Finding a Job with a BA in Psychology
Psychology majors are very marketable. People often forget that the most valuable, rare, and sophisticated skills are the least tangible: a lot of people can type, few people know how to run a major organization. Psychology majors are not trained to do one particular thing, instead they obtain a wide variety of more subtle skills--the kind that are valuable in lots of different work settings. These skills include the following:
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critical thinking
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understanding numerical information
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research skills
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writing
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communicating information
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working well with people.
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Develop these skills in your classes and market these skills when looking for jobs! The best way to find a job is to actively search. Here are some ways to get started:
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Go to Career Services. This is a great starting place, and they are helpful for general job search issues.
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Meet with the Undergraduate Psychology Advisor to discuss your options.
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Read "What Color is Your Parachute" and consider carefully the career exploration and job-search strategies that are presented.
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Think about what you want to do, and call agencies and businesses where you'd like to work. See what they have available. This may take some time but it's worth it.
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Search on the internet. Examples of Job Search Engines are:
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www.PsycCareers.com
www.monster.com
Important Web Sites for Psychology Majors
www.apa.org info. for psychology majors http://www.psychwww.com/careers/index.htm Mark Lloyd's Careers in Psychology Page http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/getin3.html Guide to Applying to Graduate Programs in Psychology www.gradschools.com for finding graduate programs
Selected Resources Available to SIUC Psychology Majors
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Individual meetings with the Undergraduate Psychology Advisor. To schedule an appointment, call (618) 453-3544, or stop by 229C. The Psychology Advisor can talk to you about such things as course scheduling, career options, job searching, graduate school, the graduate record examination (GRE), and many other topics.
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Psychology Organizations: Join any of our 3 psychology organizations (Psi Chi, Psychology Student Association, Black Psychology Society).
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Research and volunteer opportunities.
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Career Counseling, offered through the Career Development and Resource Clinic (618-453-3568).
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Career Services. Great place to learn about job and internship opportunities. They also offer workshops and individual help in such things as putting together a resume, learning how to conduct a job search, and scheduling on-campus interviews.
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Books on a variety of relevant topics can be checked out from the Undergraduate Psychology Advisor.
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“Is Psychology the Major for you?"
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"Planning for your Undergraduate Careers”
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“Getting In: A Step-by-Step Plan for Gaining Admission to Graduate School in Psychology,”
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“Graduate Study in Psychology.”
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Career Fairs at SIUC. See a listing of dates on the SIUC Careers Services Homepage (http://www.siu.edu/~ucs/) or call (618- 453-2391, Woody Hall B-204).
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