From Clinical Psychologist to Human Factors…an Unexpected Journey
By: Latanya S. H. King, PsyD
A quick internet search will yield a definition of psychology as the scientific study of mind and behavior. But unfortunately, many people also assume they know exactly what psychology is, and never look beyond the quick and surface level definition. There are so many aspects of psychology that impact every career field, but often the average person only thinks about therapy.
Through this
same lens, many college freshmen pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology
with the goal of becoming a practicing psychologist that provides various types
of clinical treatment. My journey was no different. After earning a Bachelor of
Arts in Psychology, a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, a Doctorate in
Clinical Psychology, and completing post-doctoral requirements, I had
accomplished my goal and was working as a Clinical Psychologist and Professor
of Psychology.
I LOVE clinical
psychology. My passion for studying people, their thinking, and their behaviors
has never changed. But one day, after almost 17 years of experience providing various
aspects of behavioral health treatment, I realized there was something else
that I was supposed to be doing. To be clear, it was not that I was no longer
satisfied, or that I suddenly wanted to abandon my career because of an
isolated event or incident. Instead, I simply wanted to pursue something new.
I am a firm
believer in taking risks and always trying new things when an opportunity
becomes available. Seeking out new experiences brings opportunities for growth
and development. New experiences also allow for new learning and the chance to
grow in ways that one might not have encountered if they stayed in the same
routine. So, whenever I’m inspired to try something else, I always take the
risk! Some might say that this might dangerous, but I believe that it might be
amazing.
I began to apply
for positions that were safely within my expectations of how I could use my
education and experience related to clinical psychology. I started to apply for
jobs related to various aspects of behavioral health/teaching/training/academia.
However, I already had a full career that allowed me to work in various
behavioral health settings such as inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment,
partial hospital programs, community-based programs, private practice, and
academia. At this point in my career, I wanted to use my education and
experience in a new way.
When I received
an email from a job search engine, with the subject “We have a job for you!” I
laughed and ignored it. I had never heard of human factors, and I was skeptical
of a job search engine emailing me with the subject line “We have a job for
you!” It appeared to be a scam! Well,
these emails did not stop; moreover, human factors related jobs began to “pop-up”
everywhere, thanks to my digital footprint. I began to explore the field of human
factors, and I decided that there was no harm in applying.
To my surprise,
I received a quick response. Still, I remained skeptical of the position and
the field of human factors. I was skeptical because throughout graduate school I
was focused on pursuing clinical practice and teaching in academia. Most
importantly, I intentionally attended a graduate program that was based on the practitioner-scholar
model and geared to train students for clinical practice.
As I explored
the human factors field further, I recognized that I have transferrable skills.
I have always worked in diverse populations; therefore, I am comfortable around
new people in an in-depth interview setting. My ability to easily engage
others, especially in crisis situations, was always my strongest skill in inpatient
psychiatric facilities. I find that my calm demeanor in tense situations and my
talent for engaging others is the key when moderating usability testing
sessions. These skills are also helpful for satisfying my curiosity because I genuinely
enjoy understanding the human experience.
My experience
with psychological assessment and writing psychological reports was a strong
foundation for learning to write and contribute to technical human factors
documentation. As a clinical evaluator, my ability to complete lengthy
assessments, attending to every detail, asking appropriate questions, all while
being able to keep my client engaged has also proven useful in the human
factors field. Experience developing course materials, lectures, and other
teaching materials has informed my understanding of how information is interpreted,
can be developed, and captured in a way that engages a large audience. These
skills are invaluable when capturing a story about data in human factors
studies.
I am sure that
there are other transferable skills that I have yet to discover. However, transferring
my skill set was not my focus when I decided to start exploring human factors as
a new career path. My focus is, and will always be, seeking opportunities that
allow for professional growth and development.
I am hopeful
that graduate programs, especially psychology programs, begin to offer
opportunities or even elective classes for students to explore various ways to
use their degree. Yes, we can all be therapists, and yes, the world needs plenty
of therapists. But there are also other opportunities that exist beyond
clinical practice or teaching in academia. My unsolicited advice to others
considering a new career path:
Take risks…
Seize every
opportunity…
Don’t limit
yourself…
Be firm about your goals, but flexible with your approach…