Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
September 22, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
Texas Wesleyan University
University of South Alabama
Seattle Pacific University
University of Indianapolis
Matthew Hand Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology, Chair of the Department of PsychologyTexas Wesleyan University
Department of Psychology
What skills stand out on Counseling Psychologist resumes?
Matthew Hand Ph.D.: For positions in clinical settings, employers are looking at whether applicants have experience with a wide variety of populations and psychological concerns along with ample experience working with one type of population that allows them to stand out. In a sense, employers want people to be both generalists and specialists. Gaining experience in facilities that serve both children and adults can help you stand out. It helps if you can get experience doing various modalities of therapy, including individual, family, and group. Additionally, it really makes a difference to acquire specialized training for certain approaches to therapy.
The pandemic has greatly accelerated the delivery of therapy through virtual settings. With this greater emphasis on virtual therapy, having experience doing therapy over the internet can communicate to potential employers that you are able to adapt to this new way of meeting clients where they are at. It is also very possible that due to the convenience of online therapy, this trend will explode in the next few years. This may increasingly become a priority.
As therapy becomes more accepted among different cultural groups, there is an increased need for therapists that have good multicultural competence. A skill that communicates with a counseling psychologist will be able to work with a different cultural group is being bilingual. This is especially helpful in breaking the communication barrier between the clinician and clients that do not speak English. I have anecdotally seen where being bilingual can sometimes be the distinguishing factor that determines who an employer hires for a position.
What soft skills should all Counseling Psychologists possess?
Matthew Hand Ph.D.: The most important soft skills for a successful counseling psychologist right now are interpersonal effectiveness, adaptability, and autonomy. In clinical settings, interpersonal skills are critically important as the clinician needs to connect with a client during therapy sessions. It is important to consider that as psychologists are interacting with clients increasingly through voice chat, messaging services, and video chat, they need to hone interpersonal skills that will allow them to communicate well in those formats. Adaptability is always crucial for counseling psychologists because they need to be ready to adapt to a wide range of personal issues the client may present in therapy. The recent pandemic has shown the counseling psychologist may also need to adapt to changes in the ways that potential clients seek therapy, going from traditional face-to-face sessions to virtual format sessions.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Counseling Psychologists?
Matthew Hand Ph.D.: To be successful as a counseling psychologist, it is important to have a strong theoretical foundation when approaching treatment. Employers often look for theoretical foundations that focus on changing the cognitions and behaviors that underlie psychological issues. While this is a popular focus currently, the counseling psychologist will be most successful if they find a theoretical foundation that fits with their personal style of providing treatment. Employers often look for clinicians that have good experience in assessment, including the ability to diagnose a wide variety of psychological concerns. Furthermore, a strong background in assessing risk, especially suicidal risk, is highly desired. If the goal is to create a successful private practice, it is important to have skills in navigating the demands of insurance companies and developing successful marketing initiatives.
What skills will help Counseling Psychologists earn the most?
Matthew Hand Ph.D.: In my experience, A counseling psychologist is likely to earn the most when they have developed a style in working with their clients that communicates they care about what their clients are experiencing and can authentically connect with them. These clinicians tend to establish a good reputation and become highly sought after in the community. It seems simple but focusing on making sure you are engaged and connected with clients makes a tremendous difference.
Counseling psychologists are also likely to earn more if they are highly specialized in working with a specific psychological concern or population. As such, counseling psychologists that gain experience working with concerns or populations where there is great need but lower levels of competition are likely to be incredibly successful.
Working in private practice sometimes leads to higher earning potential compared to salaried positions. To be successful in private practice, a counseling psychologist needs to have strong organizational skills and the ability to work well with Insurance companies. Having a strong grasp of marketing and website building is also important in establishing a prosperous practice. It often helps to develop the skills necessary to be successful in private practice by starting out in an already established group practice.
Skills in collecting and interpreting data are highly sought after in higher-earning positions. Positions that entail quantifying human behavior are highly sought after but not always desirable to counseling psychologists. Developing skills in statistical analysis can make a counseling psychologist very wanted for data-driven positions and really pay off.
Ryon McDermott Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, Associate Professor and Associate Director of Clinical TrainingUniversity of South Alabama
Department of Counseling and Instructional Sciences
What skills stand out on Counseling Psychologist resumes?
Ryon McDermott Ph.D.: Research skills are most important for an academic position in CP (e.g., publications, grants). For more clinical positions, experience with the specific population of interest (e.g., if you want to work with Veterans in a VA hospital, it would help that your pre-doctoral internship or your doctoral fellowship was at a VA hospital).
What soft skills should all Counseling Psychologists possess?
Ryon McDermott Ph.D.: Interpersonal warmth, ability to connect. Being culturally humble and aware.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Counseling Psychologists?
Ryon McDermott Ph.D.: Research productivity, quantitative and/or qualitative method experiences
What skills will help Counseling Psychologists earn the most?
Ryon McDermott Ph.D.: Most positions pay more based on your level of experience. A full professor who is moving to another academic institution is going to come in at a much higher rate than someone who is fresh out of graduate school.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Counseling Psychologists?
Amy Mezulis Ph.D.: I think most clinical psychology graduates will not experience enduring negative effects in terms of their job market prospects. Some experienced a decline in in-person clinical training hours, but for the most part this was short-lived and transitioned to telehealth opportunities quickly. For the field as a whole, familiarity and comfort with telehealth will actually have positive effects on the overall market for mental health workers.
What's a day at work look like for a Counseling Psychologist?
Amy Mezulis Ph.D.: Most recent PhD graduates will be pursuing postdoctoral fellowships that combine direct clinical work with opportunities for research, supervision, and assessment. So a day might include doing therapy with a few patients, leading a group therapy, doing some research on mental health interventions, and training or supervising students.
How have salaries changed over time for Counseling Psychologists?
Amy Mezulis Ph.D.: Pursuing diverse skill-sets in terms of clinical skills, assessment, and research will always allow for the most choice in terms of professional options. Also, networking by maintaining relationships with supervisors, fellow trainees, and colleagues will keep professional doors open.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Counseling Psychologist job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Tyronn Bell: From what I've read, there may be an increased need for therapists as the pandemic seems to have affected people's mental health.
What Counseling Psychologist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Tyronn Bell: I would say that if there is any additional training they want (e.g., a certification in some area), then the gap year would be a good time to do that.
What general advice would you give to a Counseling Psychologist?
Dr. Tyronn Bell: Be sure to really think about what gives you fulfillment and pursue that.
