Careers in Psychology Alumni Panel Recap

On February 7, psychology alumni gathered in Mason’s Office of Career Services to share their post-graduation experiences with current undergraduate psychology students. The Careers in Psychology Alumni Panel consisted of five psychology alumni and one current student, including Josselyn Wilson (Class of 2013), Samantha Dubrow (Current I/O PhD student), Laura Martinez (Class of 2015), Elizabeth Coalter (Class of 2012), Angela Davis (Class of 2015), and Becca Porte (Class of 2015). With backgrounds in marketing, human resources, psychology assessment, and behavior therapy, the panel members offered many different insights into their journeys from before graduation to being settled in a job or graduate program.

Throughout the event, the panel discussed the career paths that began with a psychology degree, their current positions, and the skills and knowledge that they have used from their undergraduate coursework and experiences. The panel members agreed that they gained many useful skills from their statistics and research methods courses at Mason, and that when looking for jobs, they found that employers prefer someone with experience analyzing data.

Another useful skill that they developed during their time as undergraduate psychology majors was communication. Good communication skills are necessary for any position, they reported, and promote higher productivity, connectivity, and efficiency at work. The panel discussed other career readiness tips, which included getting an early start on your job search and casting your nets far and wide when it comes to finding a job. Your dream job may not be your first job, they agreed, but every job is an opportunity to learn more and gain experiences that might help you get your dream job.

The event wrapped up with a time for Q&A with the alumni. The undergraduate students were able to ask about interviewing, different positions available to psychology majors, and other questions to help prepare them for the future.

We are planning another alumni panel for April and are looking for psychology alumni that are interested in being a part of it. This is the perfect opportunity to pass along your knowledge, share your experiences, and better equip students for their futures with psychology degrees.

For more information on the next Careers in Psychology Alumni Panel or other career readiness events, please visit our psychology Facebook page for updates.