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Psychology Major! What Are You Going to Do With That? Strategies for Maximizing Your Degree
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by Derek E. Zeigler, Ohio University,
Lindsay M. Orchowski, PhD,
Brown University (RI)
Categories: Career Preparation
In any economic climate, is important that individuals
pursuing a career in psychology understand how to
maximize their major, explore potential career paths, and
market their skills. However, undergraduates majoring in
psychology are oft en posed the question, “Psychology major!
What are you going to do with that?†Th e general public, as well
as current majors, are oft en unaware of potential career paths
for individuals with an undergraduate psychology degree.
Another common misperception is that psychology majors
have a narrow and limited array of career options. For example,
people frequently assume that psychology majors must pursue
graduate training to use their degree. Th ese misunderstandings
limit students’ ability to strategically tailor their major to match
their personal interests and advance their career aspirations.
Th e purpose of this paper is to debunk myths surrounding
career paths in psychology and provide practical suggestions
for maximizing an undergraduate psychology degree and
marketing the degree to potential employers.
Skills Acquired by Psychology Majors
Similar to other individuals with liberal arts degrees, psychology
majors are well trained in problem-solving, research skills,
contextual awareness, and critical evaluation. Psychology
majors are especially well suited for employment in fi elds that
emphasize (a) communication skills, (b) analytical skills,
(c) problem-solving skills, (d) teamwork, (e) fl exibility, and
(f) compassion. It is important that psychology majors are
aware that their training is well-suited to a number of careers,
and that they market themselves accordingly. Lloyd (1997)
identifi ed eight essential skills that employers seek when
considering an individual for a job; these include (a) having
a sense of curiosity and working well with others (i.e.,
adaptability); (b) quickly extracting important information
from readings and data (i.e., analysis skills); (c) concisely
conveying ideas in writing and when speaking; (d) database
management skills; (e) ability to judge appropriate behavior
(i.e., group interaction skills); (f) ability to achieve personal
goals within an organizational structure; (g) ability to absorb
new information; and (h) taking responsibility for achieving
goals (i.e., self-management). Many of these skills are already
integrated into the curriculum of a psychology major.
Regardless of the specialization pursued,
psychology majors generally know how to
ask good questions, develop ways to test
hypotheses, and analyze data in light of
coexisting cultural and societal paradigms.
Th e training in the scientifi c method,
statistics, and hypothesis testing that forms
the foundation of psychological science is
highly valuable to employers. Majors are also
well trained in recognizing the importance
of human diversity and multiculturalism.
Psychology majors are oft en well-skilled
in “perspective taking†and tend to keep in
mind how human behavior is constructed
by multiple, complex, interacting, and intersecting
infl uences. Psychology majors also
obtain their degree within a larger liberal
arts curriculum. Th e breadth of courses
required by liberal arts majors off ers students
extensive experiences to gain skills in
comparative analysis, conducting research,
and creating persuasive and well-developed
arguments. Furthermore, as a component
of a liberal arts degree, undergraduates are
oft en required to take classes within the
Modern Language Department. Multilingual
employees are increasingly in demand.
Studying a language abroad can also provide
students with a unique immersion experience
into a culture diff erent from their own.
It can be helpful to keep these experiences
and skills in mind when draft ing cover letters
to potential employers.
Common Career Paths in
Psychology and Related Fields
Most individuals who complete a psychology
degree do not seek careers in professional
practice or pursue advanced training
(O’Hara, 2005). Among those individuals
who do pursue graduate study in psychology,
however, only 50% obtain an advanced
degree in clinical or counseling psychology
(O’Hara, 2005). Many students are not aware
that it is not necessary to obtain a Doctor
of Philosophy (PhD) degree in clinical
or counseling psychology to practice as a
mental health care provider. Completing the
Masters of Education (MEd) or Doctor of
Psychology (PsyD) degree can also enable
an individual to become licensed to practice
as a mental health care provider. Other
options for career paths in mental health
care provision include completing advanced
training in marriage and family therapy,
social work, or school psychology. It is also
important to note that just as many individuals
seek advanced degrees in other areas of
psychology as seek degrees in clinical and
counseling psychology (O’Hara, 2005).
Th ese advanced degrees include, but are
not limited to, the areas of developmental,
experimental, social, industrial/organizational,
and cognitive psychology.
Th ere is also a range of potential careers
well-suited to psychology majors that do not
require advanced training. Because of the
breadth of training within the degree, psychology
majors seek employment in a wide
variety of fi elds. Ample work is available for
individuals with a BA or BS in psychology
in the areas of residential care, social and
human services, human resource management,
or teaching (DeGalan & Lambert,
2006). Psychology majors oft en seek
employment in the following areas: (a) state
and national human services agencies, (b)
shelters, (c) nursing homes, (d) correctional
facilities, (e) juvenile detention centers, (f)
group homes, (g) human resources, (h)
advertising, (i) business, (j) public relations,
(k) student aff airs (e.g. admissions, residential
life, student activities), (l) education
(e.g., child care worker, teacher’s aide), (m)
scientifi c research (e.g., market research,
opinion surveys), and (n) academic research
and teaching (DeGalan & Lambert, 2006).
According to Campbell (2008), most organizations
today feel they need employees
with a variety of educational backgrounds.
Psychology majors’ understanding of human
behavior—coupled with their generally
strong scientifi c and liberal arts educational
foundation—makes them a particularly
desirable new hire (Campbell, 2008).
To work towards employment in the
business field, psychology majors may want
to explore a few business classes as well as
coursework in industrial/organizational
psychology. Some majors may consider
pursuing a business minor in order to demonstrate
to future employers their specifi c
knowledge and training in the business field,
as well as their commitment to a career in
business.
Exploring Your Interests
Lloyd (1997) suggests that students are
oft en confused and unfocused about their
career and academic goals for two reasons:
(a) they don’t have much information about
the variety of career/academic options
available or what these may require, and
(b) they don’t know themselves very well, at
least with respect to how personal qualities
may be related to career options. Th erefore,
knowing yourself, your interests, and your
goals should be the psyche behind the
psych major. Th e wide range of opportunities
off ered to a psychology undergraduate
through a liberal arts degree allows students
to explore their interests while building a
strong foundation that future employers will
find desirable.
Strategy #1: Narrow your interests
and develop a tailored degree. As an
undergraduate, learning what you don’t like
to do is just as important as learning what
you do like to do. Psychology majors have
signifi cant freedom to explore classes in
many diff erent departments. Opportunities
to choose courses from other departments
(e.g., cross-listed courses) aren’t to be
thought of as a lack of scope in the degree,
but rather an opportunity to discover multidisciplinary
interests. Th e fi eld of psychology
has considerable overlap with several other
disciplines, especially sociology, criminal
justice, women’s studies, and mathematics.
Enrolling in cross-listed courses may help
students discover ways to tailor and personalize
their major. For example, math and
computer science courses may have useful
overlap for students interested in cognitive
psychology. Social work classes may be
especially intriguing to students interested
in clinical and social psychology. Pursuing a
minor in a related fi eld can also assist majors
in tailoring their degree. Some majors may
learn early on that they are interested in
child and adolescent development, behavior,
and psychopathology, and can build on this
knowledge by pursuing volunteer, research,
and employment opportunities that allow
them to gain advanced training.
Strategy #2: Develop mentoring
relationships. College campuses offer a
seemingly endless array of individuals with
diverse and extensive expertise. Connections
with mentors can be very valuable for career
development. Beyond simply fulfi lling
requirements for graduation, a mentoring
relationship can help to ensure that you are
making the most of your degree. Th us, it can
be helpful to develop one with an advisor
or another relevant professional early on
in the undergraduate degree process. Even
if your advisors are not a match for your
career interests, they can help to connect
you with other professionals who have
similar interests to your own. Additionally,
it has been our experience that graduate
students, although very busy, can also be particularly helpful when it comes to providing
feedback on navigating the graduate
school application process, helping students
to realize various career paths in psychology,
and providing an insider’s view on what
graduate training is like. Aside from helping
you to explore and narrow your career
interests, mentors can also serve as references
for future employers or write letters of
recommendation. The quality of a recommendation
or reference refl ects how well
your mentor knows you, as well as the quality
of your work and demonstrated desire
and motivation for future employment.
Strategy #3: Pursue additional research,
volunteer, and leadership opportunities. In
addition to helping you test drive a career, an
internship gives you relevant job experience
to include on your resume. You not only
learn more about the particular fi eld, but
you also gain a job reference (O’Hara, 2005).
Participating in such a position will help you
determine if your specifi c interest is a reasonable
choice. For example, some may fi nd
counseling very interesting, but later learn
that they have difficulty being patient with
individuals. It is helpful to understand what
the practical components of a career choice
will be like before applying for your first
position or committing to graduate study!
Working in a research laboratory is an
excellent way to discover likes and dislikes in
the fi eld of psychology. And notably, faculty
and graduate students are oft en searching for
help from undergraduates to assist with data
processing, data entry, or participant recruitment
for experiments. A simple expression
of interest via email to a faculty member
or graduate student will likely initiate this
process. Th e primary objective of laboratory
research is to see a behind-the-scenes view
of how psychological research is conducted.
Students will also realize whether the
research is of interest to them. Dealing and
caring for collected data is also an essential
learning experience in a laboratory, and
requires patience, persistence, and a careful
work ethic.
Being proactive in the laboratory can
provide you with not only the nuts and bolts
of psychological science, but also exposure
to how a psychological research program
functions and evolves over time. We encourage
undergraduates who volunteer in the
laboratory to (a) stick with it to learn the
basic skills of laboratory work; and then
(b) be proactive about pursuing additional
responsibilities, developing their own
research projects with advisors and graduate
student mentors, and gathering an array
of laboratory experiences beyond working
on one project. Aft er establishing yourself
as a reliable contributor to the research
laboratory, larger opportunities to work
more collaboratively with faculty or graduate
students will oft en present themselves.
Th ese opportunities may come in the form
of facilitating a peer-based intervention,
assisting on a poster or paper presentation,
or collaborating with a professor or peer
on an article for publication. All of these
opportunities, although time-consuming,
can expand your repertoire of skills and help
you hone in on your career interest.
Joining an organization such as Psi
Chi, the International Honor Society in
Psychology, or becoming a student member
of a national, regional, or specialized psychological
organization, not only demonstrates
your commitment to the fi eld of psychology,
but also provides a range of helpful careerrelevant
resources. Participation in group
activities around campus can also help to
develop your people skills. Even if these
groups or activities are not psychologyrelated,
they still refl ect a willingness to be
involved with group tasks. If you are an
events planner or hold a position within a
campus organization (i.e., treasurer, activities
chair), for example, you may also show
how these skills are a good match for the
requirements of a desired position
(O’Hara, 2005).
Strategy #4: Be strategic. Employers
tend to believe that your past academic
and professional behavior can predict your
behavior in the work setting. Because there
are so many opportunities for undergraduates,
it is important to pick the ones that
are the best fit for you—and not just the
most convenient! Th erefore, be strategic
in locating opportunities that are a good
match for further developing your interests.
Successful applicants—for a job or graduate
school—should be able to communicate
in their application why they are driven to
the position, what training experiences and
classes have taught them about being a good
fi t for the particular specialization, and also
in what area of psychology they would like
to develop an expertise through the position.
Conclusion
There is no one way to pursue a psychology
major! The strong science background of
a psychology major prepares students to
pursue a range of careers, and the fl exibility
of the degree enables students to tailor their
degree to refl ect their specialized career
interests. Nonetheless, students can maximize
their psychology major by knowing
the strengths of the major, taking advantage
of diverse, cross-disciplinary course off erings,
partaking in training experiences,
networking among faculty, volunteering in
laboratory research or clinical activities, and
joining peer organizations. By being strategic
about the courses that you take, the types
of activities you engage in throughout your
college experience, and persistent in exploring
new interests and expanding existing
passions, you can maximize your psychology
degree to make yourself a competitive candidate
for the career path of your choice.
Derek E. Zeigler is a senior psychology major at Ohio University. He is the president of Students Overcoming Stigma, a peer-based mental health advocacy group. He has volunteered as a research assistant for the Laboratory for the Study and Prevention of Sexual Assault at Ohio University, and is currently developing an honors thesis with the SCOPE laboratory for psychophysics and cognitive science.
Lindsay M. Orchowski, PhD, completed her doctorate in clinical psychology with a specialization in applied quantitative psychology and a graduate certificate in WomenÕs Studies at Ohio University and a clinical internship at the Brown University Clinical Psychology Internship Consortium (RI). She is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the Brown University Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. Her research interests include violence prevention and professional issues in psychology.