RE: What can you do with a degree in psychology?

(Here's an email I sent to my psychology majors about what you can do with a BA or BS in psychology.)

We had a large turnout last night to hear a speaker from A&S Career Services talk to us about what you can possibly do with a BA or BS in psychology. I understand that not everyone was able to make it, and some of you who were there were not able to get any of the handouts due to there be a lack of them. So I've attached the handouts to this email, and I have included some main points below from the speaker and from myself about facing the world with a bachelor's degree in psychology in hand.

1. Our speaker made the good point that there are plenty of directions you can go with a degree in psychology, but very few jobs out there that only want to hear from psychology majors when they go looking for resumes. True, some limited counseling services are done by people with just a BA or BS, but most jobs outside of counseling aren't going to state "only psychology majors apply." In fact, my brother does after-school counseling with Day Springs and he has a BS in business. Just goes to show, that you are not necessarily what you majored in.

2. Our speaker said that you need to do plenty of self-evaluation before you go applying for jobs. What do you like to do? What are your skills? Where do you want to live? Would you want a job where you would have to travel a lot? Would you want to work for a major or small sized company? Would you want to work for government for lower pay, but more job security, or for business with possibly higher pay and less job security?

3. She also asked, "What do you value?" I made the suggestion that students think about what they care about, what they think needs improvement most. There are plenty of problems in America, the world, that you can choose from to dedicate a life towards in many different ways. Myself? I obviously think education, particularly higher education, is very important and that a functioning democracy needs as many college educated citizens as possible. Under that umbrella, I have been both a teacher and an advisor. Under the umbrellas of health care, child care, the enviroment, energy, poverty . . . . . there are a lot of different jobs you could work at to make this old world a better place.

4. But what if you just want a job and don't feel like there is any particular cause you want to work towards? Selling widgets is fine with you. I think that is fine as well. But you are still going to have to do a good self-evaluation about what your skills happen to be. Taking my father for example. He doesn't think he is saving the world or solving any particular problem beyond wiping yourself by keeping the toilet paper machines running at the mill he works at. But he does get to exercise the problem solving and mechanical skills that he has developed and loves to use, and he has fed and housed a family of four in doing so.

5. I made the suggestion that you start reading classified adds for jobs in a field you might be interested in. I also suggested that you visit career fairs and company websites to learn more about potential employers and what they are looking for. Be sure to also talk with friends and family about their jobs and what they like or dislike.

6. Our speaker and I pointed out that A&S Career Services can help you with resume building, cover-letter writing, and interview preparation. These are important areas to be good at, for there are a lot of people who have a college degree out there who will be applying for the same job you are applying for. Don't let a mistake on your resume, for example, get you tossed to the reject pile on the first read through. A&S Career Services 744-5658 is located in the Student Success Center in 213 LSE, and you can use the same appointment calendar http://ascalendar.okstate.edu that you use to make appointments with your advisor.

7. Outside of the classroom experiences, jobs, internships, volunteer work, study abroad, were all mentioned as being important additions you can add to your degree in psychology. The more outside of the classroom experience you can add to your resume before you go looking for that first professional job, the better! For your degree is like a hunting or fishing permit. It allows you to look for that first, professional job, but it in no way by itself guarantees you'll get the job you want.

Finally, I've included some skills that psychology majors are likely to graduate with in higher degrees of ability than students from other majors. Your job is to match these skills to the job that you think would best suit you. It might turn out that you are wrong about the first job you take. Well, in that case, look for another. As our speaker pointed out, your job/career is not necessarily etched in stone. You can go on and do something else that you find more fulfilling.

PSYCHOLOGY

Insights into the range of human behavior / can better answer why we do the things we do or don’t do
Has quantitative / stat. knowledge
Knowledge of qualitative research skills as well
Well versed in the scientific method of research
Can readily compare and contrast information
Empathy skills – the ability to see and understand where other people are coming from in their behavior
Deductive and inductive reasoning
Likely possess a greater intuitive sense
Possess a high degree of emotional intelligence
As a rule, superior listening skills, consequently good at reducing conflicts and finding compromises
Insights into leadership and group dynamics as well as personality
Possess good language skills along with math / data skills
Can formulate an opinion and defend it with well stated evidence and reasoning while understanding and addressing the counter-argument(s).