This presentation has been published on university website in Canada. It deals with job profile of I/O psychologist. The author describes the job of I/O psychologist. More precisely, he presents duties and responsibilities, a typical workday but also education level required. Moreover he develops skills judging essential to be a good I/O psychologist. In conclusion, the article discusses the subject of future professional life.
The target audience is students or people who want to change careers. This makes it possible to have overview of formation and job. However, this information are write for an American audience. Indeed, in France, we don’t have need same qualifications. For example, in Ontario a master’s degree in psychology is required for to become an Industrial/Organization Psychologist. Otherwise, it is also strongly advised to have a Ph. D. while in France, this level of degree move toward a research career.
Salary differences is a second distinction between north American and France. In fact, the article estimates median salary approximately $120.000 annually. Comparatively, in France, median salary for an I/O Psychologist is approximately 31.000 $ (orientation.com ; letudiant.fr). This big difference can be explicates by the cost of living which isn’t the same (cost of studies, hospital …). However it is notable that despite this two differences, skills, interests and abilities more or less identical (e.g. make work analyses and to collect information about work environment).
Nevertheless, at the reading of this article, we formulate various suggestions which, for us, would have been appreciated.
In addition this article could be more specific. Although generalist aspect of this article is interesting, the author could have provide more concrete illustrations. For example, we expected have a presentation of different workplace (e.g. hospital, recruitment agency, human resources services, town hall).
Moreover, we needed a presentation of other professional which the I/O Psychologist has had to collaborate. For example this is the case of ergonomist, labour doctor, human resources manager or social worker.
Thirdly, it is too bad that the article doesn’t expose the insertion in the workplace. Indeed, this one can be very difficult such as in France. As French readers it would have been interesting to know the situation of job market to envisage to leave the country and maybe get a better job security.
Associated at that, a paragraph dealing with equivalence between other countries and Canada is missing. That would have been all the more interesting because this article is addressed to beginners in psychology.
Vocabulary :
- town hall : mairie, Hotel de ville
- labour doctor : Médecin du travail
- seamlessly : de façon fluide / sans problème / facilement
- to gather : recueillir
- versatile : polyvalent
- appraisals : des évaluations
- wide breadth of focus : large champ d’action
- set of skills : ensemble de compétences
- ergonomist : ergonome
- social worker : assistante sociale/travailleurs sociaux
Alice Le Saout & Mathieu Rignault