How can sociology help students articulate

and realizecareer goals?

© Joan Ferrante, for instructional use

This information applies to students of sociology

including those who …..

© Joan Ferrante, for instructional use

take only an intro course

any number of sociology courses

minor in sociology

major in sociology

© Joan Ferrante, for instructional use

The slides that follow show some ways to use the sociological perspective to articulate and realize

career goals.

Business Careers

MEGAN HOBBIE works at PNC Bank as a financial sales consultant. She realized that the sociological perspective intertwined with her work at PNC and could assist her in reaching her ultimate goal of working in the field of multi-cultural business development consulting with minority entrepreneurs looking to start a businesses and to gain financial independence. Megan believes a sociological perspective allows her to stand apart from those who approach the job with a narrow finance and business perspective. At the end of the day a financial services officer who understands the diverse needs, situations and aspirations of customers is in a position to form a constructive working relationships with them.

TOOBA (TEE) SIDDIQUI is already on a path to a good career as she currently works as a business analyst in the technology division of U.S. Bank. Tee believes that developing a sociological perspective is important to success in her job. As a business analyst she is the bridge between IT and the bank employees who use software systems to do their jobs and to meet customer’s financial needs. Sociology offers a framework for factoring in the human element and for anticipating employee and customer reactions (expected and unexpected) to new and existing software systems.

Shannon Elam has worked for over 10 years at Meritor, a global leader in the commercial vehicle and industrial market. She is a member of the Quality Assurance Team, and was recently promoted to department supervisor. Shannon enjoys working with people who come from diverse backgrounds. Shannon believes that sociological forces are everywhere and shape everything we do. She believes we benefit by embracing diversity because it cultivates broader understanding and new perspectives that will lead to innovations and an improved society.

Education/Health CareCareers

AMBER HELLEBUSCH believes that a sociological perspective will help prepare her for a career as an occupational therapist. For one thing the American Physical Therapy Association recommends those pursing a career in physical therapy take sociology courses because therapists must understand the diverse situations and needs of clients. They must also understand the complex health care system of which they are apart and sociology provides the tools for understanding and negotiating that system. Currently Amber works part-time as a hospital room assistant as she aspires to work in a hospital setting. Amber also plans to apply a graduate school program in occupational therapy.

MICHAEL MOORE believes the sociological perspective will help him to realize his goal of becoming a high school counselor. School counselors help students to develop social and academic skills to succeed in school and coach students about career options and programs of study. Sociology offers Michael a framework that allows him to grasp the larger social context in which high school students’ lives are embedded and that presents them with challenges and opportunities.

SHAWN PARKER, who plays Division I soccer, works at an elite soccer academy as a coach. In his role as a youth coach Shawn has opportunities to travel to South America in the summers 2013 and 2014 to coach and to learn from coaches in those countries.

Shawn believes that sociology helps him to understand team dynamics and to interact with adults and children of culturally diverse backgrounds who are part of the global sport of soccer. He also believes sociology will give him an added advantage in realizing his dreams to play pro soccer and eventually become the head coach of a college team.

Government & Law Enforcement Careers

CAMERON DAY believes a sociological perspective is perfect for helping him to realize his career goal of working in law enforcement.  Currently he is employed as a deputy jailer and has earned 12 co-op credit hours that work. Cameron has learned from those working in law enforcement that job applicants trained to think sociologically have a distinct advantage because of sociology’s focus on diversity and the social context underlying activities considered criminal.

KELLEY CALVI plans to join AmeriCorps or Health Corps, federal programs that offer people of all ages an opportunity to apply their skills toward serving others and addressing critical needs in communities across the United States. She eventually hopes to counsel youth living in urban environments. Kelley is attracted to sociology because of the high value she places on taking risks and engaging in innovative activities and programs.

NATHAN MEYER plans to pursue a career in public service as a legislative liaison or public affairs specialist preferably with the National Park Service, the Forest Service or a state fish and game department. Nathan has first-hand experiences with public affairs and the legislative process as an intern with the Frankfort Legislative Internship Program (2007), as a community organizer for Working America (summer 2008) and as a field organizer for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 8th Congressional district of Tennessee to help elect Roy Herron (2010).

CLINTON HOVEKAMP plans to apply to the Navy or Air Force Officer Candidate School. A sociology perspective is valuable for understanding the relationship between military and the family-community environments from which service members come. Sociology also provides a framework for relating to people from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and for appreciating the ways the military cultivates selflessness and strong bonds. Eventually Clinton hopes to work for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Homeland Security or the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Human Resources Careers

MAYRA GUZMAN OROZCO believes that a sociological perspective will help her realize her career goal of working in a government, corporate or not-for-profit office that serves populations with distinct needs (e.g., Latinos, women, or veterans). The sociological perspective gives her concepts for thinking about the role of culture and organizational structures in shaping experiences and interactions. Sociology also cultivates sympathetic understanding for all parties involved in any setting.

LAURA VEETY is currently working as human resources intern with the Kroger Co. In her interview for this internship Laura explained that her sociology courses helped (1) cultivate an appreciation for diversity, (2) allowed her to understand how the workplace can empower or alienate employees and (3) alerted her to the importance of employee, job applicants and customer demographics. In reflecting on the interview process Laura believes that this answer was important to her success in landing the job.

Human Services Careers

BRITTANY KELLER’S career goals are shaped by a life-changing mission trip to Nicaragua where she experienced first hand the difficulties faced by the people of Nicaragua. Brittany has also traveled to Amsterdam and Paris. These trips offered an interesting contrasts and helped her to see poverty cannot be explained simply by pointing to a person’s lack of effort.

Brittany plans to apply to a graduate program in social work. Ultimately she wants to work with low-income families offering support services to increase opportunities for social mobility. Sociology provides her with an analytical tool for placing clients’ lives in a broader context and for devising collaborative strategies that will bring positive structural changes to their lives.

DIAMOND NICHOLS currently works as a support provider for the mentally and developmentally challenged. She hopes to eventually work with juvenile offenders. Sociology has helped Diamond to place the “individual in trouble with the law” in a larger social context allowing her to think strategically about the obstacles and opportunities each client faces. Diamond believes that she holds an advantage in the job market because she also has practical experience motivating people who are cognitively challenged and working with those who are misunderstood and have difficulty communicating effectively with others.

KENNY CARPENTER aspires to work for a not-for-profit organization that serves vulnerable populations (jobless, homeless, troubled teens, disabled, and the elderly). He has volunteer experience working at a senior center and has worked as a clerk processor at Goodwill. He believes that sociology has equipped him with qualitative and quantitative perspectives on social inequalities experienced by the poor, the near poor, and the working classes. Kenny believes that his academic studies, in combination with his field experiences, offer him the best preparation for assisting and serving individuals with special needs.

DEVINNE BEAGLE’s goal is to be a victims’ advocate for children and young teens. She believes that a sociology helps her to think about childhood socialization and the ways family dynamics affect social and psychological well-being. A sociological perspective will also help her identify and address a client’s medical, mental health, education and policy needs.

Devinne’s career goals have been shaped by volunteer work with the Children’s Law Center where she assisted attorneys with billing, filing case work, entering closed cases into databases making calls and doing miscellaneous paperwork.

“Failure to prepare

is

preparing to fail”

-John Wooden

Simply taking classesand going through

the motions of earning a degree

is not enough!

What can you do to build a resume while in college?

In sociology and other classes write papers that inform your career goals

“The Sociology of

Team Dynamics “

“Work Environments

That Motivate and

Empower Employees “

“Inmate to Student: Conversations with 5 Students Who Made the Transition”

“Socially Responsible Investing”

“Imagining Marx, Weber and Durkheim as High School Counselors: What Advice Would They Give?”

Do an internship or co-op.Gain first-hand experience in the field

Study AbroadGain first-hand experience with foreign culture

Choose sociology as

a 1st major, a 2nd major,

a minor or

concentration

to further enhance career goals.

List selected sociology courses on your resume.

Research MethodsStatisticsDemographySociology of AgingSociology of MedicineSociology of EducationSociology of Environment

Volunteer◦Serving disadvantaged◦Mentoring student defined

as at high-risk◦Running errands for

homebound residents

Attend Job/Career Fairs

Pick up information about organizations that are hiring

Bring copies of resume to distribute

Join the Sociology or Other Student Club

Make the most of your employment history. If you are a server….

… articulate the ways the job you hold relates to the career you hope to secure

deals with customers who demand quick and efficient service

handles multiple tables of customers making requests at the same time

makes food recommendations

converses with customers from diverse backgrounds

A server

Articulate the skills you acquire as a students of sociology—an ability to identify population trends related to births,

deaths, migration, age-sex composition;

appreciate and articulate diverse viewpoints;

anticipate intended and unintended consequences that accompany change;

gather information via interviews, questionnaires, observations, case studies, secondary data analysis, content analysis, and to analyze the results;

avoid using superficial knowledge or personal bias as a basis for making decisions that affect others;

appreciate how culture and society shape people’s choices and responses

Many students plan to enroll in graduate school

after completing their B.S or B.A.

Health Inform

atics

Organizational Leadership

School Counseling

Public Administration

Human Resources

Social Work Nonprofit management

There are a growing number of graduate programs that students with any major can apply.

Law School

In addition to providing a valuable perspective, training in sociology (even taking just the intro course) prepares students to do well on GRE tests

In addition to providing a valuable perspective, training in sociology (even taking just the intro course) prepares students to do well on GRE tests

As just one example, the GRE includes an issue essay

You are presented with a topic -- often a controversial one– and asked to present your perspective on that issue with supporting examples. You have 30 minutes to plan and write a response.

If you apply one of the three major theoretical perspectives— functionalist, conflict or symbolic interaction—you don’t have to spend time planning a response.

“Review your goals twice every day in order to be

focused on achieving them.”

- Les Brown