noida

·         Delhi University, Delhi

(The writer is director, Communications, Indian Institute of Psychology, Noida)