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Is it realistic to work in business fields with a Psychology degree?
I love studying psychology and find that it can help me move forward into becoming a clinical psychologist or academic counselor after undergrad. I find that a degree in psychology may be pretty versatile and would like to use it to explore careers in business as well. I plan on taking business classes to obtain a certificate from my community college and maybe even minor in Business while majoring in Psychology when I transfer to univeristy. I want to explore business administration, HR, and marketing, but I believe Psychology is my "stronger" suit, thus I want I major in Psychology and minor in BA/HR/marketing. However, I have read that many people struggle finding jobs in business with a Psychology degree. I am not sure if it is even worth putting my focus in business if business employers find my education non-sufficient. A lot of online forums and YouTube videos are especially discouraging. What do you think? Should I just focus on my goal of becoming a counselor instead?
Thank you for your answers!
#career #business #humanresources #marketing #businessmarketing #psychology #businessadministration #counselor #academiccounselor #univeristy #communitycollege #universityofcalifornia #psychmajor #psychologist #company
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23 answers
Updated
Ron’s Answer
I think I can relate: I have a Psych degree and I've been in business (financial/retirement services) for my entire career, so I think you most definitely can succeed! I like to think of success in your career being about using your strengths to drive results and those strengths are not dependent only on your college degree. One key strength from my Psychology degree is my interest in people, which every strong leader in any company should be able to connect to and understand people. And it doesn't only have to be the CEO/Executive/Manager with their team; one could develop/build an amazing product but if you can't connect it the customer (marketing), that's only half the accomplishment.
Also, don't discount your skills of finishing a degree, regardless of what the major/minor is: organization, communication, resourcefulness (looking up youtube.), initiative (asking for advice). These are more essential for entry level jobs than knowing that exact business subject matter. Most of what I/people do is solving problems when there is no answer, not having the exact answer all the time.
When I'm hiring, I look for someone who can learn quickly and shows a commitment to bettering themselves and work hard to drive results. One can teach most anything to someone with the skills I've mentioned and they will have a chance to be successful at the job.
I will say, I did leverage some technical skills I was developing by volunteering and building websites for groups when I was in school. So i think taking some additional coursework or minoring like you mentioned is a great way to build skills. You would just have to practice sharing those skills and connecting it to job/role in the interview process.
Take a Business Writing course. This was extremely helpful for me.
Keep looking for jobs that interest you and highlight what parts of the role align with your interests. (Doesn't have to be a lifelong commitment! But start somewhere)
If you start to find something you like, also look at the gaps and think about how you might address those. Either use your strengths or be willing to learn.
Be humble, open to constructive criticism and always be willing to learn more than your competition.
In interviews, share with the hiring manager(s) what skills, content, and drive you have to drive results in the job and address your weaknesses.
Also, don't discount your skills of finishing a degree, regardless of what the major/minor is: organization, communication, resourcefulness (looking up youtube.), initiative (asking for advice). These are more essential for entry level jobs than knowing that exact business subject matter. Most of what I/people do is solving problems when there is no answer, not having the exact answer all the time.
When I'm hiring, I look for someone who can learn quickly and shows a commitment to bettering themselves and work hard to drive results. One can teach most anything to someone with the skills I've mentioned and they will have a chance to be successful at the job.
I will say, I did leverage some technical skills I was developing by volunteering and building websites for groups when I was in school. So i think taking some additional coursework or minoring like you mentioned is a great way to build skills. You would just have to practice sharing those skills and connecting it to job/role in the interview process.
Ron recommends the following next steps:
I appreciate your insight and tips!!
Christina
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Eileen’s Answer
There are some good answers here. I would also add that the relative strength of the hiring market can impact how easy it would be for a Psych major would be in getting in the door to the first job. Once your in the door, it's your relative success at the first job that can open future doors for you. I highly recommend getting some real-world experience in business by volunteering or interning. This will help you in confirming your interest, and it will help get you noticed at hiring time. As a business graduate in a business role, I found the skills that helped me most in my career were not academic, but rather I learned in school how to figure things out without a road map. Any opportunity that you have to create something that had not been done before, collaborate with others successfully to achieve a goal, or otherwise show leadership or initiative will be helpful in promoting your abilities to hiring managers. Best wishes!
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Deijana’s Answer
Yes! a lot of businesses do need someone with a psychology degree. Business is about selling, and to sell you have to be good with people. And with your degree, you know people! Typically the best role is in the HR department, dealing with internal affairs between co-workers, and also analyzing new potential hires. There is a lot of assets you could bring to a business company.
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Julie’s Answer
Absolutely. A psychology degree would be a perfect degree to apply to the business environment. Understanding how to create an environment where everyone can thrive is critical to strong business performance. Finding the key triggers for what motivates individuals (hygiene factors and motivational), understanding the impact of behaviour upon others, how to build successful relationships, conflict management etc are all key. I note you are interested in HR and Marketing: a psychology degree in HR helps with recruitment (understanding unconscious and conscious bias), wellbeing strategies, remuneration strategies, and identifying training and development. In Marketing, one of the key tasks is to understand what delights your consumers and how to influence their behaviour - how to attract them to your product or service.
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Kimberly’s Answer
You can definitely obtain a job with Psychology degree in the business world! For me, I work in HR and absolutely love it. I started off obtaining undergrad in psychology then my Masters in HR. You can also become an I/O psychologist. They focus more on researching why certain behaviors or motives happen in the business world. I recommend researching that field a little more if you are interested. What drove me to HR was the ability to interact within a company and the employees. Figure out your strengths in the psychology field to determine which business psych field you would enjoy more.
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Darlene’s Answer
Great question! I had the same one while I was pursing my Psychology degree at Montclair State University. When I entered the university, I wanted to be a Psychologist, but as I continued, I started to think about pursing corporate business opportunities as well. In my junior year, I focused all my elective courses on business and organizational psychology - the study of people in the workforce.
After my graduation, I took a role as a Human Resources Specialist. I worked in that capacity for 2 years, gaining valuable business experience, and then took another job at a larger company in Human Resources where I focused on Learning & Development and Organizational Development. At that point I wanted to shift my focus to Marketing. I found myself if various marketing roles, and then settled into the Technology space in a marketing capacity where I built skills in Product Marketing, Customer Marketing and eventually Digital Marketing. It is here that I grew my potential as a digital marketer in a technology company.
The company I am with now offered continued education for free! I recently received a mini-MBA certificate in Digital Marketing from Rutgers Business School - all online and after my normal work hours, while maintaining a household and 2 children. It is all reasonably achievable.
My Psychology degree gave me a good foundation for the importance of continued education, an 'in' into a company in an HR role, and there - it all unwound perfectly into a strong career. Stick to your guns and don't doubt your decisions. Getting the foundation is good - and everything can be modified an tailored to your liking as you progress.
Good luck!
After my graduation, I took a role as a Human Resources Specialist. I worked in that capacity for 2 years, gaining valuable business experience, and then took another job at a larger company in Human Resources where I focused on Learning & Development and Organizational Development. At that point I wanted to shift my focus to Marketing. I found myself if various marketing roles, and then settled into the Technology space in a marketing capacity where I built skills in Product Marketing, Customer Marketing and eventually Digital Marketing. It is here that I grew my potential as a digital marketer in a technology company.
The company I am with now offered continued education for free! I recently received a mini-MBA certificate in Digital Marketing from Rutgers Business School - all online and after my normal work hours, while maintaining a household and 2 children. It is all reasonably achievable.
My Psychology degree gave me a good foundation for the importance of continued education, an 'in' into a company in an HR role, and there - it all unwound perfectly into a strong career. Stick to your guns and don't doubt your decisions. Getting the foundation is good - and everything can be modified an tailored to your liking as you progress.
Good luck!
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Yasemin’s Answer
Hi Christina! When I read this question I thought of a class I took as an undergraduate, which was Industrial and Organizational Psychology (I/O Psych). The class discussed psychology in the workplace and I think psychology is definitely important for business as well. Like you said psychology is versatile and taking up business with it can open doors. It can help you with future employees in your own business-should you decide to set up one-as well as give you a competitive edge when applying for a job. You can present skills in the workplace to help out employees in their projects and work relationships among each other. It can be difficult true, but I think maybe then you can do a minor in business or do a double major as well. Maybe having a Psychology degree can make it more difficult because of the lack of business experience and classes, so definitely try to balance that out and that could help in making it more stable to find a job. Ultimately it is your choice but I would research and see what would strengthen your position in the business field with a Psychology degree.
I hope this helps!
I wish you the best!
I hope this helps!
I wish you the best!
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Latoya’s Answer
I have a master’s degree in psychology which a concentration in organizational development and I work for a fortune 500 company. There are many departments where a psychology degree can work in your advantage. Marketing and Human Resources are two of the most common. However, many companies have organizational consultant roles, and corporate social responsibility roles. It is also a good idea to highlight some specific business related courses you took in college on your resume.
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Paul Anthony’s Answer
Psychology majors (and most other liberal arts, for that matter) are meant for gaining prospective and learning to develop insight. However, they don't do a great job of getting you experience that makes you valuable to an employer at an early stage. A business minor could be helpful in that regard, especially if you take advantage of the opportunities to network and find internships. The disadvantage of a liberal arts major in the job searching process can be getting passed the resume phase, because there are so many of them. To solve this you need to be able to demonstrate that you can bring value to an employer. Find opportunities to work on projects, some schools will have clubs that consult with local businesses, build up that skill set of understanding how businesses work and make money. Excel skills are very helpful, being able to organize data and build simple models is a skill that's widely applicable across the business world. Once you have those skills, you should be able to draw on your psychology background to analyze the data and the larger business problems and provide valuable insight.
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Judith’s Answer
I studied psychology in college and university and I find in helps me in my job in business. I find that it helps understanding clients and even managing employees that are on my team. It can also help in marketing in helping determine the best campaigns for clients
Candice Robinson, BS, NCPT-4
Psych Assistant/Practice Administrator
40
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Candice’s Answer
Yes, this is a very realistic career goal! Education is available on the Bachelors, Masters, or PhD levels. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Psychology. The field of organizational psychology is also often called Industrial Psychology. It is the study of behavior in the workplace.
When I first started out, I worked in the Executive HR department for various major healthcare organizations. My title was the HR Specialist/Talent Manager. In this role I was responsible for things such as interviewing & surveying employees, assessing their performance, & creating methods to decrease turnover through the organization. There are also a lot of new openings in this career in dealing with diversity & anti-discrimation issues. Many people with this degree at the Bachelors level have titles such as Professional Development, Trainer, or Advisor. I currently work as a independent practice manager for 11 different private mental health providers. There are so many opportunities available just to be a consultant. At the Masters or PhD level, many companies have a Behavioral/Research Analyst or Systems Manager on staff.
This would be a great area to explore in both the areas of Psychology & Business.
When I first started out, I worked in the Executive HR department for various major healthcare organizations. My title was the HR Specialist/Talent Manager. In this role I was responsible for things such as interviewing & surveying employees, assessing their performance, & creating methods to decrease turnover through the organization. There are also a lot of new openings in this career in dealing with diversity & anti-discrimation issues. Many people with this degree at the Bachelors level have titles such as Professional Development, Trainer, or Advisor. I currently work as a independent practice manager for 11 different private mental health providers. There are so many opportunities available just to be a consultant. At the Masters or PhD level, many companies have a Behavioral/Research Analyst or Systems Manager on staff.
This would be a great area to explore in both the areas of Psychology & Business.
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Jacob’s Answer
It's entirely realistic to work in business fields with a Psychology degree, and your plan to major in Psychology while minoring in Business Administration, HR, or Marketing is a sound approach. Here are some key points to consider:
**1. Transferable Skills:** Psychology equips you with valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and an understanding of human behavior. These skills are highly transferable and can be assets in various business roles.
**2. Diverse Career Opportunities:** Many businesses recognize the value of individuals with psychology backgrounds in areas like HR, marketing, consumer research, and organizational development. Your understanding of human behavior can be particularly beneficial in marketing, where consumer psychology plays a significant role.
**3. Complementary Minors:** Minoring in Business, HR, or Marketing will provide you with additional knowledge and skills specific to those fields. This combination can make you a strong candidate for business positions, especially those that involve working with people or managing teams.
**4. Adaptability:** Keep in mind that career paths aren't always linear. While your primary interest may be in psychology, exploring business fields doesn't mean you're locked into them forever. Your psychology background can also be an asset if you decide to return to clinical psychology or counseling later in your career.
**5. Networking:** Build a professional network that includes both psychologists and business professionals. Attend industry events, join relevant associations, and connect with professors who can guide you in both fields.
**6. Continuous Learning:** Stay open to continuous learning and consider obtaining certifications or taking additional courses in business-related areas as needed. This can enhance your qualifications and adaptability.
**7. Realistic Expectations:** It's true that some specialized business roles may require specific business degrees. However, many employers prioritize skills, experience, and a willingness to learn. Emphasize your skill set and how it can benefit potential employers.
**8. Career Guidance:** Seek guidance from your university's career services department. They can provide insights into career paths, help you tailor your resume, and offer interview preparation assistance.
Ultimately, the choice between pursuing a career in counseling or exploring business fields depends on your long-term goals and passions. If you have a genuine interest in both, there's no harm in gaining a well-rounded education that prepares you for various career opportunities. Many successful professionals have hybrid backgrounds that blend psychology with other disciplines, which can be a unique and valuable asset in today's job market.
**1. Transferable Skills:** Psychology equips you with valuable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and an understanding of human behavior. These skills are highly transferable and can be assets in various business roles.
**2. Diverse Career Opportunities:** Many businesses recognize the value of individuals with psychology backgrounds in areas like HR, marketing, consumer research, and organizational development. Your understanding of human behavior can be particularly beneficial in marketing, where consumer psychology plays a significant role.
**3. Complementary Minors:** Minoring in Business, HR, or Marketing will provide you with additional knowledge and skills specific to those fields. This combination can make you a strong candidate for business positions, especially those that involve working with people or managing teams.
**4. Adaptability:** Keep in mind that career paths aren't always linear. While your primary interest may be in psychology, exploring business fields doesn't mean you're locked into them forever. Your psychology background can also be an asset if you decide to return to clinical psychology or counseling later in your career.
**5. Networking:** Build a professional network that includes both psychologists and business professionals. Attend industry events, join relevant associations, and connect with professors who can guide you in both fields.
**6. Continuous Learning:** Stay open to continuous learning and consider obtaining certifications or taking additional courses in business-related areas as needed. This can enhance your qualifications and adaptability.
**7. Realistic Expectations:** It's true that some specialized business roles may require specific business degrees. However, many employers prioritize skills, experience, and a willingness to learn. Emphasize your skill set and how it can benefit potential employers.
**8. Career Guidance:** Seek guidance from your university's career services department. They can provide insights into career paths, help you tailor your resume, and offer interview preparation assistance.
Ultimately, the choice between pursuing a career in counseling or exploring business fields depends on your long-term goals and passions. If you have a genuine interest in both, there's no harm in gaining a well-rounded education that prepares you for various career opportunities. Many successful professionals have hybrid backgrounds that blend psychology with other disciplines, which can be a unique and valuable asset in today's job market.
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Megan’s Answer
It's absolutely possible to find a job in business with a psychology degree, especially if you add in some business-focused courses. I have a degree in Human Capital and Society, which is essentially psychology with some HR influences and now hold a position within a large technology company working on employee engagement and experience programs. Personally, I think having a psychology background and understanding how people think is one of the strongest foundations you can have working in business since you're working with people trying to reach a common goal everyday. Understanding more about how they think and work sets you up for success. I'd also recommend looking into Industrial Organizational Psychology since that is literally the study of how people work.
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Nik’s Answer
Absolutely, I have a BA (hons) in Psychology and have spent the last 20 years in a large IT company where I have been able to leverage many aspects of my degree. Ultimately psychology relates to people, and I have found that leading teams, motivating organisations, and setting clear goals has it's roots in occupational and neuropsychology. The skills can focus your career towards leading others or more specifically in the field of HR and coaching.
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lillie’s Answer
Try looking into Industrial-organizational psychology. It deals with business, workplace motivation, design, planning, and also human resources. You can either major in the industrial side you work to improve human behaviors within teams and design better ways a company can function. Organizational psychology focuses on how to motivate employees through benefits, training and incentives.
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Mark’s Answer
Lots of good answers here but just wanted to say my piece as this is my career path too. I have an undergraduate degree in psychology and my first job after college was in a business research role, which was directly relevant to my degree which was heavily focused on research practice and statistics. From there I went on to get a masters degree in organizational psychology, which is basically psychology applied to the workplace, so that is obviously connected to business.
I work now in a more tech based, data analytics role but I consider my psychology background and experience of research design pretty fundamental. So it isn't just HR roles you can move into. In my mind psychology degrees are very broadly applicable and can be applied to a wide variety of roles all across business, especially in people management but also areas you may not have considered like research.
I can only offer my own anecdotes on how businesses see a psychology degree but in my personal experience it has generally been an aspect of my resume that has generated interest and engagement during interviews. I would count it as a positive for sure.
I work now in a more tech based, data analytics role but I consider my psychology background and experience of research design pretty fundamental. So it isn't just HR roles you can move into. In my mind psychology degrees are very broadly applicable and can be applied to a wide variety of roles all across business, especially in people management but also areas you may not have considered like research.
I can only offer my own anecdotes on how businesses see a psychology degree but in my personal experience it has generally been an aspect of my resume that has generated interest and engagement during interviews. I would count it as a positive for sure.
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