The Portable PhD Taking Your Psychology

This book shows graduate students how to apply their social and behavioral science‑related skills in non-academic careers.

Thanks to your graduate training in psychology you have the skills to do great work in fields such as public policy, education, healthcare, and business. But to make a successful transition into non‑academic employment, the right mindset is essential. In this guidebook, you’ll explore common unspoken assumptions and attitudes in academia, and use them to prepare for different work cultures. You will also learn to build your network, as you identify a career path that matches your interests.

Each chapter in this book offers tips and key terms for navigating various kinds of employment, as well as simple action steps for communicating your talents to hiring managers. Your ability to conduct research, to understand statistics and perform data analysis, and to perform technical or scientific writing are all highly valuable skills, as are the insights into human nature you’ve gained from your psychology studies, and your ability to think innovatively and work cooperatively in a variety of contexts. This guide will show you how to market your skills, and build the confidence and the plan you need to take your degree anywhere you wish.

Patrick Gallagher, PhD, applies behavioral science daily in his position as Director of Research at the BB&T Leadership Institute. His professional roles in industry have included marketing, customer experience, corporate communications, consulting, and employee engagement. Patrick regularly works with managers and C-suite executives, and has been involved in hiring employees with and without psychology backgrounds. He lives in Winston-Salem, NC. Visit www.poatraining.com/ and follow @POAtraining on Twitter.

Ashleigh Gallagher, PhD, is Senior Lecturer and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Psychology Department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She leads the departmental system for academic advising as well as the undergraduate internship program. She teaches courses including an undergraduate course on the career possibilities available to psychology students, and she serves as a faculty teaching mentor to graduate students. She lives in Winston-Salem, NC. Visit www.portablephd.com/ and follow @POAtraining on Twitter.

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Career Development Timeline

Part I. Premises: A Starting Point
Chapter 1. Academia's Unspoken Assumptions
Chapter 2. Cultural Adaptations You'll Need to Make in Your New Workplace

Part II. Packing Your Bags: Identifying Your Skill Set
Chapter 3. Five Transferable Skills You Definitely Have and How to Talk About Them
Chapter 4. Other Transferable Skills You Probably Have and How to Talk About Them
Chapter 5. Skills You May Need to Acquire or Refine

Part III. Orienting Yourself To a New Culture
Chapter 6. New Culture, New Identity: Developing Your Professional Self
Chapter 7. Communicating Your Story: The Building Blocks
Chapter 8. Communicating Your Story in a New Culture

Part IV. Finding or Charting the Path Ahead
Chapter 9. Well-Worn Paths
Chapter 10. Less-Worn Paths
Chapter 11. How to Apply for Jobs

References

Index

About the Authors

What is included with this book?

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The Portable PhD Taking Your Psychology Career Beyond Academia

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials