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Clinical psychologists help people tackle a range of problems, from addiction and trauma to behavioural issues in children. Through a series of sessions, these highly-trained professionals can analyse their patients’ mental health and provide personalised care plans to treat their symptoms.
Clinical psychologists can have a considerable effect on people’s lives. But summing up your impact on a CV can be challenging. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be complicated. When you use myPerfectCV, you’ll find a top-rated clinical psychologist CV example, top tips from UK recruiters, and our proven CV builder tool to help you write your application today.
Discover top-rated clinical psychologist CV templates
Find out what makes recruiters tick with our top tips for your clinical psychologist CV
As a clinical psychologist, you understand how people think and feel. Make sure your CV gives recruiters what they want to see by following our top tips below.
Highlight your education
To become a registered clinical psychologist, you need an impressive academic history. As well as a BSc or BA in psychology, you’ll also need postgraduate training in clinical psychology – so make sure to include a comprehensive education section on your CV, showing recruiters what qualifications you have, when you earned them, and where you studied them.
Mention your specialism
Clinical psychologists can specialise in various areas, from substance abuse to people living with PTSD. If you’ve specialised in a particular branch of clinical psychology, mention this on your UK clinical psychologist CV to show recruiters where your specific skills and training lie.
Quantify your impact
It can seem impossible to sum up your experience using numbers alone, but it can make it much easier for your recruiter to quantify your impact. To do this, remember to include your most impressive metrics on your CV, whether you provided ongoing treatment to 15 patients in a previous role or helped to reduce processing costs by 10%.
Show off your skills
The skills needed to be a clinical psychologist are incredibly broad, ranging from effective communication to analysis. Always include a skills section on your CV that lists your top 8 abilities, remembering to include a good mix of hard and soft skills.
Demonstrate your personal qualities
In addition to your professional training, it’s also essential to have the right personal qualities for a clinical psychologist’s role. In your personal statement, include positive adjectives to describe your work ethic, whether you’re ‘confidential’, ‘sensitive’, or ‘proactive’.
What skills should you include in your clinical psychologist CV?
Whatever your specialism, it’s essential to demonstrate you have a key range of clinical psychologist skills. Tick every box by including these essential skills on your CV.
Top skills for your clinical psychologist CV
- Communication
- Psychological treatments
- Analysis
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
- Leadership
Extra skills that will help you stand out
- Consulting
- Patience
- Reporting
- Risk assessment
- Medical law knowledge
Write an eye-catching personal statement for your clinical psychologist CV
Sitting at the top of your clinical psychologist CV, your personal statement (also known as a personal summary) is one of the most critical sections of your application. Typically a brief paragraph, it should give a quick overview of your professional skills and make your recruiter want to read more.
When your recruiter receives your clinical psychologist CV PDF, they’ll look at your summary to found out details such as your current employment situation, short-term career goals, and key personality traits. A recruiter could be reading hundreds of CVs a day – so try to capture their attention quickly to help your application stand out.
FAQs about your clinical psychologist CV
What qualifications do I need to be a clinical psychologist in the UK?
To become a clinical psychologist in the UK, you will need to become a member of the Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society. This requires you to have a BSc or BA in psychology from an accredited university and a postgraduate qualification such as a PhD in clinical psychology. The exact clinical psychologist qualifications you’ll need may depend on the branch of psychology you wish to specialise in.
Is there a difference between a psychologist and a clinical psychologist?
The main difference between a psychologist and a clinical psychologist is that clinical professionals are usually involved in research. As a result, a clinical psychologist may often specialise in studying (and treating) patients with more serious mental health issues, such as complex trauma responses or debilitating conditions.
3. Do I need a PhD to become a clinical psychologist?
3. According to the NHS, you’ll need to complete postgraduate training at a doctoral level to become a clinical psychologist. This training will enable you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before starting to practice. Because clinical psychologists are highly qualified, most professionals train between 8 and 12 years to become fully registered.
What is a clinical psychologist career path in the UK?
Once you’ve completed your PhD, you can gain relevant clinical psychologist work experience by working as a research assistant or assistant psychologist. This experience will furnish you with some of the skills needed to carry out a clinical psychologist’s roles and responsibilities at a higher level. Once you’ve become a qualified clinical psychologist, it’s often possible to work your way up to a senior position at your clinic or practice.
How much can you earn as a clinical psychologist in the UK?
According to Reed.co.uk, the average clinical psychologist in the UK will earn £47,553 a year. Depending on your specialism and work location, your salary could range from around £45,000 to £50,000 or more.
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