CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PSYCHOLOGY MAJORS If there is one question that career counselors and faculty advisors are asked more often than all others by students seeking assistance with career planning, it is this: "What can I do with this major?" An undergraduate student in the liberal arts and sciences is actually developing a broad array of skills that might be applied to any number of careers, rather than developing an in-depth expertise in just one area. Therefore, a better question to pose might be: "What skills am I developing in my major, and how might I explore careers that would require these skills?" Psychology majors seek to understand and explain both normal and abnormal behavior, mental ability, perception, development and individual differences. In addition, psychological study explores human emotions, thought, and motives. The major sub-branches within psychology are educational psychology, social psychology, psychometrics, developmental psychology, experimental psychology, and industrial organizational psychology. With an understanding of human development, the psychology majors promote human welfare in a variety of environments, such as public and private institutions, business and industry, and the community.
˜Human Relation Skills:
SKILLS/ABILITIES
<Interpersonal skills <Behavior modification <Analyzing behavior <Motivating <Perceiving <Understanding individual differences <Group dynamics <Attitude assessment <Empathy
˜Creativity/Problem Solving Skills: <Trouble shooting <Defining problem areas <Setting up systems to analyze data <Offering new perspectives <Motivating <Developing alternate solutions
˜Research Skills:
<Framing the central question <Organizing and analyzing data <Reading and synthesizing <Gathering information <Comparing and summarizing <Isolating <Clarifying <Developing ideas and theories <Evaluating <Critical thinking <Writing scientific/research papers
˜Communication Skills: <Verbal/written skills <Observing people/data/things <Influencing/persuading <Informing/explaining <Mediating/negotiating
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