Megan Evangelista graduated from Assumption College in 2013 with a degree in Psychology and minor in Women’s Studies. Since graduation she has worked in non-profit, higher education, and corporate settings. She received her Masters of Education in Administration of Higher Education in December of 2015 from Suffolk University. Meg currently works in University Relations at Dell as the College Program Manager. Below she shares how your psych degree can play a key role in success just as it did for her.
A Psychology Major Walks into Corporate America…
Otherwise Known as 5 Ways My Psychology Degree Prepared Me for Post-grad Careers
While this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, the truth is that it’s the latest edition of where I’ve found my career path leading after my time at Assumption. It can be difficult to know where or how a psychology degree will launch your career path, but the skills acquired from this major have prepared me for my current work and any future role I dream up. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Psych majors are adaptable. Being adaptable helps us enter new situations and quickly learn about organization structure, key players, and how to take advantage of resources. While in school, classes explore topics that are can be difficult for one reason or another; these experiences helped prepare me to work in stressful situations or support others in challenging moments. With a foundational understanding of our own mindset, perspectives, and experiences we can better adjust to new situations quickly with energy.
- We have high emotional intelligence. The ability to read the climate of a room, empathize with a colleague, or understand your mood are vital skills necessary to thrive in any work setting. Being able to work with others and make meaningful connections is what allows us to be effective colleagues, mentors, and leaders. This concept comes up often during the interview process to ensure candidates have strong self-awareness.
- Our skills are transferable. The skills I learned in psychology courses are useful in other roles, making it a smooth transition into other fields. As a graduate, I worked in various roles including a high school counselor at a non-profit, a corporate diversity program manager, to a Student Government Association advisor at an art school. While the title changes, my ability to communicate, engage, and build relationships are constants in my professional toolkit.
- Psych majors have perspective. Multiple perspectives, that is. We are able to think about the world through different lenses and understand personal biases, experiences, and the ways in which others perceive the world. Psych majors can use knowledge of their company and resources to be strategic in building networks that serve us both professionally and personally. I’m able to use knowledge of the organization and its history to know which teammates to turn to as a resource, how to ask for help, and when to take action.
- We think critically. Reading cases, creating and executing studies, learning to critique research and propose alternate methodologies strengthens your ability to think critically and evaluate others’ work. Wherever you find yourself after graduation, odds are high that you will work with data in some capacity. I find myself questioning others’ data more effectively and analyzing information to ensure that it uses the right metrics and methodologies of data collection. Critical thinking skills are frequently cited as a mandatory talent job applicants have and those skills are honed through the psych major.
