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Students then discuss the job they selected. They give a detailed job description that
includes where they would work and what they would do day to day. They must report
average pay (including range, starting and median salary, and benefits). If licensing is an
issue, they must provide a brief overview of how one earns the required license and what
is necessary to maintain that license.
Students need to gather as much information as they can from as many resources as they
can (e.g., career centers, Web sites such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, textbooks,
job fairs). They must reference the material throughout the paper and include a reference
page. One key aspect to the paper is that they must talk to someone who is either working
or teaching in the field to give them a better sense of the area, such as what is necessary to be
successful and obstacles they might encounter as they attempt to reach their career goal.
In this paper, they must also include their self-assessment in even more detail (including
references as to how they know that certain factors are important to the job). It is impor-
tant that students not only learn about the job; they must critically evaluate how well they
would fit into this career field. Career satisfaction comes from knowing who you are.
Comparing Introductory and Senior Level Careers Courses
Placing a careers course at the start of the major has several advantages. If undergraduate
students entering the psychology major become aware of educational and vocational
opportunities available at their university, they might capitalize on this knowledge to make
better decisions about the kinds of educational experiences in which they participate.
When students have a full understanding of the expectations for successful applicants for
employment and admission to graduate programs, they may be motivated to take certain
required courses more seriously and make better use of their experiences in courses. Such
students may be better prepared for the next stage of their adult lives (either employment
or graduate school). A more immediate advantage of placing a careers course early in the
curriculum is that the course can direct students to resources within the university that
they can draw on to facilitate their academic success. This strategy has the potential to
improve outcomes related to student retention, student success in the program, and timely
graduation rates (Robbins et al., 2004).
On a practical level, an introductory careers course helps students gain a clear under-
standing of the specific course requirements. Many students do not understand the role
played by various required courses in the psychology curriculum and perceive some
requirements as arbitrary and unnecessary. This poor understanding is manifested in com-
plaints about certain course requirements (“Why do I have to take statistics? I’m not
interested in math!”). The associated procrastination in registering for these courses creates
bottlenecks in the curriculum and introduces delays for students trying to meet gradua-
tion requirements.
When developing an introductory-level career course, departments should incorporate
information about campus resources that promote student success and encourage students
to make good use of these resources. Individual faculty members may not be aware of the
many offices and services available to assist students who need to improve their skills in