Job Searching During the Pandemic and Beyond

Staying on Track

American Psychological Association

M a y 2 8 , 2 0 2 0

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pages.apa.org/newdoctorates

apa.org/emerging-leaders

pages.apa.org/staying-on-track

Job Searching During the Pandemic and Beyond

Karen Stamm, PhD

Director

APA Center for Workforce Studies

Russ Riendeau, PhD

Senior Partner & Chief Behavioral Scientist

New Frontier Search Company

Eddy Ameen, PhD

Moderator & Associate Executive Director

APA Early Career & Graduate Student Affairs

Career Stage

Undergrad5%

Masters9%

Doctoral25%

Early36%

Mid13%

Late8%

Other4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Undergraduate student

Terminal master's student

Doctoral student

Early career (0-10 years postgraduate)

Mid career (10-25 years postgraduate)

Late career (25+ years postgraduate)

Current Job Search Status

Graduating school, entering the job market Unemployed/underemployed, seeking work immediately

Hoping to change jobs in the next 1-2 months Hoping to change jobs in the next 3-6 months

Curious about changing jobs at least 6 months from now Seeking information to better assist others

Karen Stamm, PhD

Psychology Jobs:

What we Knew

Director

Center for Workforce Studies

American Psychological Association

APA Center for Workforce Studies

www.apa.org/workforce

Key Points

Focus on your SKILLS.

Your education and experiences can be used in versatile ways.

What you train to do is not necessarily what you do on a day-to-day basis.

- Projections ≠ predictions

- The best guess about the future is to look at the past

- What did we know about jobs psychology degree holders held?

- Careers in Psychology data tool: www.apa.org/workforce/data-tools/careers-psychology

- Top occupations for psychology graduate degree holders

- Skills and traits

Forecasting the Future for Job Seekers

14

How many psychology doctorate holders work in the occupations of psychologist or psychology professor?

a) 1 in 10

b) 1 in 5

c) 1 in 3

d) 1 in 2

Pop Quiz!

15

Occupations for Psychology Doctorate Holders

16Source: 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, NCSES, National Science Foundation

- Top occupations- Psychologist

- Psychology professor

- Counselors

- Top-Level Managers and Executives

- Other Management-related Positions

- 97% of psychology doctorate holders say their jobs are closely or somewhat related to psychology

Psychology Doctorate Holders

17Source: 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, NCSES, National Science Foundation

Occupations for Psychology Master’s Degree Holders

18

Source: 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, NCSES, National Science Foundation

- Top occupations- Counselors

- Psychologists

- Social Workers

- Special Education Teachers in Primary and Secondary Schools

- Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists

- 89% of psychology master’s degree holders say their jobs are closely or somewhat related to psychology

Psychology Master’s Degree Holders

19Source: 2017 National Survey of College Graduates, NCSES, National Science Foundation

Top 5 Skills in Psychology Jobs

20

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%Leadership skills

Cultural

Awareness

Teamwork SkillsCommunication

Skills

Analytical Skills

Top 5 Skills in Psychology Job Advertisements

Applied

Psychologist

Faculty

Health Service

Psychologist

Researcher

Source: APA, 2018, 2015-17 Psychology Job Advertisements: An Overview

Top 5 Traits in Psychology Jobs

21

0%

4%

8%

12%

16%

20%Adaptability

Compassion/

Empathy

EthicalIndependent

Motivated

Top 5 Traits in Psychology Job Advertisements

Applied

Psycholoigst

Faculty

Health Service

Psychologist

Researcher

Source: APA, 2018, 2015-17 Psychology Job Advertisements: An Overview

What you train to do is not necessarily what you do on a day-to-day basis.

Source: APA, 2018-2019 How Did You Get That Job [Unpublished special analyses]

What you train to do is not necessarily what you do on a day-to-day basis.

Source: APA, 2018-2019 How Did You Get That Job [Unpublished special analyses]

- Skills, skills, skills- Teamwork

- Communication

- Leadership

- Skills of the future: Adaptability, flexibility, and learning

- Role of technology

- Opportunities for applied psychology

- Opportunities to address equity issues

Actionable Points to Focus on…

24

- Think beyond job titles, occupations, industries, and employers

- Be self-reflective- What skills do you have?

- What skills do you need?

- O*NET job profiles: www.onetonline.org/

- Plan but adapt

Think Creatively about Job Options

25

Russ Riendeau, PhD

If I Were Looking for a

New Opportunity Right

Now

Senior Partner & Chief Behavioral Scientist

New Frontier Search Company

If I were looking for a new opportunity right now, I would be…

1. Thinking about “What if I could invent my own job as a psychologist in business or in private practice? What would it look like in a company and how could I prove my salary would make/save the company money?”

2. Training myself to never again say “Give me a chance to prove myself…” if you have not done anything to prove you have really researched and prepared for the job you are interviewing. No one owes us anything in a competitive marketplace. We must earn the chance with evidence of smart work and research.

3. Gathering evidence of my target job options/interests/success stories and income requirements. Capitalism is what pays your salary—give them value in your skills and contribution ideas.

4. Watching weak links in the workplace productivity chain have shown risk in this pandemic and create activities/research and ideas to fix these issues in the post-pandemic world.

5. Documenting every project/case study/research/job successes since I was in pre-school to prove I have a track record of success in everything I do.

6. Creating a file/paper trail to prove to a hiring manager I have done my research on the industry I am interested in, find the common challenges/needs/issues and future of that industry to show I am different from the people sending resumes and hoping for a call. Hope is not a strategy.

If I were looking for a new opportunity right now, I would be…

7. Creating a compelling, engaging LinkedIn profile to insure people see a rock star and that my resume and LI profile are both demonstrating I am for real.

8. Calling, emailing every hiring manager/HR manager/director of talent acquisition on the planet to share my value as a proactive, value-added professional that can prove that my contributions in research and insights as a employee will be significant.

9. Looking at other professionals like me on LinkedIn to learn what jobs they had before getting their current one to look for clues and for job openings at where they left.

10.Writing articles and posts on LinkedIn about areas I am familiar with to show my proactive behaviors, show that I can write and show I am a credible professional. Writing will give you an edge over 90% of the other applicants.

11.Tweaking my resume and online presence to be sure I look sharp online, as well as in person. Can you prove you are who you say you are?

12.Asking “What examples can I show of my research and preparation to pursue a job opening?” not asking “How do I find a job?” Only you can manage what time you dedicate to your job search.

Questions &

Answers