Free paper Example: Career in Psychology

The psychological study is that study spanning the mind and behavior of people (Houston et al., 2013). A career in psychology helps an individual to apply research and psychological knowledge in solving various human psychological problems, and give emotional and mental support in multiple institutions. According to Houston et al. (2013), knowledge is also useful in conducting social scientific research and teaching in psychological institutions. It is my ambition to continue pursuing this career so that soon, I become a licensed psychologist with a specialization in one of the vast array of areas such as forensic, clinical, or school psychology, among others.

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Developmental psychology is critical when trying to understand the maturity process of humanity. Understanding the process of human development is pivotal because some people mature through the typical maturity pattern. In contrast, others go through different ways, which may be disturbing if not well understood. Developmental psychology has become very relevant in carrying out research meant to help people achieve their optimum developmental potential (Harris & Butterworth, 2012). On child development, this career works in handy with doctors and parents to understand the children's growth and identify and treat any psychological or health complications most likely to result during child development. Having this knowledge will be so helpful to me in getting back children to their regular track of development by making early interventions.

My career choice is developmental psychology due to its vast work settings from health care, schools, government agencies, and academia. This path will land me a position to assess, evaluate, and treat those who are living with a disability of development. I will also offer help to the elderly in their homes and those with mental health issues.

To achieve the dream of a developmental psychologist, one needs to have a doctoral degree. This begins with acquiring an undergraduate degree in psychology, then a master's degree, and a doctoral degree in developmental psychology (Harris & Butterworth, 2012). Upon attaining this degree, the salary reward of a developmental psychologist will vary based on the job setting, geographical location, and job experiences. The average annual salary of a developmental psychologist in the year 2009 was between $69,000 and $91,000, becoming almost the top ten earners of the year (Kuther & Morgan, 2012).

According to Harris & Butterworth (2012), an individual with developmental psychological skills can decide to be in academia who will be teaching in colleges and universities. Becoming a developmental psychologist professor can be one of the most luxurious occupations, getting involved in research, instructing students, helping in curriculum development, and assessing students' abilities. Working as a school psychologist, an individual can be a consultant on matters of learning and behaviors of students, thus serving as a link between parents and teachers working together to ensure properly checked developmental patterns in students.

A developmental psychologist can also opt to work in health facilities, which are numerous in our surroundings to make people's health better. There is a scientific establishment between mental health and physical health. A developmental psychologist will, therefore, form part of an integrated healthcare team to provide patient-centered healthcare (Harris & Butterworth, 2012).

However, ethical principles and code of conduct of psychologists are fundamental in the career of developmental psychology. These principles guide the career participants to operate on too high ethical ideals about the profession. They help uphold the rights and dignity of clients and instill fidelity, integrity, and responsibility in line of duty (American Psychological Association, 2016).

Reference

American Psychological Association. (2016). Revision of Ethical Standard 3.04 of the" Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct"(2002, as amended 2010). The American Psychologist, 71(9), 900.

Harris, M., & Butterworth, G. (2012). Developmental psychology: A student's handbook. Psychology Press.

Houston, J. P., Bee, H., & Rimm, D. C. (2013). Invitation to psychology. Academic Press.

Kuther, T., & Morgan, R. (2012). Careers in psychology: Opportunities in a changing world. Nelson Education.