Career Change - Need Advice on Psychology, Teaching and Design

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  Banana on 21/05/2016 - 21:33

  Psychology:
  I did undergraduate psychology at Monash Uni, really enjoyed it. Heaps of essay writing, research and statistical analysis (about half of the degree was on it). Tbecome a psychologist you need to complete a bachelor degree—>get into honours—>get into Master/PHD—>finish them—>if Master, you need to find a supervisor to supervise you for two years, before you are qualified and I heard this is the difficult part. It takes a long time and it is super competitive. I believe there are only a handful of universities offering post-grad Psychology.

  Teaching:
  I got accepted into Monash's Masters of primary and secondary teaching (accelerated), the course itself is 1.5 year. I have deferred it so can't say too much about the course. A friend started her masters in teaching at Melbourne Uni, it was too intense for her so she dropped out. For high school teachers, learning areas like Maths,Chemistry,Biology,Language are in high demand. Pay starts at around 55k-60k?

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    gcdollar on 22/05/2016 - 21:44

    Thank you for the comment. Why is it difficult to have a supervisor for two years?

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      Banana on 24/05/2016 - 20:34

      Not enough senior psychologists..also many of them are reluctant to take on new people. Just RE: altomic's comment below me, I guess it's different across the state but in VIC,you will have to complete a master or doc in Psychology in order to become one.

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  altomic on 21/05/2016 - 21:34

  +1

  I'm currently completing my psych thesis at QUT Kelvin Grove.

  Most of the uni's in Bris provide post grad psych courses - check this link

  I did no psych subjects for my first degree.

  so I had to initially do psy101 + psy102. (first year subjects- they are pre-requisites for starting post grad psych).

  once they were completed I enrolled in a graduate diploma of psych - 8 subjects - which is made of 2nd + 3rd subjects to give you a psych major.

  I did this online with Charles Darwin Uni. I sat the exams at QUT - Garden Point.

  now I'm doing post-grad dip psych 4th year (same as honours = 5 subjects + thesis).

  so, both the grad dip and postgrad dip can each be done full time in a year. I did them both part time as I work full time and have a family and stuff happens. FT = too much.

  once you complete fourth year then you can call yourself a "provisional psychologist" (you need to be a member of the APS)

  registration as a fully qualified psychologist can be obtained in 2 ways- the 4/2 stream or the 5/1.
  4 years of study (what I'm doing) followed by 2 years of supervision by an appropriately qualified psych.
  5 years of study (undergrad, 4th year + masters) followed by 1 year of supervision by an appropriately qualified psych.

  you don't need a masters if you want to do clinical work.
  a masters is great though, but not that important in the "real world". though it is required if you want to get into research. of course employers will look at a masters degree as a higher qualification, but then if you have 4th year and a truck load of experience then…..

  benefits of being a psych - understanding people better. reading people. people act more protectively of them selves because they think your analysiing them. learning about how people "work" and how you can self-examine and become a better person. Be a better parent (maybe). At least that is what I find is the benefit. there are other things.

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    gcdollar on 22/05/2016 - 21:42

    Thank you for sharing. I have young children myself and part of the reasons I want to do Psych is I hope I can understand my children better and be a good parent. Even though by the time I finish all courses, they will be grown up a lot.

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      Banana on 24/05/2016 - 20:40

      I also suggest you to go do more research on the career. Too many students went into Psychology thinking it is as portrayed in movies/TV, only to graduate with regrets. If you want to understand your kids better, just do some readings on different theories. That being said, theories only apply to the general populations and no one is an 'average person', as what we would normal say in Psychology. The subject itself is SO SO VERY interesting, but at the end of the day, studying Psychology and being a Psychologist are two different things.

      I initially wanted to become a neuropsychologist. Completed an internship with a psychologist, they even offered to be my supervisor (see my comment above). However the experience made me re-think my decision.

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        gcdollar on 24/05/2016 - 22:39

        thank you @Banana for your valuable comment. there must be some upside of doing Psychology I hope?
        Yes, I agree reading books and researching on parenting is helpful. I have met many parents like myself with similar issues on parenting. I would love to share and help others. Telling stories is one thing, but it would be more helpful if backed up by scientific data and proof. Yet again, I must think thoroughly if I want to or I can spend the next 6 years on learning a completely new area.
        Once again, thank you for sharing.

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    agito1993 on 29/05/2016 - 08:54

    Hi, I am doing Psych as well. Just a quick question, you mentioned post grad dip degree similar to the honour year. Is there any entry requirements? Like your grade average for grad dip must be at least above 70 or something?

    Thanks

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  tessel on 21/05/2016 - 21:57

  Please do not get into teaching unless it is 200% your thing. By this I mean it runs through your blood and you just think about it 24/7. The only way you'll get any kind of permanency with teaching is by going to the sticks or by being a maths/science teacher. Everyone else is stuck doing casual/relief teaching for years, hoping to pick up 6 month contracts that once finished mean you are back doing relief/casual and hoping to pick up another contract. Some teachers work night or weekend jobs simply because they need the extra money as they can't get enough relief teaching. It's a stressful life as you are constantly going around to schools every semester letting them know you are still available. Your mobile phone is glued to your hand 24/7 as you never know when a school will ring looking for someone to take a class for that day. Furthermore, it can be very difficult if you are the main bread winner in the household as there is no job stability. Of course there are always exceptions, but I honestly do not recommend anyone get into teaching unless they are the kind of person who was born to be a teacher.

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    Geewhizz on 22/05/2016 - 06:04

    Are you a teacher?

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      tessel on 22/05/2016 - 07:51

      Yes, I was. Career change for the above reasons plus many more.

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    justaverage on 22/05/2016 - 10:35

    +1

    Half my friends/family are teachers and this isn't the case for them. The ones doing relief are doing so as they want the freedom to travel or further study. They have no trouble finding relief work and are often turning jobs down due to having multiple requests. The ones doing full time had no issues getting jobs and permanancy. This is mainly primary teaching and in WA. As for job stability it's far more stable then engineering which I am in. As for pay my sister is a teacher and we finished uni at the same time our pay is pretty similar.

    Do agree with your part about teaching becoming your 24/7 life

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      tessel on 22/05/2016 - 11:47

      I know plenty of people who cannot get permanency. They've been reliefing and contracting for years. This is both primary and secondary in several states. However, as I mentioned originally and you pointed out it does vary, so the OP needs to take what I say and everything else with a grain of salt. I only know from my own experience what it is like, so I'll never go back and I always try and let want to be teachers know what it is like, as universities generally paint a completely different picture. Best of luck to the OP and whatever he decides to go with.

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        gcdollar on 22/05/2016 - 21:50

        Thank you tessel!
        I wish money were never an issue. Unfortunately it's everyone's issue so at the end of the day, I need $$ to feed the family. By the sound of it, it's very hard to get a permanent job as a teacher. Is it the case for both primary school and high school? What about private schools? Is it hard to get a position in private schools?
        I've thinking and thinking these past a few days… It's a big decision.

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        tessel on 23/05/2016 - 07:23

        @gcdollar:
        The reality is probably halfway between what I say and sandgroper94 said. However, the key point is do you LIVE to be a teacher? Is it a burning desire? You need to answer that 100%. Seriously, it is not a job where you can go home and switch off, at least not for most people. Primary schools generally are easier for males to get positions in because most males teach in high schools. I believe the ratio is 80/20 in QLD and similar in other states. High school has the downside of behaviour problems. Not making this up. Just google around and you'll find the stats. Private schools I've never looked at. Provided you meet any criteria they have, especially religious beliefs, then they may be easier than public schools because most teachers I know want to get into the public system because your position is much more stable and permanent provided you can get permanency first. Teach primary school if you love children. Teach high school if you love your subject/content area. Again, you need to have a burning desire to be a teacher. If you do, then I am sure you'll be fine. My recommendation would be to volunteer at a local school. Schools always need helpers in the classroom. Get a working with children background check and go and help out in a school for a couple of weeks. You'll see what it is really like and get a better idea of if it is what you want to do. Best of luck.

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        gcdollar on 23/05/2016 - 11:58

        @tessel: Good advice. Thank you!

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  Moderatorscotty on 15/06/2016 - 10:11

  Comment closed as requested by OP.