Career Prospects - Leiden University (2023)

Health psychologists focus on the psychological aspects of health and illness. They promote a healthy lifestyle and also help people with health problems to function as well as possible. They do this both within the healthcare system and in relation to employment in companies.

• Stress and burnout coach. A stress and burnout coach supports employees who experience a great deal of stress or suffer from burnout. Additionally, the coach provides in-company training about how to manage stress and prevent burnout.
• E-Health Specialist. An e-health specialist is a professional who aims to promote a healthier lifestyle. E-health means digital healthcare. Examples include apps that help you monitor your diet or enable you to communicate with doctors online.
• Psychological coach in a medical centre. Health psychologists working in hospitals help patients to come to terms with traumatic events such as an accident, operation, or illness.

Our health psychologists are graduates of the Master's specialisations Occupational Health Psychology, Health and Medical Psychology or Clinical and Health Psychology (research). Click on these specialisations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

Cognitive psychology is the study of mental functions including attention, memory, consciousness, emotion, language, and action control. The aim is to understand the complex relations between brain, cognition, and behaviour. Cognitive or experimental psychologists often work in research centres such as universities and TNO. Large companies like to employ them to apply their knowledge about perception, thinking, and motor skills to practical situations.

• User Experience Designer for the Dutch railways or at Amsterdam airport. A user experience designer is involved in improving websites, software programmes, apps, and games by making them more meaningful and user-friendly.

• Test Engineer with International Card Services or Logius. A test engineer is responsible for setting up and carrying out software tests, for which he or she develops the testing apparatus. Test engineers have a thorough knowledge of systems and programming.
• Project assistant or researcher with SWOV or the Dutch Safety Board, which carries out research into the prevention and reduction of road accidents. Examples include surveying accident-sensitive locations, or carrying out research into 'blind spot' accidents involving lorries and cyclists.

Our cognitive psychologists are graduates of the Master's specializations in Applied Cognitive Psychology or Cognitive Neuroscience (research). Click on these specializations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

Clinical psychologists primarily focus on applying research-based psychological knowledge to the assessment, prevention, and treatment of psychopathology. Neuropsychologists use neuroscientific knowledge to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial consequences of brain dysfunction.

• Clinical psychologist with a mental healthcare (GGZ) institution such as the Parnassia Group, GGZ Rivierduinen, or PsyQ. A clinical psychologist diagnoses and treats clients with complex psychological problems, such as depression or trauma.
• Neuropsychologist in a hospital, rehabilitation centre, or psychology practice. A neuropsychologist focuses on the functioning of the brain (or its dysfunction) and the relations between this and human behaviour.
• Psychologist in a general practitioner's surgery The psychologist sees any of the general practitioner's clients who have psychological problems and arranges treatment and/or further coaching as necessary.

Our clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists are graduates of the Master's specializations in Clinical Psychology, Clinical Neuropsychology, or Clinical and Health Psychology (Research). Click on these specializations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

These specialists often carry out fundamental research at a university or research institute and develop new methods and techniques, as well as psychological and statistical tests. They also often advise policymakers or researchers engaged in more practically oriented research.

• Researcher (PhD) at a university, hospital, or research institute, carrying out research into all sorts of subjects related to human behaviour.
• Analytics Consultant with Accenture or ABN Amro. An analytics consultant analyses data. In this way he or she helps companies improve various products and projects.
• Methodologist with a research institute. A methodologist designs questionnaires and ensures that research studies are reliable and are implemented properly.

Our methodologists and statisticians are graduates of the Master's specialization Methodology and Statistics in Psychology. Click on these specializations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

Developmental psychologists are specialized in the treatment of children and adolescents and their parents. They work both in mental healthcare and in schools.

• Developmental psychologist with a mental health institution (GGZ) or psychologists' practice. A developmental psychologist investigates and treats psychological problems in children and adolescents aged 18 and under.
• Dyslexia therapist with GGZ Rivierduinen or an educational consultancy such as OnderwijsAdvies. A dyslexia therapist investigates dyslexia in children and provides treatment in collaboration with the child's parents and teachers.
• School psychologist at a primary or secondary school. A school psychologist is a counsellor who encounters a wide range of problems, such as dyslexia and ADHD. School psychologists coach and treat children at school, but are also involved in diagnosis (establishing the causes of a child's problems).

Our developmental psychologists are graduates of the Master's specializations Child and Adolescent Psychology, School Psychology, or Developmental Psychology (Research). Click on these specializations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

Socialand organizational psychologists are involved in advising organizations if there are problems with employees (e.g., absenteeism), as well as advising on recruitment, training, coaching, management, workplace stress, absenteeism, counselling, sheltered employments, and career choices: in short, everything to do with the world of work. Examples of jobs and employers:

• Consultant with a company such as Deloitte, YoungCapital, or Shell. A consultant or advisor is someone who gives professional and expert advice to help organizations that have encountered problematic issues to improve or change the structure of the organization.
• Human Resource Manager with various companies and organizations. A Human Resource Manager is responsible for recruiting and selecting employees for an organization, as well as for their remuneration, assessment, and training.
• Corporate recruiter with Randstad employment agency or the Centre for Human Drug Research. A corporate recruiter acts as an intermediary between a company and a suitable candidate. He or she writes advertisements for vacancies, searches for applicants, and finds the right person for a specific job.

Oursocial and organisational psychologists are graduates of the Master's specialisations Social and Organisational Psychology or Social and Organisational Psychology (Research). Click on these specialisations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.

Consumer psychology is a relatively new branch of the marketing sector, in which the emphasis lies on the psychology and behaviour of consumers. In consumer psychology, psychological influencing techniques are used to increase the effectiveness of marketing messages. Examples of jobs and employers:

• Online Marketer with various brand names, such as Ace & Tate or TOPdesk. Online marketers improve the online sales of a product and ensure that companies attract and keep customers.
• Account Executive with Deloitte. An account executive is responsible for maintaining customer relations and advises customers and sells them a product or service. He or she may advise an organization about how to improve their presentations or how to save costs.
• Market Researcher with Ipsos Nederland. A market researcher carries out research into consumer behaviour and may for example interview consumers about certain products or brands. In this way they gather information to improve the way a product is marketed.

Our consumer psychologists are graduates of the Master's specialization Economic and Consumer Psychology. Click on these specializations to see a range of examples of jobs and employers.