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 bachelors 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

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 bachelors degree in psychology are employed in business settings. Therefore, it would be wise to consider taking some business 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 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 obtaining course credit for practical experience by enrolling in Psyc 490 or 491 – Fieldwork in Psychology, which combines an individual's on-site practical experience with readings and individual meetings with the supervising faculty member. Enrollment in this course requires junior or senior status and permission of the department. A cumulative and psychology GPA of 3.00 is recommended (See Dr. Spitzer). You may also want to consider 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 (See Dr. Rager).

"When people consider the question, ‘What am I able to do with a bachelors degree in psychology,’ they are usually thinking about what kind of job they might get. However, there is another way of looking at this question which you should consider as part of your career planning. That is, you should seriously think about what in fact you are able to do in terms of the skills you may have acquired while majoring in psychology" (Edwards, 1989, p. 1). These wise words are the introduction to the following lists of skills that Edwards compiled for his students at Loyola University.

Human Services Skills: These are skills necessary for successful employment in situations where direct services are provided to individuals who are in need of help.

• Perform institutional research and evaluation. Write reports and proposals clearly and objectively.
• Organize and lead groups, organizations, or committees.
• Recognize and understand behavioral and emotional disorders.
• Select, administer, score, and interpret psychological tests.
• Respond in an unbiased and tolerant way to individual differences.
• Display fundamental counseling skills with individuals and groups.
• Collect, record, and report statistical and qualitative information.
• Perform crisis intervention techniques (e.g., listening and referral).
• Perform interviews to learn about people's history, problems, and plans.
• Contribute to program or treatment planning, evaluation, and implementation.
• Demonstrate small group skills (e.g., team building and conflict management).
• Communicate effectively and sensitively in both individual and group situations.
• Obtain information about problems through library research and personal contacts.
• Critically evaluate theories and research and apply the results to solve problems.
• Analyze problems on the basis of personal experience and psychological principles.
• Understand and modify your attitudes and actions in interactions with other people.

• Construct and administer questionnaires.
• Use a variety of types of research equipment.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data.
• Present verbal presentations clearly and persuasively.
• Defend ideas in a clear, objective, non-dogmatic manner.
• Be familiar with a variety of research methods and designs.
• Recruit research subjects and treat them in an ethical manner.
• Select, administer, score, and interpret various psychological tests.
• Write reports clearly, concisely, objectively, and in the correct style.
• Use library resources to research problems and prepare literature reviews.
• Identify problems and suggest solutions on the basis of research findings.
• Create easily understood graphs, tables, and verbal descriptions of results.
• Select and compute appropriate statistical tests and interpret their results.
• Assemble, interpret, and critically analyze research findings in specific areas.
• Use computers to write reports, analyze data, and perform bibliographic searches.
• Deal effectively with financial, temporal, and personnel constraints on research.

• Students should realize that they may not develop these skills if they do not take full advantage of all their undergraduate opportunities (e.g., research and extracurricular activities). It is also equally important to obtain a broad, liberal education in addition to these specific skills

Edwards, J. (1989). What are you able to do with a bachelor's degree in psychology? Unpublished manuscript, Loyola University, Chicago. BACK