Psychology Resume Example

After reading this guide, you'll know what it takes to create a resume that really stands out from other psychologist applicants. You'll find valuable tips on writing a resume that best showcases your unique skills and achievements. There is also extensive guidance on how to structure your resume to match the job description, and to reflect your experience levels to impress HR specialists and employers. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning psychology resume.

What to include in a psychology resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a psychologist resume being no different. If you're a candidate without much experience, you may wish to present your resume in a way that draws attention to your most valuable skills. These might not be in traditional work settings, so sections like education, projects, hobbies and skills can be more prominent.

The order you present these sections can vary according to your career stage, but it's still essential to include each of the following:

Resume Header and Personal Information

In your psychology resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.

Make sure the email address you list in your header is professional-looking and doesn't contain any inappropriate content such as nicknames or unsuitable language. Opt for an email address based on your name or profession, or a combination of both. Finally, check your contact details before sending your resume, to ensure everything's up-to-date.

Resume Summary

Your resume personal profile is a short, concise paragraph to highlight two or three key skills and achievements in psychologist roles. You may also see this section named as 'resume summary' or 'resume objective'. Resume summaries tend to focus on your career experience, while resume objectives cover your ambitions and plans for the future. However, make sure you keep your resume summary short and snappy, and focused on the skills and experience listed in the job description.

Alternatively, focus on introducing your career ambitions, and why this role is a good fit, both for you and the organization.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for psychologist roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. You can see some positive examples of a resume summary for psychologist jobs below.

Conversely, an ineffective resume summary would include generic, unspecific information on your skills and experience, while failing to provide any useful information on what makes you a unique and interesting candidate. See above for some examples of things to avoid when writing your psychology resume summary.

Hard and Soft Skills

The skills section is one of the main ways to show employers you've got the skills required for psychologist roles. Whether your skills include SPSS software expertise, critical thinking or any other useful skills for the role, you'll want to list them here. Additionally, read the job description to make sure your skills match those required for psychologist positions. You could also include some unique skills that help you stand out as a candidate.

How to list hard skills on your psychology resume

Under hard skills, add any specialist skills you possess that are specifically required for psychologist jobs. These tend to be technical skills and industry knowledge essential to the position. Furthermore, these skills are essential for a psychology resume as they showcase your expertise in the field. If possible, add four or five hard skills that reflect the requirements of the job description. These will boost your chances of success in your applications.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective psychology resume hard skills list looks like.

Listing soft skills on your psychology resume

Soft skills are your transferable skills and personal qualities that make you a good match for a psychologist position and the organization. Soft skills tend to be more universal than hard skills, and can often apply to multiple jobs and industries. Indeed, as the nature of work changes, soft skills are growing in importance, so make sure you include them in your resume. Think of your best soft skills and add up to five that match the requirements of the job description.

Your soft skills section should make the most of your unique personal qualities and strengths, while also reflecting the requirements laid out in the job description. See below for some examples of useful soft skills for a psychologist resume.

Education

Your resume's education section provides space for you to list your highest and most relevant qualifications for psychologist roles.

To work as a psychologist, employers tend to require candidates to have a specialist degree, such as a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. If you have this degree, focus on it in your education section, while also mentioning any educational achievements that show your CBT techniques application or neuropsychological testing skills.

Include any qualifications relevant to the role. For each, add the name and level of the award, the institution name, its location and your dates of study. You can enhance this section by adding bullet points that show any outstanding grades, awards or achievements and any specialist subjects you studied. These details can make you stand out from other candidates.

Additionally, mentioning any leadership roles or any societies and clubs you participated in while studying shows proactivity and initiative.

Licenses and Certifications

Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. These could be professional accreditations and licenses, or certifications that improve your level of suitability for the position. Therefore, list any official licenses and certifications, along with their dates, so employers can assess whether you've got the necessary qualifications to work as a psychologist.

Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a psychologist resume:

Work Experience

Under your work experience section, add any jobs you've had in the past that are relevant to the position of a psychologist. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

In addition, include a few bullet points under each job, highlighting your key achievements so the hiring manager can see how they led to successful outcomes. Back up each point with evidence to show how you meet the job description.

The best resume work experience sections focus only on the most relevant previous jobs, and link each bullet point back to a skill or experience listed in the job description. It's also critical to provide evidence that shows the value you added to each role in a quantifiable way, such as project outcomes, key performance indicators or feedback from customers, colleagues or managers. Review some strong examples of resume work experience sections in the graphic below.

In the graphic above you can see a great example of what to avoid when writing your resume work experience section. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Additional Information

In addition to the core sections of a psychologist resume, there are several optional sections you could include to enhance your chances. Take a look at the sections below and add any that help you show how and why you're right for the job.

Personal Interests

Add any hobbies and interests that reinforce your credentials for the position. Consider listing hobbies and interests to help your resume stand out, or to provide the employer with some insight into your personality and wider interests. They're perfect for candidates who might lack genuine work experience as a psychologist. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.

Volunteer Work

Voluntary work can help you develop useful skills, so it's a valuable addition to your psychology resume. Add your volunteer job title or role, the name of the organization, its location and the dates you were involved.

References

It's not typical to include references in a psychology resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best strong verbs for your a psychologist resume

Action words can help illustrate to the hiring manager the difference you made in each of your previous jobs. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section.

Jobseeker's clean, attractive resume formats can help your applications make a strong impression on employers. Check them out for help designing a winning resume, and see our cover letter templates to help win over recruiters and hiring managers.

Example of a psychology resume

The psychology resume example below includes all the sections above, so you can see how a completed resume looks:

Making an ATS-friendly resume

An applicant tracking system (ATS) is just one of the tools employers and recruiters can use to streamline their hiring practices. This typically includes screening candidates by scanning and ranking their resumes based on their likely suitability for any vacancy. When you're writing your psychology resume, there are several things you can do to make sure your resume stands the best chance of passing the ATS stage.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• Use a traditional resume layout, such as a reverse-chronological or functional format. This will mean your resume includes all the necessary sections, in the expected order.
• Use of job description keywords throughout your resume will help it rank higher in the ATS scanning stage, as it will more closely match the requirements laid out in the job description.
• Add each section with clear headings that match the established resume conventions, so ATS software can easily identify each part of your resume.
• Use a resume design that includes clean, professional design elements to give your content space to breathe. This might include clear, readable fonts, subtle color accents and simple design elements.
• Use simple, concise language to keep your resume to a maximum of one to two pages in length. This will make it easier for ATS software to read.

Takeaways for a winning psychology resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

Use Jobseeker's resume templates, other tools and resources to create an application that impresses employers. Sign up today to access a wealth of valuable resume and cover letter resources. To make the best possible impression with your applications, write a cover letter with the help of Jobseeker. You can also find plenty of expert-designed cover letter examples for inspiration.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications, New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/resumes-cover-letters-and-job-applications