As a psychology student, you’ve immersed yourself in the study of the mind, brain, and behavior. You’ve taken courses on diverse topics, studied various psychological theories and concepts, and learned about research methods and statistics. You may even have conducted some research of your own. And all this knowledge of psychology will serve you well. But your psychology education also equips you with a powerful set of marketable skills. Are you able to identify these skills? Can you discuss them confidently with an employer? Are you aware of the skills you should focus on developing this year? If you’re unsure, don’t worry! This article aims to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses, reflect on relevant skills, and set achievable goals for skill development.
Step 1: Assess
Every year, organizations such as LinkedIn, Forbes, and Indeed publish lists of the most marketable skills—those that are most likely to be valued by employers and appear on job descriptions across a range of industries. While there is some variation from year to year, “soft skills” consistently dominate these lists. These are essential skills that can be applied to a variety of roles and occupations, and they include cognitive abilities like critical thinking, social skills such as leadership, personal attributes like adaptability, and communication skills, both oral and written. For instance, LinkedIn has identified adaptability as the top skill for 2024 (Brodnitz, 2024).
The Skillful Psychology Student (PDF, 55KB)opens in new window identifies 17 key skills that are typically possessed by psychology students and valued by employers. When it comes to identifying your own skills, this list is a great place to start. The following resources can also be helpful.
Assessing your confidence in your skills
The Employable Skills Self-Efficacy Surveyopens in new window (ESSES: Ciarocco & Strohmetz, 2018) is a 51-item self-assessment that you can complete online for free. It measures your perceptions of your professional skills across four domains: Communication, analytical inquiry, collaboration, and professional development. The results can help you identify your strengths and potential areas for improvement.
Documenting evidence of your skills
Making the Most of Your Courses: Documenting Your Skills and Behaviors (PDF, 473KB)opens in new window (Waggoner Denton, 2021) is a downloadable worksheet that uses the skillful psychology student framework. It helps you assess the skills developed in specific courses and think about the evidence you have for these skills.
Notably, this worksheet also provides instructions and examples of how to market the skills you’ve developed. For example, imagine you’re applying for a job at your school library. The job description mentions a need for someone with “high attention to detail.” By reviewing your worksheet, you might note that you excelled at “formatting a paper with strict attention to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition” in a recent class. Highlighting this experience in your cover letter or interview can demonstrate your meticulousness, even if the job doesn’t require you to have any knowledge of APA formatting.
Step 2: Reflect
Review the skills you feel most confident about (as revealed by the ESSES) and compile examples that demonstrate these strengths (as directed by the Making the Most of Your Courses). For instance, if you excel in leadership or writing, record or rehearse examples that showcase these abilities. This preparation will help you present your skills confidently to others.
Of course, your assessments will also reveal some weaknesses—skills that you lack confidence in or have yet to develop. Focus on the ones that concern you most. Imagine your “ideal graduating self.” What skills and abilities does this future version of you possess that you currently lack? Consider which skills are most relevant to your career or educational aspirations. For example, if you aim to pursue a master’s degree in counseling psychology, but struggle with active listening, make developing this skill a priority. Researching different occupations on O*NET is a great way to learn about the specific skills that are required for the type of job you want. (See this article for tips on how to use O*NET).
Reflection prompts
- Envision your future self 1–2 years from now and 10–15 years from now. What specific skills, knowledge, or abilities do you wish to possess that you currently lack?
- Think about your desired job or further education. Which specific skills are most relevant and important for you to develop?
The goal is to identify a few key skills to focus on in the near future. Setting learning-focused goals (like developing a new skill) rather than outcome-focused goals (like achieving a 4.0 GPA) has been linked to greater academic success and satisfaction (Latham & Brown, 2006).
Step 3: Set goals for skill development
The following goal-setting steps are based on an empirically validated academic goal-setting intervention (Morisano et al., 2010; Schippers et al., 2020).
Goal formulation
Identify one or two clear, specific skill-related goals. For example, aim to improve your active listening self-efficacy within 6 months, so you feel as confident in your listening skills as you do in your writing skills.
Goal attainment
Outline a plan for attaining each goal. Be specific about what you will do and when. Consider these strategies:
- Courses or workshops
Enroll in courses or workshops offered by your department or through platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning. This amazing resource by Dr. Ruth Walker lists dozens of free online courses you can take to develop your skills.
- Extracurricular activities
Engage in work, volunteer, research opportunities, or join student clubs that align with your goals.
Break down goals into smaller subgoals and outline specific strategies to attain each. For example, if improving active listening skills is your goal, start by listening actively to friends and family, then find a course that requires you to practice and further develop this skill, and finally, volunteer with a distress helpline for hands-on experience.
Identifying obstacles
To increase the chances that you’ll be able to stick to your plan, identify potential barriers to achieving your goals and plan solutions. Consider both external obstacles (e.g., a course you want to enroll in is full) and internal obstacles (e.g., worry or fear). Develop strategies to overcome these challenges. For instance, have a list of back-up courses in place in case the class you plan on taking is full. When it comes to internal obstacles, be honest with yourself and the barriers you might face. Signing up for an improv class may be a great way to develop your oral presentation skills, but not if you have stage fright! This is also where breaking down goals into smaller, scaffolded steps can be helpful. Save the improv class for later and start by setting realistic goals for how often you will raise your hand in class or participate in small group discussions.
Monitoring progress and sharing plans
Determine how you will track progress toward your goals. Set benchmarks—things you will have done to make progress one week from now, one month from now, and so on. Share your goals and plans with someone who can help hold you accountable. Consider writing a letter to your future self where you outline the reflections, plans, and goals you’ve set here and using a service like futureme.orgopens in new window to have it emailed to you at a later date (e.g., one year from now).
By following these steps, you can effectively assess, reflect, and set goals to develop the skills needed for a successful career in psychology and beyond.
Additional resources
Career Exploration for Psychology Students:
- Careers in psychology websiteopens in new window
- Resource documentopens in new window
- Undergraduate interview series videos
- The Superpowers of the Psychology Major
About the author
Ashley Waggoner Denton is an associate professor, teaching stream in the Psychology Department at the University of Toronto, where she teaches courses including Introductory Psychology, Psychology Careers and Applications, and The Psychology of Student Success. Regardless of the class she is teaching, she strives to engage students with authentic assessments, to promote reflective learning, and to create a welcoming environment where all learners can thrive. She engages in research on topics that lie at the intersection of social psychology and pedagogy, often in collaboration with undergraduate student researchers. Her dedication to teaching has been recognized through awards including the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Toronto and the Jane Halonen Early Career Teaching Award from the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. She is currently serving as editor of Best Practices in Teaching and Learning for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and as co-chair of APA’s Committee on Associate and Baccalaureate Education.
