Psychologists use a range of psychological therapies and procedures to assess and treat clients with a range of mental health issues, conditions and disorders.

Having a well written CV is a fundamental part of applying to become a psychologist. As it’s the first thing a prospective employer sees about you, it must be well written, targeted and attention grabbing. Combined all of these factors will result in you getting an invite to an interview

On this page you’ll get expert advice on how to write a CV that will get you past all the other candidates at to the front of the que. Apart from receiving tips on what to include and exclude, you’ll also find prewritten CV examples that you can use as guides.

By: Iejaz Uddin – 13 June 2024

 

Page overview

  • Psychologist CV examples
  • How to write a Psychologist CV
  • CV layout
  • Contact details
  • Personal summary
  • Psychologist work experience
  • Skills
  • Education section

 

Psychologist CV example

 

Jennifer Hall
Address
Phone: 0123 456 7890
Email: mobile number
E: jennifer.h@dayjob.com

 

PERSONAL SUMMARY

A enthusiastic, skilled and well motivated psychologist with a track record of safe guarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Experienced in providing specialist psychological assessments of referred clients based upon the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of complex data from psychological and neuropsychological testing. Multi skilled and able to manage a client’s mental health problems, based upon an appropriate assessment the client’s problems.

Seeking to obtain a appropriate and permanent position with a public or private sector organization that offers room for career progression.

 

CAREER HISTORY

London Health Authority
PSYCHOLOGIST     –    May 2008 – Present
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team alongside GP’s, nurses, social workers, education professionals, health visitors, psychiatrists and occupational therapists. Helping to treat service users who have learning disabilities, mental health issues or who have been detained under the mental health act.

Duties:

  • Assessing a patients needs and then recommending a suitable and appropriate method of treatment for them.
  • Maintaining accurate records of clinical work.
  • Providing counselling to clients.
  • Dealing with a workload that includes patents struggling with anxiety, depression, emotional problems and addictions.
  • Assessing a client’s needs, abilities or behaviour using a variety of methods.
  • Involved in the short listing and interviewing of graduate psychologists.
  • Conducting interviews and also direct observations of behaviour.
  • Working in accordance with policies and procedures which govern confidentiality and data protection, information sharing and disclosure.
  • Devising and monitoring appropriate programmes of treatment for clients.
  • Working hard to maintain the highest standards of care and service.
  • Providing a consultation service to other colleagues and healthcare professionals.
  • Participating in all mandatory and essential training.
  • Evaluating and making decisions about a patients treatment options.
  • Using research skills and collected data for audit, policy and service development.
  • Providing clinical supervision to non-psychologists.

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Competencies:

  • Excellent listening skills.
  • Ability to accurately identify and distinguish various forms of human behaviour.
  • Registered with the Health Professions Council.
  • Able to professionally manage frequent verbal abuse and occasional physical aggression from service users.
  • Giving due regard to issues of confidentiality.
  • Previous experience of providing a community based out-patient service.
  • Fully aware of the relevant National and Local codes of practice.
  • Good understanding of the range of child and adolescent mental health services.
  • Knowledge of contemporary legislation.
  • Skills in personal supervision.

Personal:

  • Having a sympathetic and understanding outlook to a patients concerns.
  • Emotional resilience in the face of distressing situations.
  • Can communicate effectively in a highly emotive and tense atmosphere.
  • Ability to work co-operatively with other disciplines.
  • Good personal boundaries and ability to maintain these.
  • Ability to concentrate for substantial periods of time when with patients.

 

KEY SKILLS

Psychological assessments
Psychometric testing
Clinical supervision
Risk assessment
Risk management
care co-ordination
Deliberate Self Harm (DSH)
Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Evesham North University           2005 – 2008
BA (Hons) Psychology

CBT diploma

Coventry North College               2003 – 2005
A levels:     Maths (C)   English (C)   Physics (B)

 

REFERENCES – Available on request.

 

 

Guide to writing a Psychologist CV

Navigating the complex world of job hunting is never easy and a challenge that many candidates fail to overcome. It can be difficult trying to sum up your strongest points to a complete stranger in a 2-page document. But this is what you must do to be successful.

You’ve got to put together an effective CV that gives a thorough account of your experiences, skills, education and achievements.

Start by tailoring your CV to the actual job you are applying for so that it meets the clients’ expectations of a candidate. Focus on writing relevant content that meets the roles requirements. Under no circumstances should you write one CV and send it to every vacancy. A cut and paste version will not work in a medical field such as this.

This guide will show you the tips and tricks of the trade to craft a top CV.

 

What is a CV

A CV is a marketing tool that allows you to show off your abilities and potential to prospective employers. In the UK it is usually a two-page document that job seekers use to apply to jobs. Contrary to popular belief its aim is not to get you a job, but to win you an interview. It does this by firstly getting you noticed and secondly by getting the recruiter interested in you.

 

Target your CV

Tweak you CV to the environment you want to work in. Do this by including in it any relevant work positions that have honed your skills in, competencies you possess and academic achievements you’ve gained.

The fundamental rule for success is to always target your CV at the job you are applying for. This is a proven way of getting past all the other candidates.

Start of by reading the vacancies job description to gather all the keywords that describe what the employer wants in a candidate. Now try to match this language in the CV that you are about to write. There is no need to copy it word for word, but instead tactfully insert them into descriptive sentences.

If the vacancy does not have a job posting, then research similar job roles to find the skills needed for it.

 

CV Layout

Hiring managers like simple and straight to the point CV structures that enable them to quickly find your strongest points. The most effective way to give them this is by having a orderly format where information is clearly laid out.

A recruiter’s worst nightmare is having a disorganised CV that contains large blocks of text. Therefor break up what you say with concise sentences, short paragraphs, white space and bullet points. All of these will help the reader to navigate what you have to say.

Set the ‘mood music’ for your CV by having a layout that is easy on the eye, visually welcoming and well laid out.

 

CV Length

Most clinical Psychologist CVs are no longer that 2 pages. Time constrained hiring managers tend not to entertain ones longer than this, unless the application is for a senior or specialist position.

Keep your CV as short as possible by using fewer words to say more. This means not utilising two words when one will do. Ruthlessly exclude content that is not relevant to the vacancy and only include that which strengthens your case.

 

Contact details

List you contact details in the header of your CV, above everything else. Give you full name, professional title, address (just the city), email, phone number and LinkedIn profile (optional). Do not give out your work phone or email address, instead use private personal ones. There is also no need to include a photo.

 

Contact information to list:

  • Full name
  • Professional job title
  • Address (city or town only)
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • LinkedIn profile

 

What not to include in your contact details:

  • Age
  • Date of birth
  • Marital status
  • Nationality

 

Psychologist CV personal summary

This resides at the top of your CV and is the first thing a recruiter sees and scans. It can have a real impact on whether you job application is read or rejected.

What you write here needs to be a powerful account of your competencies and future potential. It must include industry specific keywords, trade jargon and if possible, examples of career accomplishments.

First impressions count so, immediately get to the point and stress the unique value you can bring to their operations. Allude to your ambitions and desire to advance your career in the world of psychology and state your deep-seated interest in this field. Also mention your dedication to your own continuous professional development and wish to stay updated with advancements in psychiatry.

Finally, proofread it to make sure it doesn’t include any spelling mistakes or typos. This can be an immediate turn off for any employer.

A personal summary is divided into the following 3 main parts:

  1. Explaining who you are.
  2. Illustrating your suitability for the role and the value you can bring to their operations.
  3. Describing your career goals.

Last but not least, be prepared to back what you say here in the main body of your CV, and to discuss these points during an interview.

 

Psychologist CV personal summary example

“A resilient psychologist and super communicator who finds it easy to bond with people suffering from a wide range of psychological disorders. Maxine has over 10 years’ experience of successfully treating clients with conditions such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, eating disorders, addictions and learning disabilities.

As per your requirements she has the ability to work in partnership with other service providers such as psychiatrists, social workers and counsellors.

Right now, she is keen to join a reputable organization that is a leading provider of psychological, psychiatric, social work and paediatric assessments.”

Related: How to write a personal summary

 

Psychologist work experience

A great way to win over a hiring manager is to show them you’ve done work in the past that’s similar to what they want from a candidate. This is where the work experience section of your CV comes in.

Your career history is an excellent way to convince employers you’ve got the real-world experience they’re looking for. It’s here that you’ll tell them about your previous roles, as well as your work duties and most importantly your achievements.

As with everything else in your CV, only include that which is relevant to the role you are applying for. For each of your previous roles, you should include:

Company name

Your job title

Length of employment

Your main duties and responsibilities.

 

Work experience example

PSYCHOLOGIST – Start Date – Present
Employers name – Location
Responsible for undertaking protocol based psychological assessments on clients through direct and indirect observations and semi-structured interviews.

Duties:

  • Providing a specialist psychology service for all clients of the service.
  • Assisting in the coordination and running of therapeutic groups.
  • Liaising with other health and social care staff, from a range of agencies.
  • Maintaining appropriate records of own work, in electronic and hard copy.

 

Skills section

These are a great way of rounding you off as a candidate and in getting noticed and marked out for an interview.

Aside from specialist psychiatric knowledge, psychologists also need a good combination of hard and soft skills. Having these extra analytical, research and critical thinking skills, can differentiating you from other candidates.

Listing your skills isn’t just about showing them off, it’s also about demonstrating that you can undertake a structured programme of learning. This is important in a medical field like psychology where new forms of care are being developed and must be learnt.

 

Areas to focus on when writing a Psychologist CV:

  • Giving clinical supervision in accordance with professional practice guidelines.
  • Experience in psychiatric assessments with adults, adolescent or child assessments.
  • Ability to explain complex psychiatric information in a clear and concise manner.
  • Upholding the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct at all times.
  • Providing supervision to junior members of the clinical team.
  • Keeping abreast of policy and professional development within your area of professional expertise.
  • Your passion for improving outcomes for clients with complex needs.
  • Monitoring and reviewing casework to ensure compliance with professional ethics and standards.

 

Skill sets to include in your CV

 

Listening skills

Reference your active listening skills and ability to pay attention to people and effectively interpret what they are saying.

 

Counselling

Mention how you can empathise with your clients to understand their point of view and explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Then after this how you can develop personalised plans that will make a real positive difference to people’s lives.

 

Communication

Show you are a superb communicator who can create bonds with work colleagues, clients and managers. Stress your ability to hold a conversation with complete strangers, inspire trust in others and build credibility with them.

 

Observation

Ability to observe a patient to make an accurate assessment of their problem and what may be causing them.

 

Problem solving

Defining a client’s mental problem, identifying its cause and then coming up with a solution that is acceptable to them and any other concerned third parties.

Related: Problem solving skills to include in a CV

 

Include an Education section

Professional psychologists have to complete accredited postgraduate qualifications in their chosen specialisms. Having these helps to get them recognised and shows they have a high standard of psychological subject matter knowledge. They can also ensure they reach their full earning potential.

Give proof of these technical capabilities in your education and certifications sections. It’s here that you should list your relevant university psychology degrees and grades as well as any related modules, projects, and dissertations. Also give the start and completion dates.

You should list your qualifications in chronological order, with the most recent and most relevant first.

Higher education is a broad area, and if you have other professional certifications separate from degrees you should include them.

Provide the following details:

  • Title of the qualification
  • Name of college and university
  • Grades awarded
  • Dates achieved
  • Field specific coursework and projects.
  • Membership of any extracurricular clubs and societies.