Product Description

Career Paths in Psychology is a must-have resource for students contemplating a career in psychology, for psychologists considering switching between areas of psychology, and for professionals thinking of switching to psychology from another field. In this comprehensive anthology, authors selected for their distinction in their chosen careers offer their professional--and personal--perspectives on 19 different graduate-level careers in psychology. Few fields of study offer more career opportunities than does psychology, and readers will find thoughtful discussions, leavened with tips and insights gained from personal experience, on the full range, including (to name only a few) academia, clinical psychology, health and school psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and government service. Each chapter discusses the nature of the career, its advantages and disadvantages, how to prepare for it, typical activities, ranges of financial compensation, opportunities for employment, and the personal attributes needed for success in the career. "Day in the life" discussions give readers a glimpse into the prosaic realities, challenges, and rewards of each career that the lab or lecture hall rarely provides. Reprinted eight times since the publication of the first edition in 1997, Career Paths in Psychology is recognized as the "go-to" sourcebook for anyone seeking a candid portrait of different careers in this ever-changing field. The second edition has been expanded (discussions of five new careers added) and updated to reflect current trends and changes in the field.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17814 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 376 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781591477327
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Customer Reviews

For undergraduates only - others will be disappointed
In this volume, the most current APA career guide available for psychology, Robert Sternberg lends his name to a collection of articles covering the fourteen major career options in psychology. Sternberg writes no more than a three page Introduction and a five page Epilogue. The tone throughout is moderately persuasive. Each contributor has been hugely successful in his or her niche, and accordingly, tends to downplay problems while elevating opportunities.

The articles are not of equal quality, but all tend to cover much of the same ground. A general overview of the career is offered. Entry requirements, including skills and personality traits, are discussed. Each addresses details such as potential compensation, "a day in the life of ...", and a short review of the advantages and disadvantages of working in the field. Those chapters not dealing with academia and counseling tend to have more detail. Some even have recommended reading lists. All have references.

The fourteen careers include academia (separate chapters on the different academic departments, i.e., psych, school psych, and business), counseling (private practices, schools, community organizations and hospitals covered in separate chapters), government research, public school work, industrial/organizational psych, consumer psych, human-factors psych, military psych, and health psych.

Those considering a career in psychology should note that a doctorate is considered the entry level education requirement. I am avoiding the temptation to capitalize every word of the preceding sentence. Without a PhD there are few, if any, career options available in psychology.

Acceptance into an APA accredited doctoral program is quite competitive. In the few programs I have personally evaluated, less than ten percent of the applicants are accepted. The head of one psych department warned me that it was easier to get admittance into medical school than it was into psychology.

Assuming a four year undergraduate education, immediate entry into a doctoral program, and a one year post-doctoral fellowship (generally required to compete for the best positions), a career in psychology is likely to be a nine to eleven year investment. If you are thinking of making this investment, read this book. Better yet, drop by the graduate psychology department of an APA accredited program and chat with a professor. Find a graduate student to interview.

All things considered, psychology is more of a calling than a career. If you can be happy doing something else, maybe you should.

Solid info lacking in detail
I have found this book to be useful to someone new to the field of psychology and investigating it for the first time. Each chapter gives an overall view of what it is like to work in a given field, however the book lacks continuity and does not provide the advanced reader with any additional details that might help them to decide what field to go into.

An excellent resource book!!
I can not rate this book more highly! It contains information on many different fields of psychology and includes, salary guidelines, whose hiring, what the educational requirements are. It is the perfect guide to introduce psy. students to what fields of psy. are out there. It even has a chapter on military psy. This is the best book anywhere on careers in Psychology! My hat is off to the author!