Switching fields POST PhD - clin. psy

[thelionking]

So my best friend has a PhD in clinical psyc and no longer wants to work in the field (in the sense of pursuing a traditional job). Tired of doing research, not interested in counselling, doesn't want to get into academia, and no longer wants to do 20 page reports and assessments.

Any ideas on what you can do after getting a PhD without doing back to school? (For the record, my friend specializes in dementia and issues related to seniors and it still very much interested in that area). I've suggested being a manager or on the board of directors somewhere but nope, not interested in doing paperwork all day.

There are ethics committees, but most of them are volunteer positions so that idea didn't pan out either... Working at a pharmaceutical company doing clinical trials was another idea, except they tend to hire people with 10+ yrs of experience... 

If you have any suggestions please share them here. If it matters at all, my friend is Canadian. thanks

 

 

[eternallyephemeral]

I was just talking to someone about pharmaceuticals today. They recommended applying for a smaller company, as those don't require years of work experience on top of your PhD. These smaller places are reportedly more likely to take a chance on graduating PhD students.

Has this person thought of coaching in a different context than the clinical or counselling type? I've seen many executive or life coaches that come from a clinical background, but they don't often deal with people with mental illness. It's not a traditional path, even though it can be similar to counselling in theory, in practice it can be pretty different. It depends on the person's skill set.

[thelionking]

Thanks for the tip, eternallyephemeral. I will definitely pass on the message. This is great news!

I think the idea is to get out of counselling entirely, even anything that is remotely related to it. But the pharmaceutical industry is a good idea. I hope there are some small companies in Canada too and they're not all located in the US and europe.

I may also suggest looking for jobs requiring a PhD in gerontology (rather than psychology). This might be a good way to use that geriatric expertise and explore other avenues in case the pharmaceutical idea doesn't pan out.

Edited March 9, 2017 by thelionking

[eternallyephemeral]

2 hours ago, thelionking said:

Thanks for the tip, eternallyephemeral. I will definitely pass on the message. This is great news!

I think the idea is to get out of counselling entirely, even anything that is remotely related to it. But the pharmaceutical industry is a good idea. I hope there are some small companies in Canada too and they're not all located in the US and europe.

I may also suggest looking for jobs requiring a PhD in gerontology (rather than psychology). This might be a good way to use that geriatric expertise and explore other avenues in case the pharmaceutical idea doesn't pan out.

Well you obviously know better! I would definitely advocate for exploring more options, rather than fewer.

[Sigaba]

Consulting. Has the person looked at working for a consultancy?

[juilletmercredi]

I think first your friend needs to figure out what they want to do. They know they don't want counseling, academia, or research. What DO they want to do? What kind of tasks do they like to do on a regular basis? What would they love to do at work all day?

Asking and answering those kinds of questions is more useful than looking at a list of things. The reality is it's possible for a PhD in clinical psychology to do virtually anything if they don't want to go back to school or do research or counseling. But they need to specify what kind of work they are looking for, and how they want to spend their days.

[thelionking]

9 hours ago, juilletmercredi said:

I think first your friend needs to figure out what they want to do. They know they don't want counseling, academia, or research. What DO they want to do? What kind of tasks do they like to do on a regular basis? What would they love to do at work all day?

Asking and answering those kinds of questions is more useful than looking at a list of things. The reality is it's possible for a PhD in clinical psychology to do virtually anything if they don't want to go back to school or do research or counseling. But they need to specify what kind of work they are looking for, and how they want to spend their days.

You are absolutely right. She needs to figure out what skills she likes to use. She's been trying to figure it out for a couple of years now and still doesn't know.  She only knows she is still interested in learning about dementia. You'd think that research would be a great fit, but after so many years of grad school a lot of things just aren't enjoyable to do anymore including research.

This isn't a case of depression. She just wants nothing more to do with academia, schools and universities. She doesn't care about status or prestige and doesn't even like to be called doctor. She's very passionate about experiential learning though (has watched TED talks on people who have created alternative schools for kids that don't subscribe to textbook learning or exams and are entirely experiential) and is a strong advocate for that kind of learning in public schools. So there may be something there...  

Edited March 17, 2017 by thelionking

[thelionking]

On 3/13/2017 at 4:40 PM, Sigaba said:

Consulting. Has the person looked at working for a consultancy?

Yes. I don't remember the reason anymore but there was a reason why that was crossed off of the list.