Everything about Occupational Psychology

If you are someone who loves the working world and wants to foster within a company or business, a career in the field of occupational psychology might be the best fit option for you as you can jump-start as an occupational psychologist in this field. This career closely resembles an organizational psychologist. But occupational psychology often work within the company settings. In this post, we will discuss everything related to this field.
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Who is an Occupational Psychologist?

An occupational psychologist is a professional who is well-trained in applying various psychological theories and principles to different workplace issues. They work closely with business owners, managers, and individual employees. Particularly, they are concerned with how individuals employees and organizations function and behave at work. They utilize the same skills as a general psychologist but apply them to the organizations.

By knowing how and why people and businesses behave in a specific work environment, these professionals aim to improve the overall performance and effectiveness of an organization. This improvement may be related to the retention or training of the employees. They may also work towards creating ways to improve the wellness and health of the team members.

They can act as a consultant in organizations to deal with different issues like employees morale. They can also work with business owners to deal with business-related issues such as leadership training, organizational development, employee work-life balance, etc.

What Does an Occupational Psychologist Do?

These professionals are responsible for doing numerous things including the ones listed below:

• These professionals use psychological methods and theories to help businesses and their employees. By utilizing psychological expertise and knowledge, they help organizations and businesses address and correct workplace issues and problems.
• Even though these professionals can work for all types of businesses, they are mainly hired by larger firms that have many employees. Additionally, businesses whose employees often work under lots of pressure may seek the help of these professionals.
• The job responsibilities of these professionals may vary based on the type of company or business they are working with and the objectives of that company.
• Since this field is a specialized niche, these professionals often use broader techniques and methods. They may develop programs to improve leadership and communication skills or reduce stress. Furthermore, they may help organizations’ devices training and recruitment programs.
• To improve the effectiveness and overall performance of the company, they may assess its strengths and weaknesses. This process may involve communicating with employees, working with management or upper-level teams to identify the issues, and reviewing previous employment records.
• After identifying the issues, they develop strategies and policies to correct the problems and deal with the challenges. For instance, they help businesses design a reward system to motivate their employees.
• These professionals also help organizations and businesses place employees in the positions they are most suited for. This may involve managing aptitude and personality tests to find out the areas wherein an individual or team member may best fit to excel at their job.

Importance of an Occupational Psychologist

An occupational psychologist is needed to help businesses improve their performance and effectiveness. It is a fact that a successful organization benefits not only the owner and staff but the entire community. Organizational leaders and human resource managers generally do not have the same education, training, skills, and expertise that occupational psychologists bring to the table. These professionals play an important role in everything right from hiring the most suitable team members to helping businesses develop insights into how to encourage employees.

Companies and their employees can avail of the benefits from the assistance of occupational psychologists. For instance, businesses can develop several ways with the help of occupational psychologists to improve employees’ job satisfaction. Improved job satisfaction can often lead to fewer absences from work, increased productivity, and better employee morale. By working for employee retention and wellness, they can ensure success and profitability for the organizations.

Education Requirements for Occupational Psychologists

To become a successful professional, you must at least have a master’s degree in psychology. However, some leading employers ask for a Ph.D. degree in the same. Moreover, you can take a course in Organizational Psychology, Business Management, Employment Law, and Meditation as well. Generally, these professionals can have both – a counseling degree and a business degree.

Essential Qualities and Skills for Occupational Psychologists

To be successful in the field of occupational psychology, you must possess numerous skills and qualities including the ones listed below:

• Legal and administrative skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Ability to learn quickly
• Ability to develop creative yet appropriate solutions
• Emotionally healthy
• Good with people
• Innovators
• Action-oriented and empathetic
• Ability to face challenges and conflicts
• Likable and charismatic personality

Places Where Occupational Psychologists Work

The area of work for these professionals is quite diversified. Generally, they work in the below-listed environments:

• Human resource departments
• Academic institutes
• Large businesses
• Private practice
• Government and private consultancy firms
• Research firms
• Employee assistant programs
• Leadership development centers

Average Salary for Occupational Psychologists

As per the data published on About.com, the median annual salary for these professionals is $97,820. As education advances, the average salary for the professionals of this field will go up. In general, an occupational psychologist with a Ph.D. or Doctoral degree is the same significantly get higher salaries.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, an industrial or occupational psychologist can make around $45.54 per hour and $94,720 per annum on average. When these professionals are hired as technical consultants, they may earn even more than the numbers mentioned here.

What is Next?

Interested in occupational psychology? Want to kick-start your career in the same? But, do not know where to find the right, industry-specific, and career-oriented course? Get in touch with AEC to get assistance from our dedicated and knowledgeable counselors.

Come to us and our team will assess your profile to shortlist the best-fit options i.e. universities and colleges along with the courses and program in the countries like UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Germany, and so on by keeping your previous education, area of interest, existing skills and knowledge, and career objectives in mind.

To check out more about the services (including the admission application process, study visa process, etc.) that AEC has to offer, you can call us on +91-8448446609 or 011-43334444. You can connect with our team by writing your queries at [email protected] as well. You can also book your FREE counseling with our experts.