Love Psychology But Arent a People Person Two Psych Fields Perfect for You - CareerAlley

Love Psychology But Aren’t a People Person Two Psych Fields Perfect for You - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Do you find yourself fascinated by psychology, but are you more attracted to the corporate world than the counselors couch? If youre interested in a psychology career that involves more concrete concepts, consider forensic psychology or industrial organizational psychology. If you like your psychology with a generous helping of law enforcement forensic psychology just might be for you. Forensic psychologists work within the legal and criminal justice system in a wide range of capacities and settings. While many forensic psychology jobs do involve counseling services, there are plenty of careers that do not, including: [easyazon_link asin=1851687076 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]Criminal psychologist[/easyazon_link] This is where you delve into the mind of a criminal. There are several ways in which a criminal psychologist can do this, starting with a competency evaluation of the accused to stand trial, assessing whether or not the accused is or was mentally unstable when the crime occurred, as well as to determine the possibility of continued violence. These tasks are part of the job description, but it is rare that a criminal psychologist would perform every one of these functions for one case. It should be noted that while forensic psychologists are responsible for evaluating the criminals thought processes during the unlawful act, forensic psychologists do not generally engage in criminal profiling. Contrary to the dramatization youd see on crime drama TV shows, criminal profiling is almost always the task of a law enforcement agent. Expert witness Once youve gotten into the head of the accused, youll probably be called on to testify regarding your findings. Expert witnesses may also give testimony regarding other things such as the accuracy of eye-witness testimony or the mental state of a person involved in a court case (other than the accused). Researcher Forensic psychologists can also go into research. Researchers examine a number of different areas including: assessment tests, interrogation methods, the efficacy of treatments on specialized populations, eyewitness testimony and risk factors for criminal or violent behavior. Forensic psychology has a favorable career outlook. The American Psychological Association recognizes forensic psychology as one of the most rapidly growing subfields of psychology. In addition to the options mentioned above, a forensic psychologist may also work as an administrator, victim advocate, court liaison, jury consultant or qualified medical evaluator. If you like mixing business with psychology Then you should consider industrial organizational psychology or I/O, as its also called. Simply put, an I/O psychologist applies psychological principles to the workplace in order to improve productivity. There are many ways industrial organizational psychologists accomplish this and aspects of work life that are addressed, including: Assessment I/O psychologists work both with existing and potential employees, developing ways to assess performance on both an individual and organizational level. Organizational culture The basic beliefs and assumptions, shared values and the physical components of an organization all comprise organizational culture. I/O psychologists study organizational culture and its effects on aspects of the organization such as employee satisfaction and well-being, performance, and recruitment and retention. Group behavior How individuals in an organization interact with one another, as well as a teams dynamic is an important part of what I/O psychologists study and aim to improve. The effectiveness and productivity of a team can be greatly improved when the individuals involved work well together. When performing these tasks,[easyazon_link asin=0313387281 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=default]I/O psychologists[/easyazon_link] often work closely with the human resources department and management to form appropriate policies and implement necessary changes. Forensic psychologists, as well as their colleagues in industrial psychology, have fantastic opportunities that incorporate a love of psychology with a more business-oriented touch. Contributing blogger Raina Eddings is a graduate forensic psychology student who loves to study the human mind. When not studying either books or people, Raina can be found helping her professors with various research projects. This is a Guest post. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey