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How do I know what job is exactly for me? With psychology, can it be a good idea to start my own business? Additionally, how do I know how much schooling I have to go through or which degrees I need to get?

Personally, I am a high school senior with psychology as my decided major. I have already taken many psychology classes and am very interested in the subject, I am just not sure what exactly I want to do career wise. I am also leaning against getting a PHD.

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Hannah’s Answer

Hi! Psychology is a degree that you can take so many directions, and instead of asking which exact job is right, I'd suggest asking yourself what are the skills, work environment, and daily tasks that are most important to you, and then start to look at careers based on those answers. For example, do you want a job where you interact with people all day, or do you want to focus more on research? Do you want a competitive or more laid-back work environment? Would you be more excited to counsel people 1:1 or design leadership programs for an organization? Taking this approach will leave you more open to possibilities, and as you get into your major, you'll start to learn about your range of options. Take advantage of professors' office hours, advisors, and internships to learn more about the career paths, and then you'll have a better idea of the direction you want to take. (I was a professor for a decade, so trust me when I say office hours aren't just for when things are going poorly in a class - they're a great way to learn about the field and develop professional relationships that set you up for things like reference letters and research projects later on!) Good luck in college!
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Annah’s Answer

Rebecca, I recommend you first focus on undergrad. If you choose to major or minor in psychology, you may gain some clarity. However, psychology in undergrad is different from graduate work. As a graduate you will be working with your peers and with real clients providing psychotherapy. You will do real research with human subjects and learn about how to diagnose psychiatric disorders. You will have internship(s) that will prepare you for post-graduate life. You will learn about the ethics of holding a clinical license and how to safeguard your practice. As an undergraduate, I believe your studies will be more foundational- the history of psychology more than the actual practice. Don't take my word for it as I did not study psychology until gaining my pre-reqs; I was an art student through and through. Most undergraduate schools will have a decent psychology program and teach similar courses. Graduate school is where you will want to specialize- whether looking at a school that teaches from a particular perspective (such as Existential Phenomenological), counseling, marriage/family, child/family, school counseling, eco-therapy, art therapy, etc. This is where you will want to have an idea about your future career. This does not mean you need all the answers. But it will be useful if you have a particular leaning- working with young children for instance, or marriage counseling. You can get your master's degree first and then decide whether to pursue a doctorate. It is actually helpful to get some experience as this may inform your future studies. A doctorate is not necessary but may help you to enter academia and work in research. You will also be paid a higher salary and have a wider range of job opportunities. As for being in private practice, it is a personal choice. There are pros and cons to working in any environment- whether public health, community mental health, group practice, teaching, or solo practice. As you work your way through school and gain more experience, you may begin to see what types of jobs and job duties you find most interesting. Many of us in the field try on a variety of roles; your internship(s) will also give you information. There is no definite piece of advice I can give you except to say follow your instincts. Unfortunately, most graduate programs do not teach business skills; there are plenty of small businesses that offer coaching in such areas as marketing, website design, money management, and more (specific to being a therapist). Great luck to you on your journey!
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