Getting a Job with a Psychology B.S.

Job Skills Possessed by Psychology Majors

If you are planning on getting a job after graduation, what skills will you have gained as a Psychology major that will make you attractive to employers? This is important, so you can market yourself successfully.

Edwards and Smith (1988) conducted structured interviews with 68 government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit sales and service corporations. They asked how important a number of skills were to these employers, as well as how knowledge in a number of important areas of psychology were. Tables 1 and 2 show how important these skills and knowledge areas were rated by these employers.

Table 1
Skill	% of Employers Rating Useful
Writing proposals and reports	90%
Doing statistical analyses	84%
Conducting interviews	84%
Identifying problems and suggesting solutions based on research findings/knowledge of behavior	79%
Coding data	75%
Designing and conducting research projects	71%
Job analysis	69%
Using computer programs to analyze data	60%
Test and questionnaire construction	56%
Observation of human behavior	51%

Table 2
Knowledge Area	% of Employers Rating Useful
How people think, solve problems, and process information	78%
Attitude and opinion formation and change	75%
Small group structure and dynamics	75%
Personnel selection techniques	72%
Perception and sensation of environment	71%
Organizational development	69%
Knowledge of organizational behavior, work, and productivity	68%
Effects of physical environment	66%
Learning and memory	63%
Theories and research about personality and individual differences	63%
Motivational principles	62%
Human development	50%

Edwards, J., & Smith, K. (1988). What skills and knowledge do potential employers value in baccalaureate psychologists? In Is Psychology for Them? New York: American Psychological Association, pp. 102-111.