Navigating the complex terrain of therapeutic approach diversity is a CV challenge that many psychologists encounter. Our guide provides you with the tools to effectively distil your diverse skill set into a compelling CV that stands out to potential employers or clients.
- Design and format your professional psychologist CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading psychologist CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your psychologist CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
Formatting your psychologist CV to meet the role expectations
Staring at the blank page for hours on end, you still have no idea how you should start your professional psychologist CV. Should you include more colours, two columns, and which sections? What you should remember about your CV format is this - ensure it's minimalistic and doesn't go over the top with fancy fonts and many colours. Instead, focus on writing consistent content that actually answers the job requirements. But, how about the design itself :- Use the reverse chronological order to showcase your experience, starting with your most recent role;
- Include your contact details (email address, phone number, and location) - and potentially your professional photo - in the header;
- Must-have CV sections include summary or objective, experience, education, and skills: curate the ones that fit your profile;
- Your professional psychologist CV should be between one-to-two pages long: select the longer format if you have more experience.
A little bit more about your actual CV design, ensure you're using:
- plenty of serif or sans serif font (e.g. Montserrat, Exo 2, Volkhov) as they are Applicant Tracker System (ATS) compliant. Avoid the likes of Arial and Times New Roman because most candidates' CVs are in this typography.
When submitting your CV, are you still not sure what format it should be? Despite the myth that has been circling around, most modern ATS systems are perfectly capable of reading PDFs. This format is an excellent choice as it keeps all of your information intact.
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Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a psychologist CV
- Professional Summary showcases skills and experience.
- Education History highlights relevant qualifications.
- Clinical Experience demonstrates practical expertise.
- Research Interests indicate areas of specialism.
- Professional Affiliations reflect credibility in psychology.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your qualifications and accreditations, such as a Doctorate in Psychology or BPS (British Psychological Society) membership, which vouch for your professional credibility and adherence to ethical guidelines.
- Emphasise your experience in various therapeutic approaches, like CBT or psychodynamic therapy, to showcase your capability to adapt to different client needs and treatment modalities.
- Include any specialisations or areas of expertise, for instance, working with children, neuropsychology, or forensic psychology, to demonstrate your niche skills and the populations you're best equipped to serve.
- Detail your research experience, publications, or presentations if applicable, as these underscore your engagement with the academic side of psychology and contribution to the field's knowledge base.
- Reference your soft skills, such as active listening, empathy, and communication, which are crucial in building rapport with clients and delivering effective psychological support.
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How to present your contact details and job keywords in your psychologist CV header
Located at the top of your psychologist CV, the header presents recruiters with your key personal information, headline, and professional photo. When creating your CV header, include your:
- Contact details - avoid listing your work email or telephone number and, also, email addresses that sound unprofessional (e.g. koolKittyCat$3@gmail.com is definitely a big no);
- Headline - it should be relevant, concise, and specific to the role you're applying for, integrating keywords and action verbs;
- Photo - instead of including a photograph from your family reunion, select one that shows you in a more professional light. It's also good to note that in some countries (e.g. the UK and US), it's best to avoid photos on your CV as they may serve as bias.
What do other industry professionals include in their CV header? Make sure to check out the next bit of your guide to see real-life examples:
Examples of good CV headlines for psychologist:
- Chartered Clinical Psychologist | Specialising in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy | HCPC Registered | 8+ Years of Experience
- Adolescent Mental Health Expert | PhD in Developmental Psychology | Lead Therapist | Parent-Child Interaction Therapy | 12 Years
- Forensic Psychology Specialist | Criminal Behaviour Assessment | Expert Witness | BPS Chartered | 15+ Years Practice
- Organisational Psychologist | Workplace Wellbeing Advisor | MSc Occupational Psychology | Change Management | 5 Years Experience
- Health Psychologist | Chronic Illness Coping Strategies | Smoking Cessation Programmes | BPS & HCPC Certified | 10 Years
- Educational Psychologist | SEN Consultant | Child Development Research | EdPsyD Qualified | 7 Years In-Field Experience
What's the difference between a psychologist CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your psychologist CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a psychologist job:
- With over 10 years of dedicated experience in clinical psychology, I possess a profound ability to diagnose and treat a wide range of emotional and behavioural disorders. My expertise in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and my commitment to providing empathetic care culminated in receiving the Psychologist of the Year Award in 2021.
- As a seasoned professional with 15 years of experience in organisational psychology, my strength lies in enhancing workplace productivity and employee well-being. My track record includes a groundbreaking employee development programme that resulted in a 40% reduction in staff turnover for a Fortune 500 company.
- Transitioning from a successful 12-year career in education, my unique insights into human behaviour and learning processes position me well to pursue a new direction in educational psychology. I bring strong analytical skills and a keen interest in developing interventions to enhance student outcomes.
- After a decade of leadership in the non-profit sector, my strategic planning abilities and my passion for mental health advocacy inspire me to shift focus to community psychology. I am eager to apply my communication skills and extensive network to promote mental health programmes.
- Eager to embark upon a career in developmental psychology, I am freshly graduated with an MSc in Psychology from the University of London. My objective is to leverage my top academic honours and deep-seated interest in child and adolescent development to contribute to pioneering research and therapies.
- With freshly acquired certification in counselling and a passion for mental health support, my aim is to apply my strong listening skills and empathetic perspective to beginning a career in psychotherapy, directly contributing to the psychological well-being of individuals navigating life’s challenges.
Best practices for writing your psychologist CV experience section
If your profile matches the job requirements, the CV experience is the section which recruiters will spend the most time studying. Within your experience bullets, include not merely your career history, but, rather, your skills and outcomes from each individual role. Your best experience section should promote your profile by:
- including specific details and hard numbers as proof of your past success;
- listing your experience in the functional-based or hybrid format (by focusing on the skills), if you happen to have less professional, relevant expertise;
- showcasing your growth by organising your roles, starting with the latest and (hopefully) most senior one;
- staring off each experience bullet with a verb, following up with skills that match the job description, and the outcomes of your responsibility.
Add keywords from the job advert in your experience section, like the professional CV examples:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Detail your experience with individual and group therapy sessions, emphasising your ability to develop and implement personalised treatment plans based on clients' psychological assessments.
- Mention your expertise in a variety of therapeutic approaches, such as cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic or humanistic, and how you've effectively applied these methods to support client needs.
- Highlight any experience with psychological testing and assessment, illustrating your capability in administering and interpreting standardised tests to diagnose mental health conditions.
- Include any experience working with specific populations, such as children, adolescents, adults, or the elderly, showcasing your adaptability to different age groups and their unique psychological needs.
- Document your ability to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals, such as psychiatrists, social workers, and educators, to provide comprehensive care to clients.
- Emphasise your commitment to ongoing professional development, including attending workshops, seminars, and conferences, to stay updated on the latest psychological research and practices.
- Provide examples of how you've utilised electronic health records and teletherapy platforms, reflecting your adaptation to modern technologies and remote counselling practices.
- Describe your experience in crisis intervention, detailing how you've effectively managed immediate psychological concerns and provided essential support during emergencies.
- Reflect on any roles in supervisory or administrative capacities, if applicable, demonstrating your leadership skills and your contribution to the management and development of psychological services.
- Spearheaded a comprehensive mental health programme for adolescents, leading to a 20% improvement in patient recovery rates at St. Thomas' Hospital.
- Collaborated with a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to integrate psychological services, yielding a 15% increase in patient satisfaction.
- Initiated and directed a research project on the efficacy of CBT for anxiety, which influenced the hospital's treatment protocols and was presented at three international conferences.
- Managed a caseload of over 50 clients per month at Priory Healthcare, focusing on adults with complex psychological conditions.
- Designed bespoke therapeutic interventions that increased patient engagement by 30% within the first six months.
- Led a series of workshops on managing workplace stress which helped to reduce staff turnover by 10%.
- Implemented an innovative play therapy programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital, which contributed to a 25% reduction in rehabilitative treatment time for children.
- Authored a guide on child psychological health that became recommended reading within the NHS paediatric network.
- Developed a peer support system for young patients, which was credited for a measurable uplift in patient morale and emotional resilience.
- Led a talent assessment initiative at Capita Plc, which improved employee retention rates by 18% within the first year.
- Devised an employee engagement strategy that resulted in a 12% increase in overall productivity across the company.
- Played a pivotal role in the organisational restructuring process, ensuring a smooth transition for 150+ employees by offering targeted counselling services.
- Conducted over 200 expert witness testimonies for court cases, providing crucial insight that impacted the outcomes of various legal proceedings.
- Delivered specialised offender rehabilitation programmes at HM Prison Service, registering a 40% reduction in recidivism amongst participants.
- Designed and led training for law enforcement personnel on psychological profiling, enhancing investigative approaches and techniques.
- Delivered evidence-based psychological therapies to patients in a busy urban clinic, with an over 75% success rate noted for treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.
- Coordinated a pilot mindfulness training programme, which later became a core aspect of the clinic's mental wellness advocacy, reaching over 300 participants.
- Authored articles on mental health awareness for the clinic's website, attracting around 10,000 monthly visitors and enhancing community outreach.
- Partnered with 10 schools in the private sector, implementing individualized learning plans that improved academic outcomes for students with special educational needs by an average of 35%.
- Facilitated teacher training programs on inclusive education, resulting in the adoption of new teaching methodologies that benefited over 1,000 students.
- Engaged in policy formulation with local education authorities to promote psychological well-being in schools, influencing regional educational strategies.
- Developed a smoking cessation program for Bupa Health Clinics that supported over 500 patients, achieving a 60% long-term quit rate.
- Initiated a collaborative research study assessing the psychological impact of chronic illnesses, leading to enhanced patient support services.
- Crafted a stress management workshop series for corporate clients, leading to a marked decrease in reported stress-related absences by 22%.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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Describe how each job helped you grow or learn something new, showing a continuous development path in your career.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your psychologist CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your psychologist CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your psychologist CV:
Clinical psychology
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)
Psychological assessment and analysis
Psychotherapy
Research methodology
Data analysis
Neuropsychological testing
Crisis intervention
Psychometrics
Behavioural therapy
Empathy
Active listening
Communication
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Patience
Confidentiality
Time management
Adaptability
Ethical judgment
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
Listing your university education and certificates on your psychologist CV
The best proof of your technical capabilities would be your education and certifications sections. Your education should list all of your relevant university degrees, followed up by their start and completion dates. Make sure to also include the name of the university/-ies you graduated from. If you happen to have less professional experience (or you deem it would be impressive and relevant to your application), spotlight in the education section:
- that you were awarded a "First" degree;
- industry-specific coursework and projects;
- extracurricular clubs, societies, and activities.
When selecting your certificates, first ask yourself how applicable they'd be to the role. Ater your initial assessment, write the certificate and institution name. Don't miss out on including the completion date. In the below panel, we've curated relevant examples of industry-leading certificates.
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If there's a noticeable gap in your skillset for the role you're applying for, mention any steps you're taking to acquire these skills, such as online courses or self-study.
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Key takeaways
What matters most in your psychologist CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
