Profession psychologist: description of the profession, where to study and work, pros and cons of the profession

What does a psychologist do?

The main place of work of a psychologist

– these are schools, kindergartens, boarding schools, psychological assistance centers, and private practice. Using proven methods, specialists determine the abilities and individual qualities of schoolchildren and pupils and build a separate training program for each.

Corrective work also falls within the competence of psychologists. They help children overcome difficult moments in life and form behavioral patterns in critical situations. However, almost half of the working time has to be devoted to paperwork: compiling psychological characteristics

, reports, work plans, etc.

Human resources departments of various enterprises also become the place of work for many specialists. They are employed by HR managers and perform a number of the following functions:

personal qualities

The goal of a psychologist’s work in a corporation is to increase the company’s performance indicators and motivate staff as much as possible. Knowledge of psychology and tools for influencing people’s consciousness is also in demand in mass media, advertising, political activity, and jurisprudence. A psychologist can conduct a private practice and engage in research in his field.

Where can a psychologist work?

This directly depends on what qualification a person received upon graduating from university. Upon receiving a diploma, the graduate already has a rough idea of where he can apply his knowledge, because one document gives the right to work, for example, in children's institutions, and the other does not. Therefore, there is a clear distinction here in accordance with the specialty obtained.

In general, the work of a psychologist is in demand and its range is quite wide. We list just some of the areas where a certified specialist can work: • various private companies that have a psychologist on staff to provide support to their employees; • HR departments and recruiting agencies; • adult and children's medical institutions and rehabilitation centers; • kindergartens and schools; • centers of additional education; • private practice.

I would like to dwell on the last point separately. Answering the question whether it is profitable to have a private practice, Elena Gamayun replies that in this case it all depends on whether the person has an entrepreneurial spirit, since the question here is about organizing your own business with all the attendant difficulties. In addition to simply being a highly qualified professional in psychology, a potential businessman must have a good understanding of accounting, legal subtleties, have an understanding of PR and advertising, promotion on social networks, or have the opportunity to entrust all these concerns to a team of professionals who will do everything for him .

“If a person does not feel these forces within himself,” the expert comments, “it would be better to get a job as an employee in some center where all this is organized, and calmly do what you love.”

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Pros and cons of the specialty

Being a psychologist is not only interesting, but also useful. The profession requires that a person should always be open to new knowledge, develop, and master new work methods. Other advantages of the specialty:

✔The opportunity to help people solve their problems. ✔Continuous personal growth. ✔Knowledge of the reasons for people’s actions and behavior, the formation of a philosophical attitude towards external events. ✔Finding inner peace. ✔The opportunity to conduct private practice and not depend on the employer.

To finally decide whether a specialty is right for you or not, you need to know the disadvantages of the profession:

✔ Constant nervous tension. Fears, depression, despair - psychologists have to deal with the causes of a person’s difficult experiences and find ways to get rid of them. It is very difficult to control your own emotions so as not to take other people’s negativity to heart. ✔ High responsibility. A person’s state of mind and his actions depend on the recommendations of a specialist. A constant sense of responsibility can cause fear of doing something irreparable.

Intensive communication with strangers is also a disadvantage of the profession. Not everyone can constantly contact strangers. If this circumstance is stressful and causes negative emotions, it is better to abandon the idea of becoming a psychologist.

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Clinical psychologist

The clinical psychologist knows not only psychology, he also studied medical courses at the university. But, unlike a doctor, he treats only with words, not with pills. Deals with borderline conditions. Works with the patient himself and can determine whether he needs the help of a psychotherapist.

A clinical psychologist also conducts psychological examinations: school-pedagogical, military, medical-occupational, forensic-psychiatric.

What he does:

individual consultations, counseling for families, couples;
behavior correction.

Where to work:

psychological centers;
social service;
Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Also, a clinical psychologist can work for himself if he knows how to find clients.

Personal qualities of a psychologist

Showing sincere interest in the client’s problems and the ability to respect the person are the key qualities of a psychologist. Knowledge and acquired skills help him become a good specialist.

Tolerance is another quality that is necessary when working with people.
Under no circumstances should a psychologist show his irritation or dissatisfaction with a person. If you have chosen this profession, but cannot be calm when communicating with people, you need to develop this skill in yourself. What other qualities would be useful for a psychologist:

✎ Listening skills.

Often, a person who turns to a psychologist for help only needs to speak out and hear words of support.
✎ Emotional intelligence.
This is the ability to understand the nature of feelings and quickly find a common language with people.
✎ Communication skills.
A psychologist must be sociable.
People should not feel your bad mood or fatigue from work. If you don’t know how to hide it, it’s better to change your field of activity. ✎ Ability to store confidential information.
When solving other people's problems, you have to be aware of the details of their personal life. The psychologist should not tell anyone about them.

A psychology specialist must be able to find individual solutions to each problem. Therefore, he must always be ready to learn techniques and gain new knowledge.

Psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist - what's the difference?

There are several main professions related to psychology. Their differences lie in the states of the person in need of help.

A psychiatrist is a doctor who has a medical education and works in a clinic or hospital. He treats patients with severe mental illness and administers medications and medical procedures. His competence includes establishing the legal capacity and examining the patient’s health status. A psychiatrist uses knowledge in the field of anatomy, physiology of the brain and higher nervous activity, psychophysiology, psychopathology and pharmacology.

The profession of psychotherapist also includes higher medical education. But specialization involves working with clients who have mild or moderate illnesses and neuroses. Psychotherapy allows the use of medications, but the main method of treatment is talking with the patient. The psychotherapist's methods include:

hypnosis;
Gestalt therapy;
working with the client’s past experience;
NLP;
eye movement techniques;
psychoanalyst.

A psychologist does not need a medical education. If a specialist suspects that a person has a mental illness, he recommends consulting a doctor.

Psychology is a science that studies healthy people, their mental processes, thinking, perception, memory.

It is used to teach additional skills, adjust beliefs, and set priorities correctly. Teaches a person to understand his inner world independently.

Where can you study to become a psychologist?

universities today offer to become a psychologist.

and
institutions of the country
.
As a rule, these are humanitarian, pedagogical, multidisciplinary educational institutions
.

Apply to universities

Possible
after 11th grade
, secondary school.
Here you can get a second higher education or take retraining courses. What subjects must be taken
upon admission is determined by each university itself.
As a rule, entrance examinations are conducted in the form of the Unified State Exam in the following subjects
: ✎ Russian language ✎ Foreign language ✎ Biology ✎ In some universities mathematics and history

Additional exams

. For example, in physical training, if the institute trains future military officers or law enforcement officers.

In 2021

The psychology departments of the following universities will open their doors to applicants: • Moscow State University. Lomonosov • Russian State Humanitarian University (RGGU) • Russian State Social University (RGSU) • Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU) • Moscow City Pedagogical University (MSPU) • Russian Peoples' Friendship University (RUDN)

How many years to study

to become a psychologist, depends on the form of study: • 4 years is the term of full-time student • 3.5 years receive a second higher education • 4 years and 6 months study part-time

Who is a psychologist?

Many people confuse a psychologist with a psychiatrist, and yes, these professions have common unifying points, but there are also significant differences. The profession of psychologist is a helping specialty, belonging to the category: “person - person”. A psychologist is an expert who understands the subtle mechanisms of the human soul, the relationships and characteristics of the psychotype (different types of classifications) inherent in each person. Within the scope of his specialty, a psychologist is someone who:

listens carefully and actively;
clarifies, paraphrases;
asks guiding questions;
helps to identify from the “chaos” of problems the most important priority task that needs to be worked on;
uses in its arsenal special techniques and methods that correspond to the current task and the client’s request.

Where to look for work

A certified specialist is in demand in many fields. Medical clinics, psychological assistance services, private and municipal educational institutions - this is the main field of activity of a psychologist. In addition, many large companies today have psychologists on staff. They organize and conduct business trainings to raise corporate spirit, unite the team, and motivate employees. Such specialists work in HR departments and act as personal coaches for entrepreneurs. Due to their ability to predict people’s behavior, they are also in demand in marketing, as they can direct the company’s activities to generate greater profits.

What kind of specialty is a psychologist?

Psychology is the science of mental processes and behavior of people and animals. Psychology as a science can be academic, that is, studying the psyche, and applied, that is, using information to help people and animals. Psychologists help to sort out problems, overcome personal crises, and level out the emotional background.

Interesting!

In Russia, psychologists working with animals are still rare. In Western European countries and the USA this is a common and in demand profession.

Career prospects of a specialist

The career growth of a psychologist depends on the improvement and expansion of his skills, the methods he uses, and the demand for his services. At an enterprise, such a specialist can grow from an ordinary employee to the head of the HR service, deputy head of personnel matters. A successful psychologist can eventually open his own commercial office providing psychological assistance. But to be in demand, a specialist does not need a higher education diploma. It is necessary to constantly study, improve your skills through courses and trainings, learn new methods of psychodiagnostics and assistance, and express yourself.

Educational psychologist

The specialist works with young children in schools and kindergartens. A teacher-psychologist must preserve the psychological health of children, teach them how to behave in society, and develop their personality. A specialist must be able to identify the conditions in which students live and study in order to effectively influence their psychological state.

What does an educational psychologist do:

maintains the social and psychological state of children at a high level;
helps in protecting the rights of the child;
finds the causes of children’s psychological problems, determines what prevents the individual from developing;
provides psychological assistance;
maintains documentation;
diagnoses the psychological state of young children.

Working in this area is suitable for young teachers. Children often have more confidence in them and it is easier for them to find a common language. To find a job, use the tips on writing a resume for an educational psychologist.

What awaits the specialty in the near future?

The work of thinking, psychological qualities, and the reasons for their manifestation are key objects of study by psychologists. Certified specialists will always be in demand in the labor market. Only they can provide professional assistance to those in critical situations. The specialist helps people use their own internal resources for both personal and career growth. In the coming years, the need for psychologists will only grow. First of all, specialists with diplomas from top universities will be in demand.

Source:
Center for Humanitarian Technologies
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HR specialist

Every medium and large company needs an HR specialist, otherwise how to look for employees?

What does a HR specialist do:

conducts interviews with applicants for positions;
communicates with department heads on the topic of personnel shortages and their selection criteria;
conducts staff training and adaptation of new employees;
compiles vacancies, publishes them online, conducts an independent search for specialists;
draws up employment contracts and other documents;
maintains the company's employee database;
studies the market: salary levels, requirements for specialists;
develops motivation systems.

This is a very interesting job for an extrovert. You can work in companies or in recruitment agencies. Internship as a private recruiter is possible. To get a job, it is advisable to attend specialized courses on human resource management.

Where are psychologists in greatest demand?

A study by HeadHunter claims: the country needs psychologists. In addition to the obvious fact, it also demonstrates in which areas such specialists are most in demand. Based on the final statistical data, the following conclusions can be drawn:

The highest demand for psychology specialists is observed in the areas of human resources management and top management. These areas are focused on the selection, training, and adaptation of employees to new positions. It is thanks to this approach that their work will be more effective, and their motivation and satisfaction will be at a high level.
Psychologists in the IT industry are in second place in demand. Stressful, intense and dynamic work in information technology does not go unnoticed for employees. In this case, the services of a psychologist are in demand, both as a permanent member of the team and as someone who comes to conduct individual trainings or seminars.
Leading Ukrainian banks are no less actively looking for specialists in psychology. They need specialists to conduct conferences, trainings, and meetings. Banks are moving from a system where a senior manager was responsible for training a new employee, and shifting this responsibility to a qualified psychologist. According to experts, hiring a separate psychology specialist is cheaper than hiring another bank employee, because he does not take time off from his main job, and the more a professional psychologist trains a new team member much more effectively.
Psychologists are needed wherever sales managers work. If the company is based on the sale of goods or services, it cannot do without not only staff training, but also special support materials for the work of employees. We are talking about sales scripts, email templates, etc.
An indirect specialty for a psychologist is marketing research. A popular and in-demand area, the results of which are needed by almost all modern companies. In research work, a psychologist will need knowledge of sociology, conflictology and other behavioral sciences.
An indirect employment in which a psychologist can demonstrate his knowledge is marketing. He can work as an SMM manager, marketer, etc. – where interaction with the target audience is important. But remember: knowledge of psychology alone is not enough to work in marketing and advertising, so you will have to additionally study through courses or special training programs.

These HeadHunter statistics will be useful to school graduates who are just planning to take exams and enroll as a psychologist, as well as current students who are considering options for working as a teacher or psychologist. Where such a specialist can work - such information will not harm anyone.

Note!

Having a diploma and good education increases your chances of finding a job as a psychologist. He will always find a place to work if he has successful studies, regular advanced training and training behind him. Although according to Ukrainian legislation, education is not required to provide consulting services over the Internet, since this area is not regulated at all, private and corporate clients will prefer a certified specialist to a dubious expert on the souls of others from among the people.

The dangers of being a psychologist

Working as a psychologist does not always mean positive returns and lasting positive results. Work in government agencies with a social focus on disadvantaged families, service in hospices, orphanages is very specific, requires enormous dedication and a vision of one’s activities as a mission, but even this does not save from emotional burnout, which occurs faster than in other professions. Other disadvantages of the specialty:

not everyone can be helped;
psychologists working in the helpline often encounter suicide and attempts to help are not always successful;
the lives and problems of other people begin to take over more than their own;
depression, one of the common conditions of a psychologist who has never learned to distance himself and lets everything pass through him;
manipulative techniques create a sense of power and superiority over people.