Careers with a bachelor’s degree in psychology

Alma mater: Georgia College

Wondering whether to pursue a bachelor’s degree in psychology? Meet 13 graduates who landed great jobs thanks to their psychology degrees.

Tell me about why you decided to pursue a degree in psychology?

I have always loved helping other people and how people interact with one another. I’ve also always been fascinated by how the human brain works and how much we don’t know.

What did you enjoy most about getting your degree?

I loved my time at Georgia College! It was the perfect school for my needs. What I enjoyed most at Georgia College were the people and the opportunities. There was always someone there to help me when I needed it, and there was always someone who needed a helping hand—perfect for what I needed out of my college experience. The psychology department offered classes from all across the spectrum, ranging from the Psychology of Human Development to the Psychology of Disorders to the Psychology of Love. The classes that stood out most to me were Interpersonal Behavior, Behavioral Neuroscience, and a Seminar on Love. Dr. Gillis taught Interpersonal, Dr. White taught Neuroscience, and Dr. Lindsay taught Seminar on Love. I believe Neuroscience and the Seminar on Love are still available for juniors and seniors! I minored in painting. I enjoyed the studio art and art history classes because I’ve always been artistic.

Any particular skills you took away from these classes that you found super useful?

There were a few classes that helped me build skills for my career. Interpersonal Behavior enabled me to fine-tune my social skills for the workplace and how to be professional as a young adult. Behavioral Neuroscience showed me how powerful the human brain is, what it can do, and how it can be affected by the stimuli around it. Last but certainly not least, Seminar on Love taught me how to be open to relationships (romantic and friendship) and how to nurture them.

Tell me about what you did during your time in school to start preparing for your career?

In my senior seminar course with Dr. Gillis, I was able to learn about writing resumes and career preparation. It was helpful for me, especially on updating my resume and applying for jobs. We also learned how to effectively use LinkedIn, which I now use almost daily in my current job for networking!

What are you doing now? Talk a little bit about the process of getting your job.

I am currently a Resource Coordinator at ADP, LLC. I’ve been in this position for over two years, and I love what I do. I help small businesses get started with ADP’s products and services by gathering specific legal documents about the business for proper onboarding. I got this position while still working my former position at ADP as a client service representative. I had that position for a year and wanted something new, and I networked with my former boss to see what was out there—ADP is a large company, so there is a lot of room for growth! Once I found this position, my boss contacted the hiring manager for that job and put my name in, and after the interview, I was offered the position! It helps to constantly network with the people around you in your current company if you want to move around. I plan to stay with ADP for a long time!

What is ADP? How did you get that job? Walk us through your job hunting/job securing process.

ADP is a payroll/human resources Fortune 500 company that provides several business services for small businesses (less than 50 employees) to large businesses (500+ employees). I knew someone who worked there when I was applying in February 2015 (found the position on Indeed.com), and I told her I was interested in a position and I submitted my resume and a few days later I got an email for an in-person interview! I scheduled my interview a few days after, and on my drive back to Milledgeville that evening, I received a call with a job offer! I am grateful it happened as quickly as it did and the process was smooth for me. I then went through the background check process, graduated May 2015, and started my job on June 8, 2015.

How are you using your psychology degree in your job?

I use my degree in my position every day because I work directly with our sales department. They are like my clients. While I am not on the phone all day, I have to effectively communicate with sales to ensure proper account set up for the new business they bring in. It takes a lot of patience and effective social approaches so that both teams get a win-win out of it. My degree has helped me with my job in ways I never thought—I have always been into people, but my job and degree have taught me how to effectively approach people and work together with people who are different from me or work differently than I do.

For psychology students who are still in school and thinking about their career path, what advice would you give them?

Do not ever give up and always try to keep a positive attitude wherever you go. My parents said this to me all the time growing up, and it stuck with me throughout college and my adult life. If plan A does not work, there are 25 more options available! This also teaches you to be flexible in the plans you make in life and how you can “make it happen.” For being positive, it’s always best that people know you or remember you as being a positive, pleasant person to be around—there is too much negativity in the world and life is too short to not be a positive person to the people around you.

Any thoughts on job searching?

My advice would be to use your resources—talk to people, use job search websites like Indeed.com (highly recommend), Monster.com, and LinkedIn! These websites constantly update their job selection pools every day, and you can set notifications to your phone or email when new jobs post that interest you. While you are searching online, network with people around you and even your parents. I always kept a copy of my up-to-date resume on my phone, so wherever I went, if someone was hiring, I had a copy of it available. Finally, create a LinkedIn profile if you haven’t already. It is a fabulous resource to network with new people in your prospective job field and your colleagues, and always keep it up to date for future employers to check you out!