Careers with a bachelor’s degree in psychology

Alma maters: Irvine Valley Community College and University of California, Berkeley

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

What attracted you to psychology?

I knew I wanted a career in an educational setting, but I didn’t want to be boxed into a teaching role if that didn’t work out for me. I chose psychology because it gave me the capacity to still pursue a teaching career or go down another path in the future.

What was your experience like at Irvine Valley and UC Berkeley? What did you enjoy most about getting your degree?

After graduating from high school, I chose to attend community college before transferring to a four-year university. I had not envisioned going to Irvine Valley College (IVC), but looking back I owe a lot of my current success to that decision. I met the most driven and inspiring individuals at IVC, some whom I am still close to today. I learned to motivate myself and be passionate about my studies from my very talented professors. After transferring to UC Berkeley (UCB), I realized how fortunate I was to have had such rigorous curriculum in psychology and research at IVC. It was so beneficial to have already successfully studied SPSS and written a paper in my research in psychology class at IVC as it set me up beautifully to be ahead of the curve in my classes. The small class sizes gave us the ability to form close-knit relationships with professors and fellow students, and the multiple programs offered (such as Psi Beta and IVC student government) ultimately helped lead me to my acceptance at UCB. I graduated IVC with my associate’s degree in social and behavioral sciences and moved on to receive my BA in psychology at UCB. The switch from a small community college to a large four-year institution like UCB was exciting and intimidating at the same time.

Any classes or topics you enjoyed?

I greatly enjoyed the large variety of opportunities and courses UCB offered. During my first summer at UCB I was able to intern abroad in Dublin, Ireland as a mentor for inner-city youth, while still taking classes and receiving credit to help me graduate a semester early. During my last semester at UCB, I enrolled in a sleep psychology course. A lot of the research was still new, and so it was intriguing to be at the forefront of all the theories that were current at that time and learn from top professors in the country!

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

My dream early on was to be an elementary school teacher. When I was in high school, I was already in a program where I could be a teacher’s assistant to a fifth grade classroom a few periods a week. At UCB, I took a few education classes, which allowed me to research and observe preschool classrooms. I joined JumpStart as a Corps member and taught preschool a few days a week and got a part-time job as a junior behavioral therapist working with children with autism. I visited career services a few times, and there I learned about programs that intrigued me such as Teach For America, Fulbright, Peace Corps and more. I applied and received a Fulbright Grant to teach abroad but ultimately decided to follow the Teach For America (TFA) path here in Colorado.

What led you to your current position?

TFA led me to work at a charter school in Colorado as a K–5 special education teacher. I earned my special education license and was able to utilize many of the skills I learned from my time as a junior behavioral therapist in college. My time in TFA helped me realize my work ethic was strong, I had confidence in my abilities, and that I cared deeply for the community that welcomed me in. After my two-year commitment ended, I was scouted by health care professionals to train doctors in electronic medical record software. I had no prior experience, but I learned quickly and received certifications that led to my current position. I am currently an Advanced Patient-Centered Charting and Communication Trainer at Colorado Permanente Medical Group.

How are you using your psychology degree in your job?

My current position requires working with providers to change behaviors that often they are not even aware of. I find myself calling on all my previous experiences as a teacher, behavioral therapist, and as a psychology student. What I’ve learned in the past about how to listen and how to motivate others helps me in my trainings, whether it’s one-on-one or in a group setting. I use my knowledge of psychology and learning when I’m considering layouts and the different styles of aids for presentations or handouts. In my position, I also do a lot of research to form statistics on what providers need the most from us, how to track our trainers and the success of our training, or to pinpoint different types of trainings that will be most beneficial for all.

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

I thought my future was very planned out and straight forward, but I still went down a path that I could not have predicted. Considering all my options after high school, I made the very surprising decision to begin at a community college. If not for IVC, I would have never attended UCB, graduated early, and most importantly, graduated debt-free. The detour in my path to a four-year institution is where I found a wealth of support, independence, confidence in myself, and inspiration for hard work. I still stay tremendously interested in psychology and am very fortunate for all the gateways that decision has opened for me. My advice would be don’t to be afraid to branch out and take that one extra class in business, or software engineering, or physics, that might not normally be on your roster for the year. Take advantage of what the campus has to offer you, whether it’s a career center or club/organization you might want to join because it might lead to more opportunities down the road. A great quote I remind myself of constantly is from “Parks and Recreation,” my favorite TV show, “Blueprints for the future are a fool’s errand”—Ron Swanson. You owe it to your future self to be prepared for whatever might come your way!