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.

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.

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 Sweet Briar.

You can also begin the process of self exploration by visiting Career Services (CS) located on the second floor of Gray. Career Services 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 first year so that they can become familiar with its services and take advantage of the opportunities it offers.

• Counseling and Advising: discuss career exploration, job search strategies, or employment opportunities.

• Career Information Library: CS maintains a library of materials useful to psychology students who are exploring their career options (e.g., employer information, current job listings, and job search handouts). A publication of particular importance is the Occupational Outlook Handbook 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.

• Credential Files: Students may establish a permanent file of their employment credentials (e.g., resume and letters of recommendation) in CS that can be sent to prospective employers. Periodic updating of this file is essential.

• Workshops and Seminars: CS 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.)

• Recruiting: Qualified students may register with Careeer Services to be interviewed by companies and organizations who send recruiters to campus and to participate in recruiting programs sponsored by special groups.

• List serve: ask Career Services to put you on this list [studentcenter.com] for access to job announcments, job fares, fob opening, intership (some paid), both national and international. Psychology students are encouraged to utilize these leads to gain experience in their chosen areas of interest.

Learning About Occupations

Surveys of employers and psychology graduates indicate that the jobs obtained by psychology majors with a bachelors degree are most often in social service and business settings, such as:

• 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

    Sweet Briar's psychology alumnae tend to reflect the trends reported in these studies. Surveys indicate that some of the occupations held by psychology graduates include: counselor, house parent, social worker, youth minister, office manager, police trainee, crisis counselor, personnel manager, child care worker, events coordinator, recreation director, sales representative, conference coordinator, transitional consultant, intake care coordinator, administrative assistant, substance abuse counselor, occupational training supervisor, director of substance abuse program, vice president of a retail company, director of a child abuse program, director of religious education, director of outpatient services, manager of sales and marketing, director of personnel training, human resource manager, computer software designer, research project director, social worker, job program coordinator, social work supervisor, banking center manager, occupational therapist, market administrator, computer programmer, rape unit counselor, deputy prosecutor, technical writer, planning manager, criminal analyst, family therapist, college teacher, systems analyst, military officer, physician, attorney, nurse, pilot, and judge.

    An excellent resource for learning about various occupations is the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OH), which is published every two years by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. (Copies are available in Career Services.) 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 OH can provide you with a wealth of information about a wide range of jobs in a short time with relatively little expenditure of effort.

You may also want to do some research on starting salaries for occupations that interest you.

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 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

• How attitudes and opinions are formed and changed (Social Psychology)

• Principles and techniques of personnel selection and organizational development (specialized or graduate training)

• How people think, solve problems and process information (Cognition)

• Structure and dynamics of small groups (Social Psychology)

• Effects of the environment on people's feelings and actions (Introductory Psychology)

• Identifies and solves problems based upon a knowledge of research methodology and understanding of human behavior (Introductory Psychology and Experimental Psychology)

• Performs statistical analyses (Introductory Statistics)

• Designs and conducts research projects (Research in Psychology)

• Selects, administers, and interprets psychological tests (specialized or graduate training)

• Gathers and organizes information from multiple sources (Seminar in Psychology and Senior Seminar)

• Works productively as a member of a team (Experimental Psychology)

• Plans and carries out projects successfully (Research in Psychology and Independent Study)

• Ability to manage stress (any psychology class)

• Conducts interviews

• Writes proposals and reports (any psychology class that requires a paper)

Characteristics Rated Highly by Employers

• Satisfactory grades

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

• Outgoing personality

• Ability to present oneself in a positive manner

• Relevant previous employment

• Enthusiasm

• Flexibility

• Leadership

• Problem solving abilities

• High energy level

• Maturity

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 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 or take several internships. 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 or the Honors’ Saturday Enrichment Program) can also provide you with practical experience in developing, organizing, and running service programs.

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 Career Services.

Identifying Potential Job Openings

Career Services 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 Sweet Briar 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 heading 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 potential opportunity. For example, there was a recent advertisement for a "resident manager" in the Sunday edition of a 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 interest in social services.

Developing an Effective Resume

The Job Interview

Your interview with prospective employers 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. 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.