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Careers and Job Search for Psychology Majors Presented by: Rose Marquart, M.A. Liberal Arts Employment Specialist. AGENDA. Career Quiz What can you do with a psychology degree? Tools for research and tips for job search success Resume 101 Employer connections Q & A. CAREER QUIZ.
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Careers and Job Search for Psychology Majors Presented by: Rose Marquart, M.A. Liberal Arts Employment Specialist
AGENDA • Career Quiz • What can you do with a psychology degree? • Tools for research and tips for job search success • Resume 101 • Employer connections • Q & A
CAREER QUIZ • True or False? • 1. The end of your last semester in college is a good time to start your job search. 2. If I don’t have much related work experience, my resume won’t be competitive enough to get the job I want when I graduate. 3. It typically takes new college graduates 3-6 months to secure their first job.
PSYCH MAJORS MISUNDERSTOOD? • Employers across all industries seek candidates who can understand, related to, and work with diverse teams, executives, and clients. • Academic training in psychology requires skill development in research, statistical analysis, and analytical thinking. • More employers are seeking psychology majors for business and technical positions due to their strong research, writing, and communication skills.
WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT? • Top 10 Qualities Employers Seek • Communication skills • Strong work ethic • Teamwork skills (works well with others) • Initiative • Interpersonal skills (relates well to others) • Problem-solving skills • Analytical skills • Flexibility/adaptability • Computer skills • Technical skills • NACE, 2008
WHERE TO LOOK FOR JOBS? • Non-Academic Careers • Government • Non-Profit • Education • Public Relations/Marketing • Business/Industry • Social Services • Insurance/Sales • Academic & Clinical Areas • Teaching • Research • Clinical practice • Clinical Psychology • (Master’s, PhD) • Cognitive & Perceptual Psych • (PhD) • Developmental Psychology • (PhD) • Forensic Psychology (PhD) • Industrial/Organizational Psych • (Master’s, PhD) • Neuropsychology (PhD)
SO MANY CHOICES… • How do you decide and get started with your job search? • Research different occupations and organizations • Conduct Information Interviews to find out more about a career • 3. Research graduate schools • 4. Network and apply for internships, • jobs, or volunteer opportunities • Online resources: • www.careercenter.sjsu.edu • www.eureka.org
SELF-ASSESSMENT • Before you start your job search consider: • An organization(what kind of company or organization – nonprofit, government, private, or public, size – large or small?) • The mission and goals of the organization (do you want to work in aging services or with adolescents etc? Do the values of the organization match your own?) • A role or position (what kind of position do you want?)
HOMEWORK • Find 10-15 job or internship postings • and see what you think: • - Yeah, I’ve always wanted to do that! • - Huh, that sounds interesting, but I’m not sure why… • 2) Look for patterns or common themes in the job descriptions • 3) Find up to 5 (at least 1) that really excite you!
MAKE A LIST OF SKILLS YOU CURRENTLY HAVE: • List educational achievements • List jobs, internships, volunteer experiences • Think about specific examples of abilities, and accomplishments • List any other relevant information: computer, • language skills, activities, working with special populations/ages • Given the job descriptions you found that interest you, what skills and experience should you develop as a student to be competitive when you graduate?
RESEARCHING CAREERS • Free online tools: • www.careercenter.sjsu.edu • Career planning and career exploration sections • Search SpartaJobs database for internship/job descriptions • www.eureka.org • Search by career title or career groups • Review job titles, descriptions, outlook and salary information • Graduate school information listed • www.psichi.org • Psychology National Honors society providing career and graduate school information • www.apa.org/students/brochure • American Psychological Association career information and tips for graduate school applications
IDENTIFYING TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS • Strong writing and communication skills • Ability to work/lead in teams (multidisciplinary) • Ability assess/diagnose clients (DSM- IV) and understand human behaviors and interactions • Research ability (professional journals, online resources) • Experience with specific populations • Understanding of counseling models • (individual/group) • Knowledge of specific issues or specialty areas (substance abuses, eating disorders, depression)
WHAT LEADS TO CAREER SUCCESS? • Get an internship! (register with the Career Center to access the job &internship database) before graduating • Identify your transferable skills, which can be used in various fields/industries • Join a professional association (PsiChi, APA) • Conduct informational interviews with alumni, faculty, and professionals to learn about career paths that might interest you. • Develop a professional portfolio of your work, projects, awards, and recommendation letters.
NEXT STEPS? • Perfect your resume (see career center calendar for workshops, drop-ins advising, and other services) • Sign-up with career center to access job and internship database • Attend upcoming job/internship fairs • Attend a Job Search Success and/or Interview workshop • Meet with your career counselor during office hours, or via appointment
RESUME • Objective Seeking a Family Specialist position with EMQ. • Education San Jose State University , San Jose, CA • B.A. in Psychology 12/09 • GPA: 3.8/4.0 • RelevantChild & Adolescent Psychology • CourseworkPsychology of Women • Community Mental Health • Relevant Child Psychology in the 21st Century (Spring, 2008) • Project -Wrote a research paper on emerging issues in child • psychology in the new millennium • -Presented finding to class of 30 and facilitated group discussion
EXPERIENCE Housing Services, San Jose State University, CA • Resident Advisor, 8/06-6/07 -Hosted weekly floor meetings, provided one-to-one advising and enforced dorm rules to ensure a safe living environment for students • ACTIVITIES Psi Chi, National Honor Society in Psychology • President, 2006-2007 Academic Year -Chair monthly meetings to organize student participation in community service events -Represent student interests on campus committees -Collaborate with alumni and local organizations to host panel sessions related to trends in the field • SKILLS -Strong communication skills, and fluent in Spanish • -MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel • SKILLS
EMPLOYER CONNECTION • EXPO ‘09 Job and Internship Fair • Tuesday, February 24th 3p.m. - 5p.m. • Event Center • Idealist.org Careers in Nonprofits Workshop • Tuesday, March 3rd 3p.m. – 4:30p.m. • Umunhum Room, Student Union
QUESTIONS? • Rose Marquart • Liberal Arts Employment Specialist • SJSU Career Center • rose.marquart@sjsu.edu