Psychology Careers

General Careers for Psychologists

• Industrial/organisational psychologist
• Clinical psychologist
• Research of all kinds
• Human resources manager
• Social worker
• Health promotion
• Child protection
• Disabilities support
• Case management
• Training
• Industrial design
• Human/computer interface
• Human factors consultant
• Transportation Psychology
• Policy analysts
• Injury prevention
• Probation officer
• Addictions counselling
• Service planning

Careers associated with specialised areas of psychology:

Applied Cognitive Psychologists (including Perceptual Psychologists) work anywhere humans are involved in work or play. They can work to make the systems more effective, satisfying and safe.

Graduates in this area apply their skills working in such areas as:

•  Forensic Psychology Research (Ministry of Justice, New Zealand Police, & independent consultants)
•  Human factors & ergonomics research (Accident Compensation Corporation, Department of Labour, Occupational Safety & Health, & independent consultants)
•  Product design & human factors engineering (private industry & independent consultants)
•  Public opinion researcher (government & private industry)
•  Road safety coordinator (local & regional councils)
•  Sports/Leisure Psychology & Human Performance researcher (Ministry for Culture & Heritage, Ministry of Tourism, Sport & Recreation New Zealand, independent consultants)
•  Transportation researcher (Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, Land Transport New Zealand, Maritime Safety Authority, New Zealand Police, & private industry)

Behavioural Psychology graduates aim to understand why people behave as they do and then work to positively change their behaviour. This occurs in a variety of settings:

•  Helping with humans or animals (Behaviour Analysis)
•  Help people with behaviour problems (Applied behaviour analysis: e.g. Ministry of Education, dealing with behaviour problems in children in schools; Special Education, dealing with behaviour problems at home and school)
•  Animal management or animal welfare (including animal conservation, domestic and farm animal care, pest animal management: e.g AgResearch or working with drug detection dogs)
•  Governmental and Non-governmental Organisations in the development of policy and practices for animal care and management
•  Help people with companion animal behaviour problems

Clinical Psychologists work in many areas including:

•  Health (e.g. with children who have developmental, behavioural or mental health problems; rehabilitation from brain injury; older people; work with Iwi-based health providers or Pacific-peoples' health providers)
•  Hospital-based and community-based mental health programmes for children, adolescents and adults (including specialised Maori mental health services, forensic services and disability services)
•  Corrections (Psychological Service) (e.g. working with offenders on probation or in prison, or in specialist units such as the Youth Offenders Unit)
•  The Child, Youth and Family (Specialist) Service (e.g. working with families & assisting social workers by providing assessments and treatment)
•  Group Special Education (e.g. assessing and intervening with children and young people whose behaviour is considered serious in school/family)
•  Others areas (e.g. work with people with disabilities, physical and intellectual, in specifically developed settings)
•  Private practice (e.g. work with clients who self refer and those referred by other individuals and agencies)

Community psychologists apply psychological and sociological knowledge to solving real world problems. They are employed in a range of areas including:

•  Social policy and evaluation research (e.g. Public Health Evaluation Support, Population Health, Waikato District Health Board)
•  Project managers and consultants
•  Community advisers and advocates (e.g. Community Development Officer, Meningitis Trust
•  Safety co-ordinators (e.g. Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Anti-Hate Crime Coordinator, Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust)
•  Policy analysts (e.g. National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges; Kaiwhakahaere (Iwi Liaison Policy Analyst), Environment Waikato)
•  Service managers(e.g. Social Development Manager, Ministry of Social Development; Manager, Problem Gambling Foundation)
•  Organisational trainers
•  Maori development (e.g. Relationships Manager, Whai Marama Youth Connex; Analyst, Takawaenga Maori Unit, Tauranga City Council)
•  Health promotion (e.g. Manager, Pacific Islands Drug and Alcohol Services)
•  Health policy and injury prevention (e.g. Clinical Services Development Co-ordinator, Mental Health & Addictions Service, Waikato District Health Board)
•  Social research and planning (e.g. Researcher, Research and Development Unit, Runanga o Kirikiriroa; Social Development Team Leader, Hamilton City Council)
•  Community development. (e.g. National Coordinator for Police Youth Development, Police National Headquarters; Kaitohutohu (Careers Advisor) Career Services Rapuara)

Organisational psychologists apply scientific knowledge to enhance organisational effectiveness and employee well-being. With increasing emphasis being given to the selection, management and development of personnel within organisations, opportunities for employment in this area continue to expand. Some examples of where graduates may be employed are shown below:

•  Human resources management (e.g HR Manager / HR Director with Sheraton Hotels; HR Officer with SmithKline Beecham (NZ) Ltd)
•  Organisation development (e.g. Consultant with Price Waterhouse & Coopers; Recruitment Consultant with Protocol Personnel & Personnel Solutions Ltd)
•  Training sections of private or public sector organisations (e.g. Training and Development Consultant ANZ Banking; Psychologist with NZ Army)

See Also

Faculty Careers Pages
UWCAN (Alumni Career Services)
Careers & Employment Centre
Student Job Search