A B.A. degree from the College of Liberal Arts with a major in Psychology is a broad liberal arts degree that prepares you for a variety of careers. The particular path you take is up to you. Some options require a general liberal arts college degree; others allow more utilization of the specific knowledge gained as a psychology major.
You have acquired a number of employable skills as you complete your BA degree, not the least of which is demonstrating that you can persist to achieve a difficult goal--only 25% of the American workforce has a college degree. Your degree can be used in a variety of careers: business careers such as management, human resources, advertising or sales and marketing; human service careers; technological positions such as web page design or user interface design; or research positions in a variety of areas. What you do now can improve your resume for obtaining this kind of position.
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW
PREPARING FOR THE SEARCH
THE SEARCH FOR JOBS
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW: Whether you go on for additional training or start your career with a BA—is that organizations are looking for a fit between you and their jobs. Employers want to know three things:
- Can you do the work?
- Will you be happy doing the work?
- Do you have experience in the field?
Providing an answer to these questions is up to you--and under your control.
1. Can you do the work? You demonstrate that you can do the work through the courses you have chosen to complete, how well you have done in them and through other activities and experiences that you have had. Organizations tend to view students with a liberal arts B.A. degree as generalists and not specialists. A liberal arts background provides key skills including: research, critical and analytical thinking, and creativity. Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor, suggests that these are some of the necessary skills to find work in the 21st century. Employers desire workers with an ability to be flexible, adapt to change, and who are open to feedback. The ability to convey one's assets to a prospective employer will enhance the opportunities for finding satisfying work. Take a close look at the unique skills that are gained with a B.A. in Psychology. Use this list in cover letters or interviews with prospective employers to articulate the breadth of knowledge and skills you can bring to an organization.
Combinations of psychology course work with other courses that lead more directly to employment at the bachelor's degree level are the best choices for psychology majors. Depending on what area you would like to pursue, you might consider two or more courses in at least one of other areas or a minor which is typically six classes in a given area.2. Will you be happy doing the work? You demonstrate that you know what you want in two ways: know yourself and know about the world of work. Knowing yourself means knowing what you enjoy doing, do well and value doing. An undergraduate liberal arts degree is the best possible way to learn about yourself—explore your world, have rare adventures, test your interests in a variety of areas, gain some experience and reflect on what you have learned. You may find that you need more help in determining your interests and direction. Use University resources such as the CLA Career and Community Learning Center, take an interest inventory, interview people about their work and the organizations in which they work, read and pay attention to information about different jobs and different kinds of organizations.
The Keirsey Character Sorter is a free assessment of your personality which defines sixteen personality types or one of four temperaments. Information about is assessment tool can be found at: http://www.advisorteam.net/AT/User/kcs.asp OR http://keirsey.com/
The SDS can help you find careers or educational programs that match your own skills and interests. The test takes only 15-20 minutes to complete online and costs $7.95. The results link you to the Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes (DHOC) and over 12,000 occupational titles related to your interest. You can find the self directed search at: http://www.self-directed-search.com3. Do you have Experience in the Field? The importance of previous experience cannot be stressed enough. Gaining both academic and nonacademic experience is strongly recommended. Volunteering, internships, working on research, or part-time paid experiences provide useful training and job skills for later full-time employment. Supervision on the job by a professional may lead to recommendations for other jobs. Even if past work experience is not directly related to a career, it demonstrates a realistic notion of the responsibilities and demands of a job. You have the opportunity to gain these experiences and fulfill your elective credits in psychology at the same time. Find out how to work on a research project or an internship within your major.
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PREPARING FOR THE SEARCH: Finding a job requires persistence and ingenuity. You will need to be patient and creative in preparing for your job search. To be properly prepared you will need to have three things at the ready:
- A Letter Of Intent
- A Resume
- Possible References
YOUR LETTER OF INTENT: A good letter of intent is an important portion of your application materials. This will advise potential employers of your interest in the position you are applying for while also showing your knowledge of their company/corporation/institution. To find out more about writing a great letter of intent you can examine the following sites:
YOUR RESUME: A well written resume can open or shut doors for your career. Here are some wonderful website that will assist you in the process:
CCLC's Resume site: http://careerservices.class.umn.edu/students/workopportunities/resume/index.html
1-2-3 Resumes: http://www.1-2-3-resumes.com/
College Grad Resumes: http://www.collegegrad.com/resumes/index.shtml
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The Search For Jobs: Once you have defined your interest you will need to begin your job search. Knowing your interest may not be enough. You may also need to be able to be able to identify job titles in your field of interest. Examine a sampling of job titles and work through each of them to find the ones that are of interest to you.
Prospective Employers: In general, employers are divided into three broad areas: Government (for example, correctional institutions, colleges and schools), Nonprofit (churches, religious organizations and foundations like Catholic Charities or the Wilder Foundation); and for-profit organizations (such as department stores, market research firms, magazines and newspapers, consulting firms). The difference has to do with where they obtain the money for operating (government agencies get their funding directly or indirectly through taxes, nonprofits through donations and for profit through shareholder investment); whether they intend to make a profit for their 'shareholders' or not; and the clients and problems addressed. For example, an organization that intends to save the rainforest or provide services to homeless children is unlikely to be a for-profit organization, although, in theory, no reason exists that would prevent it.
- State & Government Jobs
- Web Resources
State & Federal Government Positions
Government is big business; the federal and state governments are the country's largest employers of civilians. Most occupations found in private industry are found in government also. Compensation is competitive and a variety of benefits help make federal and state employment attractive.
- CLA Career & Community Learning Center in 135 Johnston has federal government books describing a variety of federal jobs for college graduates. Some examples for psychology majors: psychological assistant, psychometrist, research assistant (e.g., in a V.A. Hospital or research laboratory), correctional officer, employment assistant specialist, social science analyst, writer-editor (scientific and technical writing), and statistician (for candidates with a strong background in math and statistics plus courses in social sciences).
More information? The nearest Federal Job Information Center is in the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, Room 501, Fort Snelling, Twin Cities, MN 55111 (612-725-3430). The center serves as a "one stop information service" providing information about job opportunities and vacancies, requirements and qualifications, and application and examination procedures. Also see the USA Jobs web site at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov.
Selection Process: Most federal positions are filled on a competitive basis under the civil service merit system. A civil service rating is given based on education, experience, and performance on written examinations (if required for the particular job). If one meets the requirements for a particular job announcement, then his/her name will be put on a list of eligibles. Appointments to jobs may be made from within federal agencies or by choosing any one of the three top-ranked eligibles.
- Qualifications for state positions are similar to those for federal positions. Merit or civil service systems are established in all the states. View the state jobs web pages at http://www.doer.state.mn.us/stf-bltn/jobs2/index.htm. Minnesotans can contact: Department of Employee Relations, 200 Centennial Building, 2nd Floor, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55155, (651) 296-2616
- Career & Job Website
| American Psychological Association |
Encyclopedia of Psychology |
| American Psychological Society Job Search |
Internet System for Education & Employment Knowledge |
| Career Builder |
JobWeb |
| Career City from Cutting Edge Careers |
Monster Campus |
| Careers in Psychology |
Occupational Outlook Handbook |
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