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Getting started

What are you going to do when you graduate? The earlier you start thinking about this the better – whilst you are at university you have access to information and professional staff who can help you. You also have more time to explore, experiment and research some of the options, before you need to make applications in your final year or after graduation. If you don’t know what you want to do after your degree, then making the most of opportunities at university to try out different activities, taking on responsibilities and building up work experience may help you to identify your strengths and interests and help you to develop some ideas.

In order to assess your skills, understand what you want from a job and explore career options complete the Psychology Employability Tutorial (VLE module, University login required, opens in new window). As you work through the tutorial you will complete a Personal Employability Plan.

Whatever stage you are at in your career planning, don’t forget that for most employers your degree is a starting point – they will also expect you to possess a range of transferable skills and work-related experience.

See the Careers and Placements website for resources to support you with career planning. 

Career options for psychologists

Psychology graduates have a wide range of career options open to them, some directly related to their degree, such as the professional pathways including Clinical or Forensic Psychology. However, the majority of psychology graduates will not become professional psychologists but may enter careers where they use the some of the transferable skills that they have gained through studying psychology, for example, IT, social or market research, health professions, or communications. Many graduate opportunities are open to graduates of any degree discipline (although sometimes further study is required), such as management, media, teaching, finance, law, marketing, social work and management consultancy. In these jobs, personal qualities and transferable skills are the most significant factors, rather than the specific subject studied at degree level.

You can find out more about the types of jobs that York psychology graduates have gone on to do on the York Profiles and Mentors website.

For an overview on what you can do with a Psychology degree visit the Prospects Careers website.

This Psychology Employability Guide includes lots of other resources to help you with career planning.