<p>I plan to major in psychology and I plan to go to med-school for post-grad. However, I will most likely have to pay my way through med-school, meaning I will need to find a job with my BS in psychology. All of the research I've made (aka google for about a total of 20 hours) only mentions long-term career goals for psychology majors. I know my long-term goal is to be a psychiatrist but I need to know how short-term job prospects look for someone with a BS in psychology</p>
<p>Assuming you can mentally and physically afford to spend 20 hours a week studying, then being a lab assistant at a college, or working as a carer for elderly or disabled clients in their homes. Otherwise, it could very well be Starbucks… However, if it keeps you in then don’t care about the job title.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you might want to be looking which colleges have the lowest levels of debt/ lower fees, scholarships or service repayment options after graduation if you can spend a couple of years in a community that is desperate for health care. Or join up to the Navy for their scholarships…</p>
<p>You will want to pursue internships as an undergraduate to build a solid resume and broaden your options. If your goal is psychiatry, then try looking into behavioral analyst/technician positions or other entry-level jobs in hospitals or nursing homes. Try also: residential counselors for at-risk youth and programs for children with developmental or other disabilities. Other options that may be less directed at your long-term goal includes drug abuse counselor, human resource assistant or generalist, employment specialist, job coach, administrative assistant, tutor, teaching assistant, retail management, sales…the list can go on and on. </p>
<p>Psychology majors are versatile, with skills sets ranging from quantitative to analytical and social. But without internship or other work experience, it will be difficult to land your first real job since psychology majors aren’t trained to do anything specific at the undergraduate level. So start early and make sure you’re doing things to beef up your resume and qualifications for the type of work you want.</p>
<p>And yes, keep your undergraduate costs as low as you possibly can. Medical school is expensive, even if psychiatrists make a good salary. You might decide later that you don’t want to pursue psychiatry and you don’t want a large amount of debt no matter what your career path is.</p>