Career ReadinessCompetencies

The Big Questions

• What is the probability that you will find a job within 6 months after graduating?• What will your annual salary be in your first year?• What field will your first job be in?• What are the most important things employers are looking for in a

college graduate?• How well prepared are you?• What can you do now to develop your career readiness skills?

• About 118,000 psychology majors will graduate in the US this year• Most (73%) will NOT be going to

graduate school• Of those that find employment, most

(70%) will NOT work in a field closely related to their psychology major• Most (74%) of 10,000+ former

psychology majors in one study were NOT happy about the direction their careers had taken them

The Big (Bad?) Picture

What is the probability that you willfind a job? What will your annual salary be?

All Graduates % Private Schools % Psychology Majors %

Total Employed 64 69 49

Full Time Employed 53 57 37

Continuing Education 18 19 27

Seeking Employment 12 7 11

Other 6 5 13

First Year Salary $50,250 $53,000 $35,700

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Psychology, Health & Related Fields

Business & Industry

Government & Non-Profit

Education

Self-Employed

% of Graduates Employed in Each Field

What field will your first job be in?

What are the most importantthings employers are looking for?

How well prepared are you?

• In one survey, over 30% of employers indicated that recent graduates were “unprepared” or “very unprepared” for employment• More than half said it was

difficult to find qualified candidates for job openings• Graduates overestimate how

prepared they are!

Employers’ priorities are different

• Less than a quarter of employers consider academics more important than experience• Most employers (78%) will

consider any major • Almost all employers evaluate

job candidates’ online material• College culture and business

culture are not the same

What can you do now todevelop your career readiness skills?

Conclusions

Career readiness goals

• Communication: both written and oral• Problem solving skills: analytical thinking, quantitative skills, ability to

apply knowledge to real world problems• Teamwork: ability to contribute always and lead effectively when called

to• Work ethic: initiative, persistence, self-reliance, ability to handle

multiple priorities, willing to learn• Integrity: professionalism, ethical judgment and decision making,

honest, dependable

How to get there from here

• Internships• Writing courses• Oral presentations• Senior research project• Extracurricular activities• Teaching/research

apprenticeships• Employment and

volunteer experience

Research

• National Association of Colleges & Employers: 2017 – 368 colleges and universities (public and private, all regions of the US, all categories) responded to a survey about students’ status in the first 6 months after graduation; more than 500,000 graduates altogether. 2019 –survey of NACE members, more than 170 employers responded• American Association of Colleges and Universities: Survey of 400

executives of private sector and nonprofit organizations, and survey of 455 college seniors and 158 second-year community college students• Chronicle of Higher Education: Survey of over 700 businesses,

government agencies, and non-profit organizations

References

• Chronicle of Higher Education. (2012). The role of higher education in career development: Employer perceptions. Retrieved from https://chronicle-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/5/items/biz/pdf/ Employers%20Survey.pdf• Hart Research Associates. (2015). Falling short? College learning and career

success. Washington, DC: Author. • National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2019). Employers want to see

these attributes on students’ resumes. Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/talent-acquisition/candidate-selection/employers-want-to-see-these-attributes-on-students-resumes/• National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2018). First destinations for the

college class of 2017. Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/job-market/graduate-outcomes/first-destination/