THE BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN PSYCHOLOGY:
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES
A simple response to the question, "What can I do with a major
in psychology?" might be, "just about anything that involves
working with people." Another approach would be to list all of the
occupations that psychology majors have successfully pursued. Neither of
these approaches by itself, however, helps YOU to make career decisions.
The purpose of this section is not only to provide you with some information
about potential employment opportunities after completing your psychology
degree, but also to make some suggestions about how to handle occupational
decisions and successfully land that first job.
Let us begin with some important facts. The undergraduate major in psychology
is a liberal arts degree, not a professional degree. It does not make you
a psychologist or a professional counselor. These occupations require specific
training at the graduate level and are regulated by state law. If such
occupations interest you, be prepared to continue your education in graduate
school.
While some occupations in psychology require graduate training, there
are many interesting and rewarding career opportunities available to individuals
with a bachelor's degree in psychology. Your selection of an appropriate
occupation, however, requires some self-analysis and research. Ultimately,
successful employment depends on your efforts to (1) make informed decisions
about your career, (2) learn about prospective occupations, (3) acquire
appropriate knowledge, skills, and characteristics for such occupations,
and (4) learn how to conduct a well-planned job search. This section will
address each of these four points.
Making Decisions About Your Career
An occupational choice can be one of the most difficult decisions a
person makes, with consequences for both life satisfaction and life style.
Unfortunately, many students approach this decision in a haphazard and
informal manner; they neither explore potential occupations systematically
nor prepare themselves adequately to successfully obtain a particular job.
In fact, many students simply do not worry about careers until their senior
year, when they discover that they lack courses or have failed to develop
necessary skills for occupations that interest them.
Successful career planning requires careful and objective self-assessment,
a realistic understanding of your aptitudes and skills, an awareness of
responsibilities associated with potential employment settings, careful
selection of experiences designed to develop marketable skills and knowledge,
and an action plan for conducting a successful job search. The following
sections are designed to give you some guidance in each area.
Self-Assessment
Socrates said, "Know thyself." Two thousand years later, this is still good advice. It is essential that you know (or discover) your interests, preferences, values, aptitudes, and abilities. There are several formal opportunities for exploring yourself available at UD. Consider enrolling in UDI 158, Introduction to Career Development, a course which focuses on your interests, skills, and aptitudes and acquaints you with the techniques, procedures, and resources helpful in a successful job search. You can also begin the process of self exploration by visiting the Career Services Center (CSC) located in the Caldwell Street Center (229-2045). The CSC offers the following services to assist students who are exploring careers, preparing job searches, and applying for professional positions. Psychology students are encouraged to register with this office in their freshman year so that they can become familiar with its services and take advantage of the opportunities it offers.
Learning About Occupations
Surveys of employers and psychology graduates indicate that the jobs obtained by psychology majors with a bachelor's degree are most often in social service and business settings, such as:
An excellent resource for learning about various occupations is the
Occupational Outlook
Handbook , which is published every two years by the
U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. (Copies are available in the CSC and
Roesch Library.) This book is a comprehensive guide to occupations. It
includes job descriptions, education and training requirements, advancement
possibilities, salaries, and employment outlooks for 250 occupations. Go
to the index at the back of the books and look up the page references for
the occupations you are interested in pursuing. Note the titles of related
jobs listed at the end of each occupational description, find these job
titles in the index, and then read about them. Reading the Occupational
Handbook can provide you with a wealth of information about a wide range
of jobs in a short time with relatively little expenditure of effort.
Developing Knowledge, Skills, and Characteristics
Part of knowing and marketing yourself involves a clear understanding
of the specific knowledge, skills, and characteristics (KSCs) valued by
employers and obtained through completing the bachelor's degree in psychology.
Numerous studies have documented the KSCs employers look for in prospective
employees, and they are summarized in the following lists. Psychology courses
that emphasize specific skills or types of knowledge are indicated in parentheses.
It is important that you develop and communicate your proficiency in these
KSCs to be successful on the job market.
Knowledge Learned By Psychology Majors That Employers Seek
Skills Learned By Psychology Majors That Employers Seek
Characteristics Rated Highly by Employers
As you can see, many of the skills listed above are important components
of the psychology curriculum. In fact, the core of courses that all psychology
majors take emphasizes skill development in all of these areas. When it
comes to content areas in psychology, however, it is important to carefully
select courses that best match your potential career.
Another important, yet often overlooked, aspect of skill and knowledge
development is your selection of elective courses and a minor. For example,
many graduates with a bachelor's degree in psychology are employed in business
settings. Therefore, it would be wise to consider taking some business
and computer courses. Courses offered by other departments can be essential
in obtaining job skills and knowledge for your future occupation as well.
These courses can be used as electives or applied to a minor. Once you
have narrowed down your potential employment settings, you should meet
with your advisor to discuss the best selection of courses to help you
obtain your career objective.
Potential employers also value some practical experience. There are
several options to obtain this experience. One strategy is to seek part-time
or full-time jobs related to your desired employment setting. You may also
want to consider participating in cooperative education or volunteer activities
that can provide practical experience in social service settings. Active
involvement in leadership positions in student organizations (e.g., Psychology
Club and Psi Chi) can also provide you with practical experience in developing,
organizing, and running service programs.
The Job Search
By the beginning of your senior year, you should have decided on a career
path and obtained the basic skills and knowledge necessary for an entry
position in that field. Unfortunately, your future employers will not seek
you out; you will have to aggressively seek out and convince them that
you are the employee that they should hire. To accomplish this (1)
identify position openings and make contacts, (2) develop an effective
resume, and (3) learn to interview successfully. Some strategies for each
of these are discussed below. However, your best resource for all aspects
of preparing to get your first job is the CSC.
Identifying Potential Job Openings
The CSC is your primary resource in your search for potential jobs,
but there are several other strategies for identifying potential job openings.
First, ask people you know to identify individuals with whom you might
talk to about your career interest. Friends, family, past or present employers,
and people with whom you have done volunteer work are all excellent resources
for contacts. Another strategy is to use the yellow pages of the phone
book to identify companies, agencies or organizations that may employ people
in your career interest area. Call these companies or agencies and ask
to speak to a person who holds the type of position that you are seeking.
When you contact someone, explain that you are a student at UD nearing
graduation and that you are interested in obtaining a job in their profession.
Ask if they would be available to meet with you for an "information
interview" to discuss their profession. The worst that can happen
is that they will say "no." Be prepared to offer them several
potential meeting times. Do not attempt to conduct the interview on the
phone at that moment. The person may be busy and only able to give you
cursory information. Be sure you go to the interview with a list of well
thought-out questions. Toward the end of the interview, ask if they can
suggest other people to talk to about the profession. This helps expand
your contacts.
Finally, another source of job openings is the newspaper. Every day
numerous jobs are listed under headings such as administrative assistant,
customer service, sales, day care, and management--all of which are potential
career options with your psychology degree. Read the job descriptions in
advertisements very carefully, or you may miss a good opportunity. For
example, a recent advertisement for a "resident manager" was
seen in the newspaper. Although you may have quickly skipped over this,
the advertisement was seeking a resident manager for a girl's group home,
a job relevant for career interests in social services.
Developing an Effective Resume
Your resume is a critical element of an effective job search. It may
be the only initial contact you have with a potential employer. In other
situations, your resume is the only record the employer has after the interview.
An effective resume is neat, easily read, and provides a concise summary
of your professional goals, education, and experience. You may even want
to develop more than one resume for different occupational goals. Begin
working on your resume during your first year of college. Revise and update
it as you progress through your college education. This allows plenty of
time to get feedback on your resume from your advisor and the CSC.
The Job Interview
Your interview with prospective employer is your opportunity to impress
them with your potential as a future employee. Although few initial interviews
result in an immediate job offer, the first interview plays a crucial role
in identifying candidates that the company may look at more closely. Therefore,
it is critical that you make a strong, favorable first impression. The
most important personal qualities that employers look for are good communication
skills, clearly defined professional goals, and an honest, outgoing personality.
Take interviews very seriously and prepare for each one in advance.
Make an appointment with the CSC to do a video-taped practice interview.
In addition, be knowledgeable about the employer with whom you are interviewing.
This will enable you to ask specific questions about the company that will
generate a favorable impression. Finally, follow up the interview with
a thank-you note. This reinforces the favorable impression you made during
the interview and keeps you fresh in the interviewer's mind.
Portions of this section were adapted from Handbook of Kennesaw State
College Psychology Department Handbook (Hill, 1992), Career Development
and Opportunities for Psychology Majors (Ware, 1993), and Handbook
of Marian College Psychology Department (Appleby, 1995).