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Psychology degrees and/or mental health workers, please come in.
I have a BA in psychology and 3 years of experience working in mental health. I moved to a new city for DH's job when we got married in June. Nine months later, I'm still having trouble finding work. We're not hurting for money, but I'm slowly going crazy. I'm constantly searching every day. I check hospitals, counseling centers, nonprofit organizations, psychiatric facilities, local universities, foster agencies, detention centers, etc. Literally, no one is hiring!
I never thought it would take this long to find another job. I've begun to apply for jobs that aren't in the mental health field, but it's frustrating because I'm still not finding much. So I guess my question is, can you think of any other ideas? Any general places to search in mental health that I'm not thinking of?
FWIW, I realize a BA in psychology is difficult to use. My original plan was to get a master's in mental health counseling, but I had doubts about the field and postponed grad school so now I'm researching other options.
Re: Psychology degrees and/or mental health workers, please come in.
I feel your pain. I have a BS in Psychology and I graduated with a Master of Social Work degree in 2009. I have over 10 years of experience in social services (it took me a long time to go back to grad school) and I've been unemployed for over a year now. I've been applying to anything and everything and I've only had about 4 job interviews in the last year.
I have been seeing a lot more job ads recently for nursing homes in my area (I live in South FL where there are a ton of retirees, though), so you may want to check into that. I think more of those agencies are for-profit so they don't rely as heavily on grants or State/County/Federal funding allowing them to perhaps be able to hire more people when needed.
You also may want to find an agency you think you might want to work for and inquire about volunteering there. That will at least allow you to get your foot in the door and if any jobs open up you can apply.
Good luck!
I would start by trying to get on PRN at a psych. unit or perhaps a group home. Sometimes we will hire PRN positions that are not necessarily posted externally, but it's always good to have another PRN. (I'm a counselor at a hospital.) You should be qualified for psych tech. type positions, or residential counselor at a group home. Of course it's best if you know someone who would talk you up, but if you don't, you could start by calling HR, but I would also call the unit directly and ask to speak with or leave a message for the clinical supervisor. My hospital is so big, a random call to HR would probably never make it back to the unit to see if they have a need.
I think you are wise to postpone grad school until you see if you really want to go that direction, mental health is draining enough even if you have your whole heart in it. Good luck!
Steps on My Spiritual Journey
Psych BA here, have gone back for my nursing degree and now everyone says, "a nurse and a psych, you must be in high demand!" And I think, than why can't I get an interview anywhere!?!?
I would look into some group homes as a behavioral aid. Also check craigs list for some "help needed at home" type positions.
I have a PhD in psych.
You need a minimum of a MA/MS to even be considered for one of those positions, and that degree should have some sort of licensure component attached - not just something in "general" psychology.
Your BA/BS is pretty useless. I tell this to my students all the time - they hate hearing it.
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I understand your situation completely (I eventually went back to graduate school due to the frustration). In addition to the great suggestions listed, have you considered working in Human Resources (as an assistant)? Many companies are interested in Bachelor's with psych for entry- level HR positions. Also, many universities need Research Assistants for psychology or related studies who have a Bachelor's in Psychology. Good luck!
I've never posted on here yet, always lurking, but I had to jump in on yours. I feel your pain. I actually do have a master's degree in clinical psychology. However there are still no jobs in the field out there right now. If I happen to find something, it requires a license, which requires hours, which requires a license! It is a horrible cycle. I would say to think seriously about the continuing to a masters program, all it has done for me is postpone looking for jobs and increase my student loans by a crazy amount. Oh and some companies look at it and instantly become intimidated.
Anyway, have you looked at the department of human services for your state? I found a few to apply to there.
Thank you for the responses, everyone! I really appreciate the advice. I'm sorry that many of you are in the same situation, but I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone.
My previous experience in mental health was as a mental health associate at a psychiatric residential treatment facility (group home). It was basically an entry-level position, and I was also the supervisor of my shift. It wasn't the best job ever (very stressful!), but I'd be willing to do it again if I can find a place that's hiring. With the high turnover rate at my last job, it surprises me that none of the local group homes are hiring.
Thank you again for the feedback. These are some great ideas. I'll take your advice and try to search out some more places like nursing homes, state jobs, and human resources! Good luck to all of you also!
This is not true for my area.
As I said in my OP, I realize that a BA in psychology is difficult to use and of course you must have a license to do therapy. However, there are many "general" psychology jobs in my area that are willing to hire someone with a bachelor's degree. The problem is that none of these places have openings right now, unfortunately. All of the places and positions that I listed above are ones that I'm eligible for with my BA and experience.
It's a little late to be telling her that her degree is useless.
There are jobs out there for bachelor's degrees. Yes it is true you can't do therapy or social work... but there are options.
You are on the right track by hoping to get into a psychiatric facility or group home. Make sure you know all the agencies in the area (who does United Way fund? Who holds licenses by the state?)
Counselors at group homes and foster care caseworkers are the most advertised positions. I had to start PRN at a substance abuse center, before getting a FT job doing case management in a separate program. BUT, I worked FT at a day care while PRN... took 10 months before I could go full-time. They never advertised the job outside of the agency.
Don't give up hope... it can happen! Try volunteering at an agency you are interested in working at. Once they see how awesome you are, they will want you
I have a BA in psych and a masters in educational psy...and like you, I am in the unemployed pool due to DH relocation. From what I've seen, most often than not, you do need a graduate degree in psy and some sort of licensing for a legit counseling position. The problem with this that I've encountered is that each state has it's own licensing process and requirements making it all the more difficult for people like us.
An option that I previously did enjoy a lot of success in was higher education. While many times positions like academic advisor or academic counselor list a masters degree as a requirement, you may be able to show that you have the counseling background from your professional experience in addition to your BA in psy. That worked for me in the beginning of my career. And the great part is there are tons of universities and community colleges to apply to in most cities.
With that said, it's still rough out there so the main thing is to keep a positive attitude as best as you can...yes, I know easier said than done...
Where are you located? I know its very entry-level but have you thought about being a TSS (therapeutic staff support) with a local agency? I work as a BSC (behavioral consultant specialist) for NHS and we have locations in every county in PA and several more in NJ and surrounding areas. The pay at our office is only $12 an hour for TSS, but it could at least keep you busy while you're considering grad school. Also, some of our prior TSS have moved on to other supervisory positions in the behavioral field that don't require a masters degree.
I have a BS in psychology and eventually got my MS in education. I teach writing in a learning support classroom at a private school. Last year they assigned me to teach a senior psychology elective, which is fantastic and I love it. The job just kinda fell into my lap. Before that, I was working in medical management - not using my degree at all and spent the entire duration of my employment searching for a job in the field. I just took the job because I needed a paycheck and insurance! I don't regret my decision to do that, because I still gained experience through my work, just not in my industry of choice. I found that any job in psych that I qualified for paid very little and I couldn't afford to take them even if they were offered to me.
My back-up plan was to search for a job at a local university doing administrative work...and hopefully be able to take classes there and work toward an advanced degree as a benefit. Maybe check that route - I'm sure you could become an admissions counselor or something like that as a temporary solution.
Good luck!
I also got an undergrad degree in psychology and had difficulty finding a job upon graduation. I didn't want to go to grad school until I worked in the field and made sure it was what I wanted to do. I highly recommend looking into a job with your local department of social service. I was a hotline investigator and foster care worker for years. I think anyone who is interested in this type of field should do this type of work. I learned so much during that time and I was exposed to so many people in the mental health profession I really got a feel for what each different discipline does and what their core values are. I had thought I wanted to get a PhD in psych but during those years I realized my values aligned more with the Social Work profession. I went to grad school while working full time in child welfare and graduated with my MSW in 2001. I DO NOT recommend going back to school just because you can't find a job. I have worked with too many people over the years who do that and then realize they don't love the career. Or, they went to grad school wanting to do private practice with people with everyday problems and have trouble dealing with the reality of they types of jobs that really exist in the field. The turnover in social service departments are usually pretty high and they are often continuously hiring so it might be a good place to start. I have been working in the field for 15 years and I have never regretted my decision to go to grad school (not even when I have gotten threatened or when my ribs got broken by an adolescent) but I knew exactly what I was getting into when I chose my career.
I wish you the best of luck in finding a job and I hope you find something that you love to do!
I have a BA in psychology as well, and now I work in clinical research (experimental cancer treatment). It did take me a long time to find this job and the pay isn't as good as I hoped it would be, but overall I'm really happy with it. I definitely feel lucky to have gotten my foot in the door with such a wonderful company, and there's a possibility for advancement in the near future which means my salary should go up quite a bit so I'm going to sit tight (unless an even better opportunity comes along before then).
A BA in psychology certainly isn't a highly sought after degree in this economy so I feel your pain, but having a business or finance degree wouldn't necessarily help either (since those are a dime a dozen now). The key is to apply for anything and everything, even if you aren't fully qualified based on the job description, and if you do get an interview, do the best you can to make your skills and background fit what they're looking for (e.g., my college required psych majors to learn a lot about research methods, statistics, etc., so I emphasized that in my interviews and that helped me land my current position). Have you considered getting into research of some kind? You'd be surprised how many opportunities there are for that, not only healthcare/medical but also marketing and other fields. Many people with psych degrees end up working in research so don't limit yourself just to mental health or social work. Good luck!
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I'm sorry, but that statement isn't true at all. What I didn't mention in my above post is that I did receive a few other offers (several of which paid a LOT more than my current position), but I took this job because I loved the company and money isn't everything after all (the higher paying offer was for a paralegal position, but I heard horror stories about that particular law firm so I turned it down). OP, don't lose hope. Ultimately, I think it's less about the degree and more about the person. You have to be able to excel in interviews and know how to sell yourself, even if you don't meet all of the qualifications. After I started my current job, my boss mentioned that one of the things they loved about me (and one of the main reasons why I was hired) was my confidence.
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