Alternative careers for doc degrees

[docstudent1248]

Hello everyone! I am gearing up to complete my doctorate in clinical psychology and am curious if others have found other uses for their degrees beyond the typical clinical or academic route. I am preparing for the EPPP and still intend to get licensed, but I am finding myself curious about other types of uses for my degree (e.g. consulting for tech companies, IO, community planning).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[WisNeuro]

There's always money in the banana stand.

 

[docstudent1248]

I love a good arrested development joke

 

[BuckeyeLove]

This dude I know got his doctorate about 35 years ago. Psychology was weird back then. Anyway, he did some clinical work early on, didn't like it, then got bored and wrote a book on communication styles that essentially was just beefed up lessons on assertiveness, not informed by really...anything. anyway, dude has million dollar contracts with big business all over the country, gets flown out to them via private jet, and he just goes and talks about that book. so...I always tell myself I can always be a charlatan if I want to some day.

 

[WisNeuro]

This dude I know got his doctorate about 35 years ago. Psychology was weird back then. Anyway, he did some clinical work early on, didn't like it, then got bored and wrote a book on communication styles that essentially was just beefed up lessons on assertiveness, not informed by really...anything. anyway, dude has million dollar contracts with big business all over the country, gets flown out to them via private jet, and he just goes and talks about that book. so...I always tell myself I can always be a charlatan if I want to some day.

There is easy money to be made if you're willing to sell your integrity and sense of ethics out.

 

[Sanman]

Seriously though, without knowing a lot more about you, it is hard to tell what you would be qualified to do. There are always self-help and business applications to what we do. You may need to carve your own path.

 

[PsyDr]

1) It would be unusual for someone to purposely introduce competition. This will complicate your search.

2) Consider what UNIQUE skill sets you have, and what ACTIONS can be taken based that skill set. People who walk into a company and provide vague psychobabble will last about 15 minutes.

3) Part of consulting is obtaining at moderate amount of information about the area in which you attempt to ply your trade. This can require a significant amount of effort, and subsequent failure. If you take marketing as an area in which you want to consult, you'd know that Anna Freud consulted in marketing for cigarette companies. But modern marketing uses movement location data obtained through free wifi, demographic data obtained through such things email/reward member programs, and sales data. They literally figure out store placement based upon those things. They could give a crap about a psychological explanation for that outcome. There's lot of this stuff in the data sciences as well. They don't really care why something occurs, only that it does. More modern models are predictive in nature, akin to the Libet study.

4) Figure out WHO has the money to pay you. Taking your community planning thing as an example: Approaching a huge community planner= money. Approaching a small, low income planner= no money.

5) Then figure out WHY they'd pay you. Do your services make them more money? Are you suggestions ACTIONABLE?

6) Take a hard look at yourself, your clothes, your presentation, etc. Maybe you look like you just walked out of Accenture or Anderson. Maybe you look like the lab nerd out of any movie. Maybe you talk like you have ice pouring out of your veins. Maybe you sound like Fran Dresher. Take that into account when you try to determine if you are selling a public facing thing or not.

7) Where you apply your trade, really depends on your skill set. Maybe you have advanced stats training that's far above the average psychologist. Some clinical psych phd student won the $1MM netflix prize for improving their algorithm. Maybe you have advanced neuro education in eeg or fMRI, like the neuromarketing firms depending on the temporal resolution you're shooting for. Maybe you write narrative really well like that Alex what****name that writes crime best sellers. Maybe you know how to manage healthcare costs, and make millions in that like one of the ex APA presidents.

8) Join local groups of places you want to sell to. There are tons of young professional meet ups, happy hours, etc. It does pay off.

 

[bpsydme]

I'm a little less than 2 years out from my clin psych PhD and currently work as a research scientist at a non-profit. My job includes writing peer-reviewed papers, working with a team to write grants, manage projects, leading projects, and serving essentially as a subject matter expert in mental health/cognition (neuropsych background). Similar employers include RAND, think tanks, and other research firms. As others have said, what alternative jobs you qualify for will highly depend on what skills you have, beyond a doctorate. Your PhD/PsyD alone isn't going to be enough.

I know a former neuropsychologist who is a medical science liason, and another who is a high-level researcher in pharmaceuticals. The jobs are out there, but it will require a lot more hustling and selling yourself than f you went the "traditional" routes of clinical/academia.

 

[AbnormalPsych]

6) Take a hard look at yourself, your clothes, your presentation, etc.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

PSYDR gave you more info in one post than most consultants would give for a $500 intro consultation.

There are plenty of great opportunities, but I'm not going to kneecap myself by sharing.