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.

[robot_hamster]

I don't know much about psychology, so I can't speak from personal experience. That being said, I think psychology is just like many other fields.. it all depends on where you live. A friend of mine got a bachelors in psychology and he didn't go on to graduate school. He got a job working at a home for adults (people with mental and psychiatric disabilities). He designed programs for them so the patients there could work on different issues they were having. This was what he considered to be the "best" job that he could get with his degree (his words, not mine). I have always had a sense that it was difficult to get a good job with a bachelors in psychology alone. I never thought that going to grad school wouldn't help someone in finding a better job in that field. But again, it really depends on where you live. If you have a ton of competition, then of course it is going to be difficult. I wouldn't let that discourage you from pursuing a higher degree. One person's bad experience doesn't mean that that is what will happen to you.

Edited June 12, 2011 by robot_hamster

[JerryC]

I think it's fair warning. The person writing sounds like a motivated, intelligent individual who is fully capable of obtaining a job. Besides, it's not like it's purely his experience, the data drawn isn't "his experience" - it demonstrates a lot of people in the industry's , particularly those with a PhD in psychology. It's depressing to know after all of this hard work, nothing will come of it. We say pursue our passions and are encouraged to do so constantly, but really, that's all good when we're 18 and just entering the college of our dreams, where the world seems to be full of possibilities. But really, I think this is a caution for those who aspire for a PhD in psych. - that is unless, there is another knowledgeable person who can refute these claims/ data analysis.