Become a Psychologist

If you are embarking on a psychology career, it is imperative that you do not wait for graduation to begin devising an employment strategy. In the late 1980’s there was a saying on college campuses everywhere: “Bachelor’s Degrees are a dime a dozen.” While that is not necessarily a balanced perspective nor is it true, it is indicative of a situational perception that has continued to evolve over the years. Students graduating with Bachelor’s Degrees in any number of the Humanities have found that absent a well thought-out plan for acquiring employment; simply having a degree does not a job provide. Thousands of comment threads amongst newly graduated psychology students bewail the plight of acquiring desirable employment. While it is true that employers are not throwing doors open to newly graduated psychology scholars; they are not throwing them open for chemistry students; history graduates or political science majors either.

In short, the job market will be exactly what you expect of it. If you expect it to be horrendous and difficult, it won’t disappoint. If you instead view it as challenging, exciting and an excuse for adventure, you will no doubt enjoy the process of finding your employment niche as much as you do its inevitable acquisition and rewards.

Start Now

Probably the most important thing you can do for your career is to begin immediately to strategize in a pro-active manner. Refuse to be overwhelmed by your studies. Your academic pursuits and career designs go hand in hand. After all, the ultimate goal of your education is to provide you with ideal employment. If you take steps now to ensure that you are a desirable job candidate, you will eventually breeze through the right doors rather than stumble or crawl your way inside of the wrong ones.

Browse through the job opportunities on websites, in newspapers, industry publications, local businesses, and employment agencies. Begin to get a feel for who is hiring and how much they are compensating those in entry-level positions. Mentally imagine that you are already degreed and this is the job market with which you will be dealing. Heeding this suggestion will yield powerful results. You will begin to develop the ability to navigate thru employment waters with ease long before the ship has set sail.

Carmen Pacheco graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and immediately found work as a Psych Tech, working for CPS. She realized all of her preparation for the job market paid off;

“Having a BS/BA isn't a guarantee to anything. While you're still in college it's really important to get involved in campus organizations in your major, intern, volunteer, network. Think about what it is you want to do after graduation: teaching, marketing, non-profits, health care, whatever, and get experience in that.”