Occupational psychologist
Use psychology to improve people's job satisfaction and productivity.
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£846
Entry level
£1,096
Experienced
Monthly
£3,667
Entry level
£4,750
Experienced
Yearly
£44,000
Entry level
£57,000
Experienced
2,700
people are currently employed
Low growth
100 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You would use your knowledge of psychology to increase the effectiveness of an organisation and improve the job satisfaction of the people working there.
You may work for one organisation, or act as a consultant offering advice to different organisations or businesses.
You would:
create interview processes and tests to assess potential staff
give counselling and advice to individual employees
deliver training to build confidence and communication skills
train and guide people to better understand stress and how to prevent it
help to make the workplace a more supportive place to work
give guidance and support during major changes such as restructuring
You'd work closely with other staff such as the human resources team and managers and with employees' representatives such as trade unions.
There are also roles in teaching and research.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- understanding
- making decisions
- time management
- developing a plan
- social conscience
- empathising
- observation
- written communication
- verbal communication
- listening
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
English
Mathematics
Psychology
Applications of Mathematics
To become an occupational psychologist you'll need to complete a postgraduate training route.
To start training you will need:
a Psychology degree (SCQF Level 10) accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS)
Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS. Your accredited degree will qualify you for membership. If you don't have a BPS accredited degree you can gain membership by completing an accredited conversion course
Once you've gained GBC membership, you can start your postgraduate training. This includes:
a BPS accredited Master's in Occupational Psychology (SCQF Level 11)
a BPS accredited qualification in Occupational Psychology Stage 2 (SCQF Level 12). This includes two years of supervised practice.
Your postgraduate training will qualify you for Chartered Membership of the BPS.
To start work as a health psychologist you'll need to register with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC).
To enter an Honours degree (SCQF level 10) in Psychology usually requires National 5 qualifications and 4 to 5 Highers — often in one sitting.
Once qualified it may be helpful to become a Chartered member of British Psychological Society (BPS) or become a member of the Division of Occupational Psychology.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
Once qualified you will need to register with the Health and Care Profession Council (HCPC).
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