Should I Pursue a Career in Developmental Psychology?

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Figuring out whether one might be the right candidate to pursuing a career in developmental psychology can be a bit overwhelming. There are plenty of articles and it can seem like one can read on the information for weeks and still not be sure if they are looking at the right career path. Taking a look at ones goals and what they like to do can be helpful. Do they like people? Do they like to help people? Do they tend to be pulled toward helping children? Is there a particular age group or certain issues that one might think they may be more helpful in? There are so many different questions that one can ask themselves when trying to figure out what they might like to pursue when thinking of a career path.

Searching for Careers in Developmental Psychology

A master’s degree will have some opportunities available, but the doctoral degree will open even more doors. There will be an internship required followed by state and national examinations that will be required in order to become licensed to practice in the state of choice. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics, projects a 12% job growth with a median salary of around $90,000.

A developmental psychologist will deal with not only children, but also deal with returning veterans, the elderly and all age groups. Some will specialize in a specific population or specific group of people, such as delayed children or elderly individuals.

Their goal is to evaluate, make a determination, investigate, study and then explore a unique treatment plan for that individual. There are other aspects to take into account such as cultural influences, family and history issues.

There are different locations that one can chose to work in such as colleges and universities and education systems, government agencies, assisted living, rehabilitation centers, centers for the homeless, psychiatric hospitals and clinics.

Different aspects of developmental psychology that might be covered are physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional issues. Human development study includes subjects like psychology, biology, anthropology, sociology and history and family background.

Learning More About Careers in Developmental Psychology

Covering the development of people and how they learn and how things affect them overall is a complex at many different levels and helps people live to their full potential. Development also includes milestones within the life of the patient and how they are able to deal with changes and influences throughout their lifespan.

While a developmental psychologist might work in an office or clinical setting, they can also chose to enter the education environment or even chose to have a private practice and offer evening and weekend hours.

Understanding how people think, develop, and perceive the things that they come across in daily life will help a developmental psychologist understand their thought process, morals and values and will further assist the psychologist in helping them live a more progressive life.

A complex industry such as psychology and the different branches of the field can be extremely rewarding, there are many different levels for this career path.