Is psychology saturated with professionals?

Hello friends!

A question I frequently receive here on the site is whether psychology is saturated with professionals. Many, many times, the question comes along the following lines: “I really want to study psychology, I believe that psychology has everything to do with me, I identify with the disciplines, with acting, but I am afraid to graduate and not have a field of study. job…”

I remember as if it were today, a college professor telling me that when he had graduated in psychology (in the 1970s), it was possible to choose work, because there was a lot of demand and few trained professionals.

That is, in the 1970s, psychology was a field that was still little explored and with many opportunities. But is it today?

Well, before we answer that question, we have to remember a basic principle of economics. The economy of a country, a state, a city revolves around the exchange of products and services.

As psychologists we can create a product – like a psychological book or test. But the most common thing is that we work in the service area. In other words, as psychology professionals we are going to provide services to other people or to other companies.

Like any service provision, the professional will have a demand and competition (other professionals seeking to compete to win the demand).

Taking this into account, we have to consider that the answer if psychology is saturated with professionals will depend on the country, state and city.

Staying and limiting ourselves to the answer only in Brazil, we will see that there is an enormous diversity of realities in the states and cities.

It is incredible to think that in the state of São Paulo there are more than 80,000 professionals and that in some cities in our country there is not a single professional.

However, we have to take into account that in a populous and rich state like São Paulo, despite the competition, the demand is very high. After all, there are more than 80,000 professionals, but more than 20 million people in greater São Paulo. And, on the other hand, in a small country town, although we may not have any competition, there may equally be no demand.

Professional success in psychology

Therefore, the question arises: how to be successful in an area like psychology?

First, we have to understand that there are different conceptions of success. In short, let’s think about financial success and personal achievement success.

To define financial success, again, we will have to take into account regional and individual factors. Spending R$1,200 a month at a private university, for 5 years, only to earn R$1,500 is perhaps considered a failure.

Earning 2,100, in a very small town, for someone who earns a salary there, is perhaps said to be a financial success. After all, while the psychologist earns 3 salaries, the rest of the population almost as a whole earns much less.

For someone from a wealthy family, earning 5,000 might be considered a failure in their field, but for someone from a poor family, 5,000 a month might be the pay of a dream.

Anyway, the monthly amount – whether it will be considered great or bad – will vary according to the city (the cost of living) and obviously with personal values.

Romanticisms aside, we have to reflect that psychology is almost always a service and because it is in the market, it will change according to the region, due to supply and demand – as we have seen.

In a super competitive market, service prices tend to drop. If a patient can choose between paying 300 reais for the consultation or 80 reais, most of the time he will prefer to pay 80 reais, right?

This is why there is a fear of graduating and not finding much of a market, because not finding a lot of market means finding a lot of competition, and finding a lot of competition probably means having a lower remuneration for service.

On the other hand, we must remember that psychology is a very broad area. We can work in private practice, multidisciplinary clinics, schools, colleges, hospitals, companies, industries, NGOs, government, etc.

This ends up giving many opportunities. If one of these areas is more difficult, we can try another. And yet, it’s a profession that doesn’t limit you geographically. Some professions practically require living in a city or region. With psychology it is not like that. If there are no other obstacles to a move, it can be a good idea at certain points in your career to move farther away to find more favorable terrain.

Now, with regard to success through personal fulfillment, I believe that psychology – as with other health and education professions – is excellent, since the sense of personal fulfillment comes from the perception that we are helping those in need .

But to be able to really help, to be financially and personally successful, there are some simple requirements, well known, but which are valid everywhere.

First, have dedication. He doesn’t stop studying even after graduating and investing in at least one foreign language, because with a foreign language we not only get access to more information but also improve the curriculum for opportunities in companies, if this is the case.

Second, define an area of ​​expertise. Having focus is a simple but very useful “secret” to get where you want to go faster.

Third, do more than is asked. Having good will and doing more (what we call a helpful attitude in Coaching) certainly makes us grow in our profession.

And, last but not least, create a network of professional contacts. If possible, this network of contacts becomes a true network of friends.

Doubts, suggestions, additions, please write below!

Related