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Careers and Job Search for Psychology Majors

Presented by:Rose Marquart, M.A.

Liberal Arts Employment Specialist

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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

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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.

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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.

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WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT?

Top 10 Qualities Employers Seek1. Communication skills

2. Strong work ethic

3. Teamwork skills (works well with others)

4. Initiative

5. Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)

6. Problem-solving skills

7. Analytical skills

8. Flexibility/adaptability

9. Computer skills

10. Technical skills  NACE, 2008

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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)

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SO MANY CHOICES…

How do you decide and get started with your job search?

1. Research different occupations and organizations2. Conduct Information Interviews to find out more about a

career3. Research graduate schools4. Network and apply for internships,

jobs, or volunteer opportunities

Online resources: www.careercenter.sjsu.edu www.eureka.org

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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?)

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HOMEWORK

1) 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!

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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?

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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

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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)

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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.

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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

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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

Relevant Child & Adolescent PsychologyCoursework Psychology 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

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EXPERIENCE Housing Services, San Jose State University, CAResident Advisor, 8/06-6/07

-Hosted weekly floor meetings, provided one-to-one advisingand enforced dorm rules to ensure a safe living environment for students

ACTIVITIESPsi Chi, National Honor Society in PsychologyPresident, 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

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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

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QUESTIONS?

Rose Marquart

Liberal Arts Employment Specialist

SJSU Career Center

rose.marquart@sjsu.edu

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