Labor Market Analysis: Psychology Degree Little Commercial Value

[JerryC]

NOTE: This is incredibly long and it is NOT written by me. I'm merely posting here to allow others to perhaps affirm their beliefs, or to dispute these claims. I've become disillusioned and extremely depressed about job aspects now... what do you guys think? Is this true?

http://talk.collegec...ortunities.html

Scroll down to read the posts by "PsychologyCareer" and be in for a read - it'll take a while.

Edited June 12, 2011 by JerryC

[2011 MSW Hopeful]

NOTE: This is incredibly long and it is NOT written by me. I'm merely posting here to allow others to perhaps affirm their beliefs, or to dispute these claims. I've become disillusioned and extremely depressed about job aspects now... what do you guys think? Is this true?

http://talk.collegec...ortunities.html

Scroll down to read the posts by "PsychologyCareer" and be in for a read - it'll take a while.

Hmm. I find that poster's perspective interesting, and I do think caution is necessary given the saturation of Ph.D.s in psychology (and other fields as well), but overall the post is just too biased not to take with a grain of salt. It does read as sour grapes (perhaps justifiably, but sour grapes nonetheless). I found myself thinking that someone who finds employment as a technical writer and who took the time to compile so much research and anecdotal evidence should've edited it a bit more carefully.

For whatever it's worth, my B.S. in psychology has served me pretty well. I've been employed at the bachelor's level in a couple of different social service agencies, and while the pay is not fantastic (read: bad), in the four years I've been in the field I've been able to climb the ladder and am doing about the most clinical work I can do without a higher degree. I'm starting an MSW program this fall. I had considered going the research MA/Ph.D. route, but was deterred by the career uncertainty and by the fact that I've really loved doing clinical work. Really, every field is getting oversaturated -- the MSW has traditionally been a pretty employable, practical degree, but there are so many in the field now that competition for jobs along with cuts to human services will very likely be an issue when I graduate. It's probably just magnified for Ph.D.s, who've spent 5-7 years training in a very specific field only to find that the chances of employment in that field are much smaller than hoped, and for them, there's nowhere to really go but down.

[JerryC]

Hmm. I find that poster's perspective interesting, and I do think caution is necessary given the saturation of Ph.D.s in psychology (and other fields as well), but overall the post is just too biased not to take with a grain of salt. It does read as sour grapes (perhaps justifiably, but sour grapes nonetheless). I found myself thinking that someone who finds employment as a technical writer and who took the time to compile so much research and anecdotal evidence should've edited it a bit more carefully.

For whatever it's worth, my B.S. in psychology has served me pretty well. I've been employed at the bachelor's level in a couple of different social service agencies, and while the pay is not fantastic (read: bad), in the four years I've been in the field I've been able to climb the ladder and am doing about the most clinical work I can do without a higher degree. I'm starting an MSW program this fall. I had considered going the research MA/Ph.D. route, but was deterred by the career uncertainty and by the fact that I've really loved doing clinical work. Really, every field is getting oversaturated -- the MSW has traditionally been a pretty employable, practical degree, but there are so many in the field now that competition for jobs along with cuts to human services will very likely be an issue when I graduate. It's probably just magnified for Ph.D.s, who've spent 5-7 years training in a very specific field only to find that the chances of employment in that field are much smaller than hoped, and for them, there's nowhere to really go but down.

Perhaps a bit of it may have been sour grapes, but the guy drew data - it wasn't like he was pulling the numbers out of nowhere. One of his main points - you can't get hired as a PhD due to the overspecialization of a degree in the eyes of employers. Psychology-related jobs are not only bleak, others are too.

[iopsych]

Perhaps a bit of it may have been sour grapes, but the guy drew data - it wasn't like he was pulling the numbers out of nowhere. One of his main points - you can't get hired as a PhD due to the overspecialization of a degree in the eyes of employers. Psychology-related jobs are not only bleak, others are too.

It really depends on the area you go into. A Social/Personality psychology PhD really limits you to academia...maybe govt./applied research. Certain other degrees have more options, especially if one chooses to go applied. I/O, education, counseling, human factors, and clinical tend to have more options than social, cognitive, etc. when it comes to the applied realm. I think it is good to be cautious, just do research and have a good idea of your options.

[cogscipixie]

It really depends on the area you go into. A Social/Personality psychology PhD really limits you to academia...maybe govt./applied research. Certain other degrees have more options, especially if one chooses to go applied. I/O, education, counseling, human factors, and clinical tend to have more options than social, cognitive, etc. when it comes to the applied realm. I think it is good to be cautious, just do research and have a good idea of your options.

Agreed. Also, if you can learn to bridge your research keeping one foot in basic and one foot in applied research, you can make yourself marketable to other fields. Many cognitive scientists are being hired by user experience, and the education industry because they have a strong background in how people best learn so they are being brought onto projects by ETS, Pearson, and government labs. It's all about perspective. Make sure you get yourself out there at conferences to all kinds of researchers, not just R1. Luckily, I've been very focused on cognition and education work, so I am predicting to market myself to more than just the R1 crowd since 1) I know that lifestyle is not for me on the tenure-seeking track, and 2) Good research need not be locked up in the Ivory Tower. It's all relative. You just have to market your skills correctly.That goes with ANY field.

[Carolyn_D]

Agreed. Also, if you can learn to bridge your research keeping one foot in basic and one foot in applied research, you can make yourself marketable to other fields. Many cognitive scientists are being hired by user experience, and the education industry because they have a strong background in how people best learn so they are being brought onto projects by ETS, Pearson, and government labs. It's all about perspective. Make sure you get yourself out there at conferences to all kinds of researchers, not just R1. Luckily, I've been very focused on cognition and education work, so I am predicting to market myself to more than just the R1 crowd since 1) I know that lifestyle is not for me on the tenure-seeking track, and 2) Good research need not be locked up in the Ivory Tower. It's all relative. You just have to market your skills correctly.That goes with ANY field.

With that said, do you think a Social Psychology PhD can apply to the job market in similar ways as a Clinical Psychology PhD; for example, when it comes to applying psychology to areas in business (i.e. consumer psychology). I ask this because I've gotten a lot of mixed feedback from people that I have spoken to, mainly in regards to whether or not psychology PhD's in general, regardless of specialization, can apply their PhD to areas outside of academia and a career in solely research. Opinions? Thoughts?