r/IOPsychology

noticed that siop‘s 2028 conference is no longer listed as Salt Lake City but now is “TBD.” anybody got the scoop? I’m just curious

Was gonna link but it actually doesn’t even show this on mobile, only on desktop. mystery intensifies.

(sorry if I missed an email, I only pay my dues when I am submitting to the conference :))

I think the attitudes of law enforcement officers in many countries is deeply problematic. I also think that I/O psych might offer the best way to measure the problem. Any studies on this?

EDIT: I am particularly interested in interactions between law enforcement and 1st and 4th amendment "auditors".

I'm interested in organisational development, even learning and development. For that, do people get some HR experience first? I was into clinical psychology before then I changed my mind. I'm not quite sure how this career path works. I wanted some corporate exposure as well and it's so hard to get an email back from HR dep. Even if they get back they offer HR admin roles.

My question to the ones who are pursuing io is that how do you all manage to get an internship? How do we get niche roles?

Hi everyone!
I’ve been job searching for several months, and I just graduated with my masters in IO Psych in May. Does anyone have any tips or pointers or any resources? I’m struggling so bad and crashing out about not having any job security. I’ve hit endless walls. PLEASE HELP

I’m on the verge of starting my first year of college classes. I’ve always wanted to go into psychology, but now I’m worried I won’t be able to afford/spare getting to a masters degree. And if I can’t do that I worry getting a BA isn’t worth it. Thing is, I don’t know what else I’d go into? Maybe business but I don’t really adore math and numbers unless it’s for psychology. And I’d rather not work all day every day, just enough to live comfortably with my partner for our lives.

Anyone know jobs out there for BA in psychology that’s got a good guaranteed outlook?

Hi everyone,

I'm an international student in the UK and will be starting an MSc in Organisational Psychiatry & Psychology at King's College London this September after graduating with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from a UK university.

My long-term goal is to build my career and remain in the UK after graduating. I'm particularly interested in HR, People Operations, Organisational Development, Employee Experience, Workplace Wellbeing, and organisational psychology-related roles.

So far, I've tried to build relevant experience throughout university, including:

• HR & Recruitment internship (remote)
• Vice President of my Psychology Society
• Course Representative
• Student Wellbeing & Accessibility Representative
• Other leadership and volunteering roles
• A potential opportunity to complete a part-time internship with the Society of Occupational Medicine during my MSc

My current plan is to:

• Find a relevant part-time HR/People role during my master's
• Potentially complete the SOM internship alongside it (if possible within the 20-hour work limit)
• Apply early for 2027 graduate schemes and entry-level HR/People roles that sponsor international graduates

I know the UK job market is competitive, so I'd really like to make the best decisions over the next year.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on a few things:

1. What part-time roles would you prioritise during an MSc if your goal was to maximise employability after graduation?
2. Is HR experience generally more valuable than a psychology/occupational health internship, or would you try to do both?
3. Are there particular companies, graduate schemes, or sectors you'd recommend focusing on?
4. Looking back, is there anything you wish you'd done differently during your master's?
5. I know networking is important, but I'm completely new to it. Where would you start if you were in my position?

I'd really appreciate any advice, especially from people working in I/O psychology, HR, organisational development, or related fields. Thank you!

Note: I'm not necessarily aiming to become an HCPC-registered Occupational Psychologist immediately, I'm more focused on building a career in organisational psychology, HR, and people strategy.

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate some honest advice from people who've been through this.

My background: I'm a rising senior, majoring in Elementary Education. I'm an international student graduating in May 2027. I don't have a psychology background, and I haven't taken any statistics courses yet.

Why I'm considering I/O Psychology: I've always wanted to work in a corporate environment, and the more I learn about I/O Psychology — especially the People Analytics side — the more it feels like the right fit. I'm interested in analyzing both people data and business data to help organizations make better decisions. I also think my educational background could translate well into the Training & Development side of I/O.

Relevant experience I do have:

• GPA: 3.98
• Two research experiences in Education Policy, including presenting findings at an academic conference (not I/O-related in content, but I do have hands-on experience with the research process — data collection, analysis, and presenting findings)
• Internship at a non-government org (marketing role).
• Summer camp instructor at a museum.

My honest concerns:

• I'm switching from a completely unrelated field with less than a year before I need to apply
• I haven't taken GRE yet, not sure if I should — but if it's necessary, I'm fully committed to putting in the work, even if it means studying late nights on top of my already packed schedule
• I haven't taken any psychology or statistics courses yet
• My research experience is in Education Policy, not I/O — not sure how much that "counts" to admissions committees
• As an international student, I also need to think about funding/scholarships and post-grad work authorization (OPT/CPT)
• I want a program that's well-regarded enough to carry weight if I move back to my own country, but I also don't want to sacrifice practical training and career outcomes for prestige alone

What I'm currently doing about it:

• Starting a self-directed project this summer (designing a survey, analyzing the data in Excel) just to get a feel for the work
• Trying to take a psych or stats course this fall
• Planning to look into winter internship opportunities in HR/People Analytics as well
• Reaching out to current I/O grad students on LinkedIn for informational chats
• Looking into programs like UGA, MTSU, George Mason, Columbia (Teachers College), and a few in Canada (Queen's, Waterloo) for funding-friendly, practitioner-focused options
• I reached out to several psychology professors to conduct research in the coming fall semester. I have set up meetings with two professors so far.

I know I'm coming in with a non-traditional background and a tight timeline, but I'm genuinely all-in on this. I'm currently juggling three part-time jobs and a busy schedule, but I'm willing to make whatever sacrifices are needed to make this work.

My questions for this community:

1. For those who switched from a non-psych major, what helped you the most in catching up?
2. Is GRE still worth prioritizing, or is it becoming less relevant for I/O programs?
3. Does research experience in an unrelated field (Education Policy, with a conference presentation) still strengthen an I/O application, or do admissions committees mainly care about I/O-specific research?
4. Any honest opinions on practitioner-focused vs. research-focused programs for someone who wants to go into industry (not academia)?
5. Anything you wish you'd done differently in the year before applying?

Thanks so much in advance — this community has been incredibly helpful for me just from lurking, so I wanted to ask directly. Happy to share more details if useful!

I am about to start my masters in psychology, and am inclining towards IO psychology majorly because I dont like the proper therapy setting. But i am very confused about how do i step into the industry, what skills are required in this field, and what can i do to standout from others. What kind of Internships i need to do or what roles i can get. Help pleasse

Hello!! I'm currently considering future careers, and I have a really strong passion for both biology and psychology. Though I am attending college for my bachelor's in biology, I am definitely considering switching to psychology - I've fallen in love with the study of it, and have been strongly considering continuing to get a PhD in I/O Psych. I came here to ask what kind of jobs people with PhDs in I/O Psych have landed. What is it like, what do you do? Salary (if you're willing to share)? How often do you use actual psychology in your job? And do you enjoy it?

I am currently doing my bachelors in zcb and planning to pursue ​masters in industrial - organizational psychology and I was wondering whether this is the correct choice and if the career scope is truly as some sources on google say. I'll probably be doing a PhD too after it but approximation ​abt the job market and stuff would be highly appreciated. Kindly help me.

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