So, after what feels like an eternity of buildup, there's, er, a little bit more of a wait until London hosts the Olympics. The seemingly-eternal countdown has certainly pushed sport even higher up the jobs agenda. It appears the long run-up to games has had an impact on career plans, with UK universities seeing a steady rise in applications for sports-related master's degrees.
Sports psychology is one of the options. Pursue a career in this area and you could find yourself helping give elite British athletes the edge in future international tournaments, as sports psychologists often work alongside coaches to help competitors improve their game, according to the Independent.
However, if you've studied psychology at undergraduate level and you don't want to become a psychologist of any sort, your job prospects are still looking rosy. According to a recent Guardian Money article, psychology graduates are well-equipped for numerous roles. You could consider human resources, careers advice, then there's advertising, marketing and retail management, and don't forget academia...
So, it's clear there's a wide range of career options for those who've studied psychology but don't want to carry on with it. And if you want to become a chartered psychologist, you can specialise in clinical, educational, occupational, forensic, health and, of course, sports psychology. We also discussed in a recent edition of Careers Talk how psychology grads were among those least likely to be unemployed, according to recent findings.
So, if you are one of the many students studying the subject (it's among the most popular degree choices), or you've just graduated and you want a hand finding out which employers value your qualification, join our live Q&A on Wednesday 10 August between 1pm and 4pm. Advance questions are welcome below.
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Our panel:
Liz Holford has been working as a careers adviser at the University of Portsmouth for the past 16 years. Her responsibility is for the Faculty of Science, which includes the psychology pathways.
Dr Garry Wilson is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Lincoln. He is a graduate member of the British Psychology Society (Cognitive Section).
Charlie Ball is deputy research director at The Higher Education Careers Service (HECSU), a charity which provides news and information about research and development in career-related learning and career guidance in higher education.
Dr Amy Cook is a senior lecturer in psychology at Birmingham City University. Amy studied her psychology BSc, MSc and PhD at the University of Birmingham. She then held a research post at the University of Oxford, exploring poor comprehension difficulties in children.
Dr Jacqui Taylor is an associate professor at Bournemouth University, where she teaches social psychology and cyberpsychology. She has been involved with the British Psychology Society for more than 20 years and is currently chair of the Division for Teachers and Researchers in Psychology.
Dr Malcolm Cross is a reader in psychology at City University London. Originally trained in Australia as a clinical psychologist, Malcolm is chartered as a counselling psychologist with the British Psychological Society and is registered as such with the UK Health Professions Council.
Carolyn Whelan is a careers adviser who works with psychology students at Durham University.
Dr Alison Green is the psychology programme director at the Open University (OU), and an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. A chartered psychologist, Alison has interests in various aspects of applying psychology in everyday life. She is chair of the OU Psychology Programme Committee, which oversees all psychology qualifications offered by the OU including a foundation degree in counselling.
Kisane Prutton is a chartered occupational psychologist with more than 20 years consultancy experience in both the public and private sector. She now specialises in the resolution of conflict in the workplace.
