Are you fascinated by how the brain works or why people behave the way they do? Do you want to help others with mental health challenges or dive into groundbreaking research? If so, a career in psychology or neuroscience might be for you! The best part is that these fields offer a massive variety of career paths, and there are loads of different routes into psychology, neuroscience and other STEM careers.
Psychology
Psychologists study how people think, learn, feel and interact with others, and apply this knowledge in schools, hospitals, businesses, mental health clinics and more.
Some psychology careers [1]
Clinical Psychologist: Helping people manage mental health challenges like anxiety, depression or trauma.
Educational Psychologist: Working with schools to support students.
Forensic Psychologist: Working with offenders, victims and law enforcement in the criminal justice system.
Occupational Psychologist: Helping organisations improve the mental wellbeing and productivity of their employees.
Neuroscience
Neuroscientists research how the brain works, how it develops and how it impacts human behaviour.
Some neuroscience careers [2]:
Research neuroscientist: Conducting scientific studies to understand how the brain functions and develops.
Neuropsychologist: Combining neuroscience and psychology to study how brain injuries and diseases affect thinking and behaviour
Neuroengineer: Designing innovative technologies like brain-computer interfaces or medical devices to treat neurological disorders.
But there’s more!
One of the most exciting things about careers in psychology and neuroscience is how diverse they are. There are so many different areas to specialise in, whether you like working directly with people, conducting scientific research or designing new technology.
Therapy and counselling: If you’re passionate about mental health and want to work closely with people, this might be for you.
Research and academia: This is perfect for people who love conducting experiments and advancing our knowledge of the brain and human behaviour.
Healthcare: This is a diverse and exciting field, where you can assess and treat patients alongside other medical professionals.
Technology and engineering: Love tech? You can combine this with psychology and neuroscience by working on cutting-edge technologies that help us understand more about the brain and treat people with brain injuries.
Education and science communication: We might be biased, but science communication is the best job in the world! You get to teach people of all ages all about their amazing brains, and meet people who are as passionate about STEM as you.
Where to start?
One of the great things about pursuing a career in psychology or neuroscience is the variety of pathways available. Whether you want to go to university, do an apprenticeship or dive straight into the workplace, there are so many routes for you.
“Traditional” academic route
Many psychologists and neuroscientists start by studying these subjects at university. Our presenter Becca did just this:
“I'm currently a third year PhD student and took quite a direct route to my doctorate, though I have colleagues who have taken a wide variety of paths to get here – including one who started out as a surgeon! I did my A-levels in French, English literature, Psychology and Maths. Given I took neither biology nor computer science, it surprises no-one more than myself that I now work as a computational neuroscientist. I went on to do my undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford before pursuing a Masters degree in Clinical Neuroscience. I noticed early in my undergraduate that the biological elements of psychology were most exciting to me, and neuroscience seemed like a good way to explore these further. I then defected/ saw the light and came over to the University of Cambridge for my PhD in dementia. My reasons for choosing dementia in particular were mainly that I wanted to make sure my research always stayed applicable to daily life, and I also have personal experience of how devastating a dementia diagnosis can be. My recommendation for anyone starting out in the wonderful world of science is just to keep exploring! It's much easier to study a subject that you're passionate about, and the easiest way to find that subject is to use the resources already at your fingertips such as Youtube, online blogs and even academic papers.”
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships and on-the-job training are increasingly popular ways to enter STEM careers. Apprenticeships in healthcare or social care can lead to roles in mental health services, support work or further training in therapeutic careers.
Alternative pathways
Lots of psychologists and neuroscientists come at their jobs from different fields. For example, studying subjects like computer science or engineering might lead to a career in neurotechnology. Our presenter Nate took a slightly unusual route into psychology:
“Growing up, I was always terrible at maths and so was told that sciences weren’t for me. I knew I loved telling stories and ended up doing a degree in English Literature, then going on to work in publishing, where I got to write and edit amazing non-fiction books for children. After making dozens of books about anything from dinosaurs to Dungeons and Dragons, I realised what I really loved was telling stories about science. I went back to university to do an MSc in Psychology, then fell into science communications, which turned out to be the perfect job for me. Now I’m studying for a PhD in community psychology, travelling all over the country (and beyond) to teach young people about their brains... and still writing books about dinosaurs!”
Volunteering and work experience
You don’t have to wait until university or beyond to start pursing careers in psychology and neuroscience – you can start right now! Volunteering with mental health charities, shadowing professionals or getting work experience in people-based jobs can help you understand the day-to-day responsibilities of different roles and provide valuable insights into your future career.
Careers in psychology and neuroscience are so varied – and so exciting! There’s no time like now to start exploring your options, developing your skills and starting your journey into the fascinating world of the brain and human behaviour!
