Employment Outlook & Career Guidance for Gerontologists

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Gerontology Employment

What Type of Positions Can a Geropsychologist Hold?

The estimated future demand for this type of psychologist will outnumber the actual amount of geropsychologists available, creating plenty of excellent career opportunities for psychologists in what Kori D. Novak, Ph.D., co-principle founder of the MELLIVORA GROUP, calls a “fairly ‘budding’ area.”

Because of the above-mentioned predictions, qualified geropsychologists and psychology graduates have a wide range of job openings to look forward to.

“Some psychologists work with lawyers to provide assessments of legal capacity or testify for the courts."–Tobi Abramson, Ph.D.

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Geropsychologists also find employment within a:

“Thinking even further out of the box – prisons, specialty psychology practices, hospices, and even religious organizations are seeing the benefit of providing specialty care to this population."–Kori D. Novak, Ph.D.

Ways for Geropsychologists to Increase Desirability as a Job Candidate

“There will not be enough geropsychologists trained to treat the increasing demand for psychological services. Any training… expertise in this area will open up possibilities. Be creative and think outside of the box. For example, providing services in the children realm for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren is an area one would not typically think of."–Tobi Abramson, Ph.D.

To demonstrate being at the forefront of the industry, Novak suggests getting involved in professional conferences (attending and presenting papers), and continuing education – whether it’s a master’s degree, doctorate, or certificate program. Keeping up with policy changes on the local, state, and national level can also create a more desirable job candidate.

Attributes that employers typically look for in a geropsychologist include:

“Showing employers that you are committed to the specialty is important. This can be through additional research, volunteer work, as well as education…"–Kori D. Novak, Ph.D.

Ways for a Geropsychologist to Increase his/her Salary

With the increased availability of quality online gerontology programs and other educational opportunities, education not only increases an employee’s worth to their employer but also allows a professional to command a higher salary.

Other ways for a geropsychologist to increase the potential of earning a higher salary include:

Novak also suggests that geropsychologists seek out industry-specific conferences relevant to his or her field, (such as long term care, health insurance, corrections, or palliative care), and start a specialty group as a way to establish themselves as a thought leader. She also highlights cross training as a way to increase a salary, which may include incorporating religious elements (as chaplains do), becoming a medical provider (such as a CNA, LPN, or RN), or becoming a certified caregiver.

Outside of pursuing a higher education, Novak suggests putting effort into enhancing one’s own marketability and PR as a way to gain new client bases, which can help boost a salary level.

“Simply telling people what you do, getting involved in the community in one way or another (church, PTA, Rotary club, volunteerism, etc.) and putting yourself out there increases your opportunities for growing the client base."–Kori D. Novak, Ph.D.

Networking Opportunities and Organizations

Playing an important role in finding a job, as well as staying relevant in the field, networking is an invaluable resource for geropsychologists.

“Many states have ‘behavioral health and aging’ conferences. The best way to find those is through online searches or call state agencies on aging."–Kori D. Novak, Ph.D.

“Geropsychologists can network through professional organizations, many of which hold local meet and greets, conferences, and workshops. For example, within New York State’s Psychological Association, there is the Adult Development and Aging division. This group holds educational workshops for professionals and students, and network opportunities."–Tobi Abramson, Ph.D.

Organizations geared towards geropsychologists include:

Continuing Education (CE) Sources

Beyond the state-approved continuing education (CE) programs available to psychologists, geropsychologists can also earn CE credits related to their field through the APA. In addition to providing an opportunity to develop as a professional, the following topics also help expand a geropsychologist’s overall knowledge of potential patients and clients:Advance Care Planning at the End of Life;Positive Aging: An Innovative Approach to Counseling Older Adults; andDiagnosis and Treatment of Cognitive Changes at the End of Life.

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