Milestone One: Know What Skills in Your Coursework Are Sought by Employers
Employers are looking for motivated, committed, goal-oriented employees who will come to work on time, are prepared to use strong interpersonal and critical-thinking skills, and who will perform their job in a competent, productive, and positive manner. You should also be able to identify and describe how you used your undergraduate education to acquire and strengthen these skills during your interviews. One way to do this is to ask your professional references to provide examples of how you have demonstrated these skills in class, on an internship, or in other experiences.
Using the skills you’ve learned in your psychology curriculum is also crucial to your success. When you begin to understand these assets, you should be able to describe the knowledge and skills gained through the major, understand the value employers place on your knowledge and skills, and be able to explain the connection between the major and the job.
Psychology majors develop the skills needed to:
- Apply knowledge in psychology
- Use scientific reasoning and think critically
- Demonstrate ethical and social responsibility in a diverse world
- Communicate (both oral and written communication)
- Show professional development
List developed through APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (PDF, 447KB)
Employers seek applicants who can:
- Analyze and solve complex problems
- Effectively communicate (both oral and written communication)
- Display teamwork skills
- Think critically and display analytical reasoning skills
- Show ethical judgment and strong decision-making skills
- Demonstrate technology skills
List developed through Hart Research’s Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success (PDF, 317KB)
Milestone Two: Know What You Can Do With Your Degree in Psychology
Psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate majors in the U.S., yet only 14 percent of psychology bachelor’s degree holders earned graduate degrees in psychology. So, what do the rest of graduates go on to do? Careers with an undergraduate degree in psychology genuinely vary. When considering careers, it’s essential to know your skill sets and what work best fits your personality and interests. Knowing that employers value many of the skills that psychology teaches, it’s up to you to start planning early and honing your skills ahead of graduation.
Popular career options for psychology majors:
- Sales (20%)
- Professional services (17%)
- Management / supervision (16%)
- Teaching (11%)
- Accounting / finance / contracts (9%)
- Employee relations (5%)
- Research (3%)
List developed through Datapoint: What do people do with their psychology degrees?
Other career possibilities:
- Health and medical services
- Technology
- Law and law enforcement
- Social and human services
- Children and families
- Sport, fitness, and recreation
- Military
- Counseling and therapy
- Other emerging careers
List developed through Online career-exploration resource for psychology majors
Spotlight on Different Career Paths
Milestone Three: Gain Diverse Applied Learning Experiences
In addition to recognizing the skills embedded in your psychology coursework and the skills employers seek, it’s also crucial to take advantage of different professional and educational experiences throughout your time as a student. Among the most important experiences employers look for are internships within the industry, leadership experiences, and general work experiences. But, there are additional ways to stand out to an employer. These experiences will help get you hired.
You can gain valuable experiences through:
- Internships
- A senior thesis project
- Courses involving significant writing
- Collaborative research projects
- Community service-learning projects
- Field projects in diverse communities
- Study abroad programs
- Nonpsychology minors in career-specific fields
- Work experience
- Leadership positions
- Extracurricular activities
- Informational Interviewing
Milestone Four: Market Yourself
You have a solid understanding of your skills, the skills employers seek, your career possibilities, and have participated in a variety of professional and educational experiences throughout your time in school. However, this doesn’t automatically guarantee you’ll get the job. Selling yourself is essential to success. Although it can feel uncomfortable, remember: if you’re not selling yourself, no one will.
- Participation in groups related to your areas of interest such as clubs, community groups, and professional organizations
- Strong writing samples that you’ve developed during your time in school or at your internships
- A clean social media presence including a strong LinkedIn profile to help you network and identify job opportunities
- An “elevator pitch” that will help you communicate what you’re looking for and prepare you for effective networking at colleges, universities, and community job fairs
- Convincing answers to challenging interview questions such as “How did you use your college education to develop the skills you will need to succeed in the job for which you are applying?”
- Professional and academic references that provide evidence and validation of your skills
- The job titles you are pursuing or will pursue and knowledge of the skills needed for the types of jobs
- Job search opportunities offered through your career services office, such as mock interviews, creating an e-portfolio, contacting psychology alumni, resume assistance, and similar opportunities
- A professionally formatted resume and tailored cover letters that connect your skills and experiences to job requirements
Who Will Help You Prepare
Utilize people and resources available to you throughout your career search.
- Career advisors
- Mentors
- Academic advisors
- Family and friends
- Your network
