5 answers
Saiyana
Student
Yuma, Arizona
3
Questions
Updated
2555 views
What are the best and worst of the jobs of being a fashion designer or psychologist?
My name is Saiyana I’m 13 soon 14 and I’m interested in both jobs but I’m stuck between each. Becoming a fashion designer has always been in my heart but a psychologist sits in my brain. The amount of questions I have are out of the roof! Like,What do psychologist actually do? What Fashion-Designers actually do? Would my designers HAVE to be for a brand? To be a psychologist is it necessary to study Social Studies? But what I want to focus on is what’s the best and worst of each jobs? I know it won’t be easy but what is easy about it? What will be hard about it?
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4 answers
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1210
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Saiyana,
I understand your problem; you have a mind that is interested in psychology and a heart that is passionate about fashion. "The good news?" Nothing is preventing you from pursuing both at this moment, and you have plenty of time at 13.
Because it's artistic and practical, fashion design is interesting. You can take something you have in your mind and make it a reality with fabric, and you can even change how people see themselves. The challenges are that it might take some time to build an income that is steady, it's competitive, and styles change often.
Being able to understand people and assist them in changing their lives makes psychology a fulfilling field. It provides steady careers and is in demand. The issue is that it requires years of study, and the work can be emotionally hard at times.
Here’s what I want you to remember, your option doesn’t have to be “either/or.” Over the next few years, you can develop your skills in both. Sketch and create clothing. Take up sewing. Watch fashion shows on the internet. At the same time, observe how others think and feel, watch brain-related films, and read psychological books. You may even discover connections between the two, such as creating clothing that inspires confidence or tells a story.
Careers develop throughout time from little actions you do; they are not created in a single, big decision. Therefore, be patient, explore every angle, and have faith that your heart and intellect will eventually agree.
Best wishes!
I understand your problem; you have a mind that is interested in psychology and a heart that is passionate about fashion. "The good news?" Nothing is preventing you from pursuing both at this moment, and you have plenty of time at 13.
Because it's artistic and practical, fashion design is interesting. You can take something you have in your mind and make it a reality with fabric, and you can even change how people see themselves. The challenges are that it might take some time to build an income that is steady, it's competitive, and styles change often.
Being able to understand people and assist them in changing their lives makes psychology a fulfilling field. It provides steady careers and is in demand. The issue is that it requires years of study, and the work can be emotionally hard at times.
Here’s what I want you to remember, your option doesn’t have to be “either/or.” Over the next few years, you can develop your skills in both. Sketch and create clothing. Take up sewing. Watch fashion shows on the internet. At the same time, observe how others think and feel, watch brain-related films, and read psychological books. You may even discover connections between the two, such as creating clothing that inspires confidence or tells a story.
Careers develop throughout time from little actions you do; they are not created in a single, big decision. Therefore, be patient, explore every angle, and have faith that your heart and intellect will eventually agree.
Best wishes!
Richard Oliver
Director of Brand Strategy
1
Answer
Edmonds, Washington
Updated
Richard’s Answer
Hi Saiyana,
First of all — what an amazing question to have, and what a thoughtful thing to be thinking about as you plan your future career. The fact that you’re already asking this tells me you’re someone who’s curious, reflective, and serious about finding meaningful work, and that’s a great place to start.
I wanted to share a bit of my own story, because I’ve wrestled with a very similar mix of interests. I’ve always been fascinated by psychology, or why people make the choices they do, what motivates them, what’s really going on beneath the surface. But at the same time, I’ve also been drawn to design, or the power of visuals, storytelling, and ideas to make people feel something.
When I first went to college, I decided to train as a graphic designer. But after I graduated, I took what I thought would be a one-year break to work at a homeless shelter. That experience ended up changing the way I saw everything.
Working with people in difficult circumstances made me think deeply about human behavior, why people end up where they do, how they make decisions, what drives change. I realized that behind every design, every brand, and every story are people making choices — and those choices are deeply psychological.
When I returned to my creative career, I couldn’t just focus on making things look beautiful anymore. I wanted to understand the why behind it all. That led me to do a master’s in brand strategy — a field that sits right between psychology and design. Brand strategy is all about understanding people: why they choose one brand over another, how brands meet emotional needs, and how communication shapes identity.
From there, I worked my way from designer to brand strategist, helping major companies figure out how to connect with people in authentic, emotionally resonant ways. I still draw on my design background every day — but now I use it to tell stories that move people, grounded in an understanding of what they care about and why.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way: you don’t have to pick one passion and abandon the other. In fact, some of the most interesting careers come from combining things that don’t seem to fit together at first. If you can find the overlap or that sweet spot where your creative skills meet your curiosity about people — you’ll find a path that feels both exciting and meaningful.
So if you’re torn between two interests right now, don’t stress. Try things. Explore both sides. Get some experience in each and see what lights you up. You might be surprised by how naturally they start to connect.
Wishing you all the best as you explore where this leads!
Warmly,
First of all — what an amazing question to have, and what a thoughtful thing to be thinking about as you plan your future career. The fact that you’re already asking this tells me you’re someone who’s curious, reflective, and serious about finding meaningful work, and that’s a great place to start.
I wanted to share a bit of my own story, because I’ve wrestled with a very similar mix of interests. I’ve always been fascinated by psychology, or why people make the choices they do, what motivates them, what’s really going on beneath the surface. But at the same time, I’ve also been drawn to design, or the power of visuals, storytelling, and ideas to make people feel something.
When I first went to college, I decided to train as a graphic designer. But after I graduated, I took what I thought would be a one-year break to work at a homeless shelter. That experience ended up changing the way I saw everything.
Working with people in difficult circumstances made me think deeply about human behavior, why people end up where they do, how they make decisions, what drives change. I realized that behind every design, every brand, and every story are people making choices — and those choices are deeply psychological.
When I returned to my creative career, I couldn’t just focus on making things look beautiful anymore. I wanted to understand the why behind it all. That led me to do a master’s in brand strategy — a field that sits right between psychology and design. Brand strategy is all about understanding people: why they choose one brand over another, how brands meet emotional needs, and how communication shapes identity.
From there, I worked my way from designer to brand strategist, helping major companies figure out how to connect with people in authentic, emotionally resonant ways. I still draw on my design background every day — but now I use it to tell stories that move people, grounded in an understanding of what they care about and why.
Here’s what I’ve learned along the way: you don’t have to pick one passion and abandon the other. In fact, some of the most interesting careers come from combining things that don’t seem to fit together at first. If you can find the overlap or that sweet spot where your creative skills meet your curiosity about people — you’ll find a path that feels both exciting and meaningful.
So if you’re torn between two interests right now, don’t stress. Try things. Explore both sides. Get some experience in each and see what lights you up. You might be surprised by how naturally they start to connect.
Wishing you all the best as you explore where this leads!
Warmly,
Kristen Jaccodine
High School School Counselor (Guidance Counselor)
18
Answers
Sussex, New Jersey
Updated
Kristen’s Answer
Hi Saiyana,
Fabulous questions!! I think it's wonderful that you are thinking about possible careers now and asking questions now to understand both paths. I agree with Chinyere - the good news is you have plenty of time to figure this out.
The field of psychology is vast and requires several years of study. Psychologists can be researchers and study human behavior. From this research, psychologists develop theories on the possible causes of particular behaviors and then develop methods to help manage them. Psychologists who conduct research typically do not provide individual counseling. This area of the field focuses more on the science, on the human brain, and how it may react when individuals are faced with particular situations.
School Psychologists work in elementary, middle, and high schools. Their primary role is to test students who are identified as having emotional or learning differences. If, through this testing, there is a significant discrepancy in the student's abilities, the psychologist (along with a team of others) develops a plan that contains different accommodations to assist that student. The school psychologist can provide supportive counseling to the student during the school year. *Some psychologists who work privately also conduct testing for various learning and behavioral disorders.
Clinical Psychologists can be found in hospital settings or private practice. Generally speaking, psychologists in these areas do provide more counseling (therapy) than testing or research.
*You can also find psychologists who work with police departments and higher agencies whose focus is on profiling. These are forensic psychologists.
Fashion Design, like psychology, has different areas of focus. If you entered the field of fashion design, you can become a designer, where you draw, make, and sell your clothing. You can develop your brand and market it to a target audience.
Or, yes, you could work for a particular brand as a fashion designer. If you work for a brand, you're creating designs to pitch to the higher-ups to approve for whatever line of clothes you're working on.
As a fashion designer, you could also work on the marketing end of a business. In this role, you are not designing the clothing, but marketing it to stores to sell. This is the merchandising end.
As Chinyere mentioned, you can combine the two together. Clothing can make people feel better about themselves. Perhaps you develop your own line of clothing that does just that. Regardless of the particular role the psychologist plays, the objective is the same. It is to help people.
Keep asking your questions!
Take Care.
Fabulous questions!! I think it's wonderful that you are thinking about possible careers now and asking questions now to understand both paths. I agree with Chinyere - the good news is you have plenty of time to figure this out.
The field of psychology is vast and requires several years of study. Psychologists can be researchers and study human behavior. From this research, psychologists develop theories on the possible causes of particular behaviors and then develop methods to help manage them. Psychologists who conduct research typically do not provide individual counseling. This area of the field focuses more on the science, on the human brain, and how it may react when individuals are faced with particular situations.
School Psychologists work in elementary, middle, and high schools. Their primary role is to test students who are identified as having emotional or learning differences. If, through this testing, there is a significant discrepancy in the student's abilities, the psychologist (along with a team of others) develops a plan that contains different accommodations to assist that student. The school psychologist can provide supportive counseling to the student during the school year. *Some psychologists who work privately also conduct testing for various learning and behavioral disorders.
Clinical Psychologists can be found in hospital settings or private practice. Generally speaking, psychologists in these areas do provide more counseling (therapy) than testing or research.
*You can also find psychologists who work with police departments and higher agencies whose focus is on profiling. These are forensic psychologists.
Fashion Design, like psychology, has different areas of focus. If you entered the field of fashion design, you can become a designer, where you draw, make, and sell your clothing. You can develop your brand and market it to a target audience.
Or, yes, you could work for a particular brand as a fashion designer. If you work for a brand, you're creating designs to pitch to the higher-ups to approve for whatever line of clothes you're working on.
As a fashion designer, you could also work on the marketing end of a business. In this role, you are not designing the clothing, but marketing it to stores to sell. This is the merchandising end.
As Chinyere mentioned, you can combine the two together. Clothing can make people feel better about themselves. Perhaps you develop your own line of clothing that does just that. Regardless of the particular role the psychologist plays, the objective is the same. It is to help people.
Keep asking your questions!
Take Care.
Annah Edmonds
Licensed Clinical Counselor and Art Therapist
221
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Annah’s Answer
Saiyana, great and fun question! I do think they are quite different but I have some thoughts about interest overlap. I also admit I have never worked in the fashion industry other than retail. For fashion your best bet is to attend an art school with a reputable design program; I suggest New York City. However I can also say with confidence one of my local community colleges has one of the best fashion programs in the state and has rigorous standards. As for psychology, you will need a masters degree to work as a clinical therapist or doctorate to be a psychologist. The time spent in school is vastly different so a good thing to know about yourself is how committed are you to graduate work? Now for the intersection of both- fashion design is influenced by trends, by what people want, how they want to be perceived, and how they want to feel. This is the psychology aspect. As for psychology, a niche specialty might be art therapy, shopping addiction or financial social work. A third option that also involves knowledge about people and the prediction of trends is marketing. Some things to consider is whether you prefer working with your hands, working independently to see a project from start to finish, prefer sitting and listening or working in a research lab, or being in a fast-paced, high pressure setting. Do you enjoy the rigors of academia- really digging into the reasons why people think or behave a certain way, or would you rather be fitting costumes for the theater or selling your original designs online? I know that something useful for me has been learning about a 'day in the life' and shadowing professionals. It is one thing to have interests and talents, another thing to see how it looks on the job.
Regarding potential pros/cons for fashion vs psychology, I can only make vague guesses about the former. It will be important to learn about all the types of jobs within the industry; I imagine this is a highly saturated and competitive field. This said, depending on your flexibility, there may be a wide range of options (from retail management, pattern/textile design, costuming, starting a bespoke line of clothing or accessories, to production work). Fashion is not going anywhere, it provides people pleasure and this is a good thing! As with anything, there will be positions that involve repetitive tasks with minimal creativity to those with much more creative freedom. Typically you start at the bottom, or anywhere you can and work your way up. There is great learning in this. There are also opportunities to go out on your own for little cost; I am noticing a lot of individuals making clothing out of vintage fabrics. Repurposed art is absolutely trending (and also ecological)! As for psychology, you will need to gain a doctorate degree which requires years of academic work including internships and post-graduate hours gaining experience. This takes time and is a big financial investment. You will learn how to diagnose psychiatric disorders, provide psychotherapy, research, and more. Psychologists may work in all kinds of settings- from private practice, hospitals, research labs, clinics, schools, and in supervisory or teaching positions. The work you end up doing will depend upon your training and philosophy about the nature of being a helper in this capacity. A starting salary will be a low six figures; a psychologist will charge more per hour than someone with a masters degree (re: private practice). With a degree from the US, you may work internationally in some countries, like the UK or New Zealand. Your day may (or may not) be more sedentary- sitting with clients or charting for insurance. With any career in social services you will need to be aware of your self care as burn out and fatigue is common.
I hope this gets you started in thinking more deeply about either of these life paths. Most importantly, listen to your intuition about what you truly enjoy doing. I do not believe in perfect careers but in following the natural unfolding of your interests and the opportunities that present themselves. Let yourself explore for a bit. Immerse yourself in these subjects and see what holds your attention and gets you most excited. There will be positives and negatives about any career and it is useful to know in advance the challenges that may await. This said, life is nothing but unpredictable! Best of luck!
Regarding potential pros/cons for fashion vs psychology, I can only make vague guesses about the former. It will be important to learn about all the types of jobs within the industry; I imagine this is a highly saturated and competitive field. This said, depending on your flexibility, there may be a wide range of options (from retail management, pattern/textile design, costuming, starting a bespoke line of clothing or accessories, to production work). Fashion is not going anywhere, it provides people pleasure and this is a good thing! As with anything, there will be positions that involve repetitive tasks with minimal creativity to those with much more creative freedom. Typically you start at the bottom, or anywhere you can and work your way up. There is great learning in this. There are also opportunities to go out on your own for little cost; I am noticing a lot of individuals making clothing out of vintage fabrics. Repurposed art is absolutely trending (and also ecological)! As for psychology, you will need to gain a doctorate degree which requires years of academic work including internships and post-graduate hours gaining experience. This takes time and is a big financial investment. You will learn how to diagnose psychiatric disorders, provide psychotherapy, research, and more. Psychologists may work in all kinds of settings- from private practice, hospitals, research labs, clinics, schools, and in supervisory or teaching positions. The work you end up doing will depend upon your training and philosophy about the nature of being a helper in this capacity. A starting salary will be a low six figures; a psychologist will charge more per hour than someone with a masters degree (re: private practice). With a degree from the US, you may work internationally in some countries, like the UK or New Zealand. Your day may (or may not) be more sedentary- sitting with clients or charting for insurance. With any career in social services you will need to be aware of your self care as burn out and fatigue is common.
I hope this gets you started in thinking more deeply about either of these life paths. Most importantly, listen to your intuition about what you truly enjoy doing. I do not believe in perfect careers but in following the natural unfolding of your interests and the opportunities that present themselves. Let yourself explore for a bit. Immerse yourself in these subjects and see what holds your attention and gets you most excited. There will be positives and negatives about any career and it is useful to know in advance the challenges that may await. This said, life is nothing but unpredictable! Best of luck!
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question!
Saiyana