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 bachelors 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. You can begin the process of self exploration by visiting
the Career Services Office located in 211 Kearney Hall. The Career Services
Office offers the following services to assist students who are exploring
careers, preparing job searches, and applying for professional positions.
• Career Information Library: The Career Services Office maintains a library of materials useful to students who are exploring their career options (e.g., employer information, current job listings, and job search handouts
• Credential Files: Students may establish a permanent file of their employment credentials (e.g., resume and letters of recommendation) in the Career Services Office that can be sent to prospective employers. Periodic updating of this file is essential.
• Workshops and Seminars: The Career Services Office offers or sponsors a series of seminars and workshops each year to aid career-seeking students (e.g., Resume Writing, Job Search Techniques, Interviewing Strategies, etc.).
• Recruiting: Qualified students may register in the Career Services Office to be interviewed by companies and organizations who send recruiters to campus and to participate in recruiting programs.
• Vacancy Announcements: The Career Services Office has compiled a listing of employment opportunities.
• Part-Time Employment and Internships opportunities are also available through the Career Services Office. Psychology students are encouraged to utilize these leads to gain experience in their chosen areas of interest.
• Business:
personnel administrator, loan officer, retail sales management, occupational
analyst, industrial relations specialist, claims specialist, and marketing
representative.
• Social Services:
group home attendant, case worker, probation officer, admissions counselor,
occupational therapist, substance abuse counselor, youth counselor, employment
counselor, social service aide, public health administrator, parole officer,
social-urban planner, community relations officer, affirmative action officer,
vocational rehabilitation, and day care center supervisor
A publication of particular importance
is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (in the Library) that describes
the current and future availability of jobs in psychology and psychology-related
fields and provides valuable sources of information about these career
options. The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OH), is published every
two years by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. 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. It can provide you with a wealth of information about
a wide range of jobs with relatively little expenditure of effort.