Forensic Psychologist Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Forensic Psychologist resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Forensic psychologists provide expert opinions and testimony in courtrooms, helping to decide whether someone is mentally fit to stand trial, determine whether someone is guilty of committing a crime, or identify why someone committed a crime in the first place. They also conduct research, analyze data, and study trends to help psychologists and other mental health professionals better understand and treat mental illness.
If you’re interested in a career as a forensic psychologist—or just want to add “forensic psychologist” to your resume—here are some tips and an example for writing your own fantastic forensic psychologist resume.
How to Write a Forensic Psychologist Resume
Here’s how to write a forensic psychologist resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most effective way to showcase your experience and qualifications. But rather than simply listing your duties and responsibilities, you can make your bullet points much more interesting and compelling by using specific examples and metrics.
For example, rather than saying you “conducted psychological evaluations,” you could say you “conducted psychological evaluations for individuals facing criminal charges and provided court testimony regarding risk assessment and sentencing recommendations.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides more detail about what exactly you did and the outcomes of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit your resume online, it’s likely that it will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. These programs look for specific terms related to the job opening in order to determine whether your skills and experience are a match for the position. So if you want your resume to make it past the ATS, it’s important to include relevant keywords throughout all sections of your application.
The most commonly used forensic psychologist keywords are:
- Psychology
- Mental Health
- Psychotherapy
- Forensic Psychology
- Mental Health Counseling
- Psychological Assessment
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Issues
- Interventions
- Crisis Intervention
- Mental Health Clinical Work
- Psychology Research
- Psychometrics
- Psychophysiology
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychological Testing
- Criminal Psychology
- Family Therapy
- Group Therapy
- Psychology Training
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Forensic Psychology Practice
- Psychological Assessment Services
- Evidence-based Practice
- Quantitative Psychology
- Criminal Investigations
- Child Protective Services
- Child Abuse
- Family Dynamics
- Juvenile Justice
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a forensic psychologist, you are responsible for using technology to collect and analyze digital evidence. This might include using software to extract data from computers and cell phones, or using specialized tools to examine social media accounts. Additionally, forensic psychologists often use CCTV footage and other types of video evidence in their work.
So if you have experience with any of the technologies or methods mentioned above, be sure to list them on your resume. This will show that you are familiar with the tools and methods used by forensic psychologists and that you are capable of using technology to collect and analyze digital evidence.