So What Can You Do With Your Liberal Arts Degree in Psychology?

Paul Hettich
2014 Eye on Psi Chi Magazine  
Millspaugh, Hammersley, and Appleby (2010) expanded Appleby's (2006) online resource for job-seeking psychology majors. Appleby's original list contained a Web address for each of 130 occupations that psychology majors with a baccalaureate degree can develop a skill set for and enter, either immediately after graduation or upon the completion of an advanced degree. These addresses took viewers to the Dictionary of Occupational Title's (DOT) brief descriptions of the tasks a person employed in
more » ... ch of these occupations is required to perform. The purpose of this resource was to expose psychology majors to the abundance of careers they can enter and then provide them with a quick, preliminary exposure to the nature of these careers. Millspaugh et al. expanded this list by adding Web addresses for O*NET, the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), and other reputable Web site (designated as Wild Card sites) from which viewers can access detailed documents that describe these occupations. Students can use these much richer documents to probe more deeply into the careers that attracted their interest during their initial exposure gained from DOT. There are three major advantages of this revision of Appleby (2006) for students who would like to investigate careers for which their psychology major can prepare them. 1. The information is much more current. DOT was last updated in 1991. O*NET and OOH are updated annually. 2. DOT provides only a list of the tasks a person in a particular career must perform and a few occupations related to that career. O*NET and OOH contain a far richer collection of information about each career, including answers to the following crucial questions. a. What knowledge, skills, abilities, tools, and technologies do students need to enter and succeed in this career? b. What do workers actually do in this career and under what conditions do they carry out these duties? c. What types of preparation (e.g., job training or education) do students need to enter this career? d. What interests, values, and work styles (i.e., characteristics) do successful workers in this career possess? e. How much do people employed in this career earn? f. How many people are employed in this career and what is the projected need for this career? g. What are additional sources of information about this career, and what other occupations are related to this particular career? 3. The number of listed occupations has increased from 130 to 172. This resource also includes information from other reputable Web sites (designated as Wild Cards) which contain psychology and psychology-related occupations not listed in DOT, O*NET, or OOH. Although the descriptions of these occupations are not as detailed as those in O*NET or OOH, they can still serve as valuable starting points for career-exploring psychology majors. These sites are particularly valuable for those who are interested in pursuing cutting-edge specializations in psychology that are not yet listed in O*NET or OOH (e.g., Forensic Psychologist, Biogerontologist, or Multicultural Counselor) or psychology-related careers in the United States military (e.g., Air Force Psychologist or Veterans Counselor). Despite the U.S.'s current economic downturn, experts say it has never been a better time to be a psychologist, thanks largely to the field's breadth and adaptability. The American Psychological Association has compiled a list of areas in which psychologists are in especially high demand, either in terms of the number of positions available now, the growth potential of the area, or both. For descriptions of these careers, go to http://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/04/careers.aspx. Rajecki (2008) questioned the validity of several of the occupations contained in Appleby's (2006) original list because they do not require a bachelor's degree (e.g., bartender, cashier, secretary, and waiter/waitress). Although these are perfectly respectable occupations-and some psychology majors report employment in these areas after graduation-they have been removed from the current list because they do not require a bachelor's degree. . A job list of one's own: Creating customized career information for psychology majors. Society for the Teaching of Psychology's Office of Teaching Resources. Available from
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