Exploring Career Options

Social Work and Psychology are dynamic and impactful fields that offer a wide range of career opportunities in the UK. While many roles are directly related to your degree, a large number of graduate jobs are open to all disciplines—so your options may be broader than you think. The resources below will help you explore your career possibilities. 

Generic help

Prospects what can I do with my degree? gives suggestions about careers that link to your subject.  

Prospects Job Profiles enable you to browse career options by sector or by letter. 

The Career Discovery Channel on My Career Enriched allows you to explore and browse articles and job descriptions that match your areas of interest. 

Gradsims  from Targetjobs are free graduate-led videos designed to help you choose a career that suits your needs and interests. You’ll learn about specific sectors, gain insights from recent graduates and complete simulated real life tasks. 

Subject specific:

• Community Care Jobs 
  A dedicated platform for careers in social work, mental health, and care services, offering job listings and career advice. 

• British Psychological Society (BPS) Careers 
  Explore career guides and resources for psychology graduates, including routes into clinical, educational, forensic, and occupational psychology. 

Prospects has excellent job sector information: 

• Healthcare 
• Social care
• Education
• Charity and voluntary work
• Public services and administration 

Job sectors | Prospects.ac.uk 

Targetjobs is another comprehensive resource with career guides for a wide range of sectors. 

• Public Service
• Education and teaching

NHS Careers 
Explore roles in mental health, social care, and psychological services within the NHS.

• What Do Graduates Do? 
  A snapshot of the graduate labour market, including employment trends for psychology and social work graduates. 

• Skills for Care 
  Offers workforce intelligence and labour market insights for the adult social care sector in England. 

• British Psychological Society (BPS) Reports 
  Provides data on employment trends, training pathways, and demand in various psychology specialisms. 

Key Facts 

• The demand for mental health professionals and social workers in the UK is growing, especially in the NHS, local authorities, and the charity sector. 

• Psychology graduates work in a wide range of roles, including research, therapy, education, and business. 

• Social work is a regulated profession in the UK, requiring registration with Social Work England. 

• Many roles in these sectors offer opportunities for further training, specialisation, and progression.