Dunn & Halonen The Psychology Major’s Companion
Chapter 9: What Career Options Exist for Students with a Bachelor’s or an Associate’s Degree in Psychology?
Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it. ~ Katherine Whitehorn, British journalist
Chapter Objectives
Describe public misperceptions about employment viability with a psychology background.
Explore the nature of employment and work life.
Distinguish different types of jobs available for psychology graduates.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, students should be able to:
Defend against misperceptions regarding psychology graduate employability.
Differentiate available degrees in psychology.
Describe what employers look for in prospective hires.
List examples of jobs that psychology graduates have held.
“Will You Have Fries with That?”
Graduates with liberal arts degrees have the bad rap that they are virtually unemployable.
Not true!
Liberal arts degrees demonstrate the ability to complete projects, follow instructions, and think in complex ways.
Psychology graduates have other skills that give them a workplace advantage.
Reality Check: Workforce Viability
How can you defend against the criticism that psychology majors are likely to be unemployed?
They qualify for a variety of jobs.
The major facilitates working with people.
They are expert in managing data.