Broaden Your Horizons
If you have a natural curiosity about the complexities of the human mind, taking A-level Psychology can take you on an exciting journey into a fascinating career. Employers across multiple industries highly favour the knowledge gained from taking psychology as an A-level. As are the transferable skills such as critical thinking, analysis and decision-making.
In addition to learning more about the human mind, studying A-level Psychology can offer you insight as to why you think the way you do. One of the key benefits of this course is that you will ultimately be on a journey of self-discovery.
Let's take a look at some of the career paths you can take at an A-level in psychology.
Mental health and clinical psychology
Taking A-level Psychology is often the foundation for a career as a clinical psychologist or within the field of mental health support. Responsible for assessing, diagnosing, and treating mental health issues, a clinical psychologist typically works in hospitals, and in private practices. A career as a clinical psychologist also requires completing a degree within the field of psychology and a specialist area - completing A-level Psychology is one of the main ways to earn UCAS points, which are essential for getting into university.
Alternatively, you may want to consider a career in mental health support or counselling. With mental health awareness greater than in previous years and pressure on support services continuing to increase in the wake of recent global events, careers in mental health are in high demand. Improved awareness of mental health has also resulted in people wanting to broaden their personal understanding, with the aim to prepare themselves with the skills needed to support someone close to them. A-level Psychology can act as an introduction to building these skills.
Combining this A-level with a specific mental health course, such as counselling, can lead you to a rewarding and insightful career. Why not explore what else we offer within mental health here or read our guide to becoming a psychologist?
Research and development
The critical analysis and problem-solving skills that are naturally developed through studying A-level Psychology are essential in the research and development sector (R&D). With these abilities, you can be at the forefront of bringing new products to market, finding new applications for technology and exploring a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour. Though further specific studying might be needed, a career in R&D is exciting and fascinating, with additional opportunities in niche areas.
Whether it is with a large healthcare organisation or manufacturers of specialist products, R&D covers a wide breadth of applications. Taking A-level Psychology gives you a good head-start in identifying how the human mind and behaviour impacts buying decisions and contributing to the products shaping our daily lives.
Education
A strong knowledge of human behaviour can be a helpful addition to the education environments. Particularly in how you communicate with students. You may also thrive in teaching subjects such as human biology and sociology. With these subjects often being taught alongside psychology at GCSE and A-level.
A-level Psychology can also lead to mentoring roles, both within an educational facility and out in the community. You may be interested in social work or the prospect of being a personal tutor for students with learning difficulties. Studying psychology demonstrates your ability to understand reasons for specific behaviours and how these shape how others view the world.
Marketing and advertising
Psychology plays a significant role in marketing, helping businesses to understand how to appeal to consumers. It involves constructing personas to understanding the emotional and cognitive responses to specific messaging. The knowledge built from a psychology A-level is a skill that will appeal to employers within a variety of industries.
Aspects of psychology are used in developing advertising campaigns and conducting experiments to explore likely responses. This ultimately drives how brands communicate with customers and internally. You can read more about CIM courses in our awarding body pages.
Human resources
Human resources professionals are responsible for hiring and training, managing employee relations, and helping to ensure a company's staff is motivated and productive. Their ability to understand people and help them communicate is what makes them successful.
Having a psychology background can give you a considerable edge in this industry. You are entrusted with helping protect the mental health of employees and/or students.
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychologists work with people of all ages who are dealing with brain trauma. This could be for a variety of reasons, such as strokes, metabolic disorders, or an accident which resulted in a brain injury. You would be required to have in-depth knowledge of dealing with mental health health problems.
A-level Psychology can lead you to an extremely niche yet rewarding career. You can pick up valuable skills which will enable you to help those in need. Although primarily a scientific role, you must be well-versed in psychology.
Ready to study A-level Psychology?
If you are interested in a psychology-based career, take a look at what our Online A-level course covers. With learning conducted online, you can fit studying in with your existing commitments and when you learn most effectively. Enrol online for A-level Psychology or speak to one of our learning advisers if you have any questions.