<p>I think I might like to be a psychology researcher and write books for the general public. If I lose interest in that career path, though, I don't know what else I'd want to do. Psychology doesn't really yield a predictable path, but how practical is it for someone who doesn't want to do secretarial-type work or work in HR?</p>
<p>Also, is becoming a researcher a competitive process?</p>
<p>A BA in psychology will enable you to apply to grad school to become a researcher.</p>
<p>But suppose I’m no longer interested in psychology research-- Can I get a job in finance or something that pays reasonably well but is not at all related to psychology?</p>
<p>It’s possible to get any job for which you’re qualified. Will a BA in psychology make you qualified for a finance job? Not usually.</p>
<p>My brother has a BA in psychology and became a lawyer. He has done some pro bono work for a battered woman’s shelter. He is a wonderful calm gentle communicator and I think his psychology background added to his ability. </p>
<p>I think a background in psychology will help you in many areas.</p>
<p>What can you do with an BA in Psychology? Well…you can get an MA in psychology</p>
<p>If you are interested in psychology, then double major. Psychology majors are notorious for joining the ranks of the unemployed once they graduate due to too many people majoring in it and not enough jobs. I DO have friends who did study Psych and are successful in research. Another friend went the occupational therapist route. Otherwise, you can do clinical or HR jobs.</p>
<p>if you want to do research, make sure you have at least some experience doing research as an undergrad, maybe being a research assistant for a professor, taking a research internship, etc. employers will also want you to have qualitative/quantitative skills. take statistics classes, learn how to use spss, or sas, or stata. those things will all look good on a resume. </p>
<p>if you want to do the human services route, its possible. for example, i worked as a residential counselor in an at-risk girls group home for a year out of undergrad (i had a BS in psychology). the pay wasn’t awesome, but i gained experience in a non-profit doing youth development and counseling work, and i could have parlayed that into a higher paying position, especially if i had moved to a different area (the county i worked in had no money). </p>
<p>some good advice would be to do a job search and look at positions or companies you might be interested in. see what kind of qualifications they are looking for and get as many of those skills as you can. for research positions, you can look for jobs at universities, think tanks (like brookings or the urban institute), non-profits, or even private companies (like american institutes for research).</p>
<p>I, too, am considering a Pysch. major. Right now I am undeclared liberal arts. I don’t think there is much difference between Psych vs. History vs. English vs. Sociology. A solid liberal arts background gives you the same analytical and writing skills that employers seek. At least, that’s how I see it from my perspective from seeing friends and family graduate and go through the job search process. It really only makes a difference if you want to do research or grad. school in Psych., which it seems you do.</p>
<p>As bad as it may seem, I’m hesitant to major in Psych. because so many people do! I feel like it would be cliche and leave me jobless, which is unfortunate because it’s an area I’m interested in and feel like I would excel in. We’ll see after I take Psych. classes next semester, I suppose!</p>
<p>Psych is one of those majors where you need more than a BA to do much serious psych work, either an advanced degree or a specific certificate. Just plan on it! :)</p>
<p>Market Research and Marketing are two areas where psych majors thrive. Market Research involves studying how people’s attitudes and behaviors are shaped and how to affect them. It uses many techniques that were developed by psychologists, but gets very practical. Marketing is actually implementing actions based on the understanding developed through Market Research.</p>