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Running Footer - Title or Subtitle
Careers and Job Search for
Psychology Majors
Presented by:
Rose Marquart, M.A.
Liberal Arts Employment Specialist
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Career Center
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 Center
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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Career Center
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 Seek
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4.
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7.
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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
10. Technical skills
NACE, 2008
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Career Center
WHERE TO LOOK FOR JOBS?
Non-Academic Careers
•Government
•Non-Profit
•Education
•Public Relations/Marketing
•Business/Industry
•Social Services
•Insurance/Sales
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Career Center
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?
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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
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Career Center
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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Career Center
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:
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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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Career Center
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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Career Center
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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Career Center
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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Career Center
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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Career Center
RESUME
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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
Coursework
Child & Adolescent Psychology
Psychology of Women
Community Mental Health
Relevant
Project
Child Psychology in the 21st Century (Spring, 2008)
-Wrote a research paper on emerging issues in child
psychology in the new millennium
-Presented finding to class of 30 and facilitated group
discussion
Career Center
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
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Career Center
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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Career Center
QUESTIONS?
Rose Marquart
Liberal Arts Employment Specialist
SJSU Career Center
rose.marquart@sjsu.edu
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Career Center