from Nicky Hayes (1996)

 

 

Literacy

Highly literate 
Trained to write in more than one literacy format 
Concise writing within a pre-set format

 

Numeracy

Highly numerate 
Interpret data summaries 
Understand probability statements 
Familiar with a wide range of statistical procedures and processes

 

Computer literacy

Generally computer literate 
Relevant statistical packages for the tasks they are required to carry out.

 

Information-finding skills

Trained to search through a range of ways of obtaining information

 

Research skills

Explicitly trained in research methods. A range of different techniques:

experimental methods

observational methods

survey and sampling techniques

qualitative analyses

 

Measurement skills

Learn how to operationalise the measurement of complex process 
Principles of psychometric measurement 
Questionnaire design 
How to develop other measurement tools

 

Environmental awareness

Know how someone's environment can influence their behaviour, such as

stimulus-response perspectives

nonverbal signalling

habit formation

social appropriateness

 

Interpersonal awareness

Learn about mechanisms of social communication and

potential sources of interpersonal conflict.

 

 

Problem-solving skills

Systematically trained in problem-solving skills 
Ability to tackle a range of different types of problems 
Learn how to apply different strategies and approaches to understanding problems 
Learn how to identify the practical steps to implement a solution 
Operate on a macro-level, or at a more basic level in terms of choosing appropriate methods and techniques

 

Critical evaluation

Training in skepticism:

to appraise evidence

to evaluate the quality of an argument

to identify the shortcomings and pitfalls of a particular line of action

to anticipate problems or difficulties

 

 

Perspectives

Ability to examine issues from multiple points of view 
Explore phenomena using different schools of thought

 

Higher-order analysis

Skilled at spotting recurrent patterns in human activity 
Notice similarities between situations that seem to be quite different 
Able to extract general principles

 

Pragmatism

A pragmatic approach to work and problem-solving

 

 

It is one thing to have such a list of skills, but employers will want to see how you put these skills into action: can you provide examples of what you have done to obtain those skills, or to exercise them? Think of the applied experiences I referred to above. Don’t forget the other, often-neglected opportunities that your time at university offers: tutoring or mentoring other students; find and do an internship; assist a staff member with research; volunteer in an organisation; become active in student societies at your university; attend the seminars that your department organises; and so on. 

 

To repeat a point that should be obvious by now: the skills imparted by a degree in psychology can be valuable for many types of work apart from the profession of psychology itself. Perhaps the most generalisable of those are:

• information gathering skills;
• analysis and synthesis skills (for example, figuring out why a certain problem occurs and how to minimize or eliminate it);
• methodological skills;
• statistical reasoning skills (for example, using statistics, tables, and graphs to analyse problems and communicate relevant findings);
• "people skills" (for example, communicating with and relating to individuals from diverse backgrounds); and
• writing skills (for example, writing a logically developed report).

 

 

Although all of these skills may not be acquired by all graduate students in the course of their study, graduate students may acquire these skills by a thoughtful selection of courses and experiences. Here is what a group of young psychologists from all over the world had to say about the value of their psychology degrees:

 

• “I constantly draw on the knowledge and skills I learnt from university.  I would not be as effective as I am without my degrees.”
• “Most important in maximising my career prospects would be skills in psychological assessment and intervention, interpersonal skills, report writing and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.”
• “Working within a university environment was instrumental in developing analytical, problem solving and research skills. It was enormously beneficial to have also gained such a breadth and depth of theoretical and statistical knowledge”
• The psychology degree has provided me with essential research and communication skills, which have enabled me to work in a job for which I had no prior content knowledge”
• “The quality of the grounding which I received during my Psychology degrees has provided a solid foundation to enable me to succeed in an entirely new field.”
• “The psychology degree provides a much stronger theoretical basis on which to understand what organisational psychologists do and why, the limitations and the contributions that we can make. It provides a set of ethical principles within which to work and a scientist-practitioner perspective.”
• "The coursework that I found most useful for my career includes everything I learned about the scientific method, which I find is an advantage that other social scientists do not share with us.  I also benefited from learning a variety of different analytic methods. The ability to combine a theoretically driven foundation to a practical problem is what I have found to be most valuable in my day-to-day life."
• "Both academic and applied career paths require a strong grounding in research principles, methods, statistics, and psychological science.  However, an applied career can require greater breadth of knowledge and experience across a variety of topics and domains than an academic career.  For example, in my current position I have worked on projects dealing with preschool, child abuse and neglect, early literacy, parent support and assistance, child health and nutrition, breastfeeding, health insurance, child care quality, as well as programme evaluation, non-profit management, capacity building, and community strengthening."
• “There is not just one path to an applied career.  Rather, students should seek a wide range of experience in applied settings.  Develop writing skills, and take statistics and research methods courses. Grant writing is likely to be a useful skill in most applied settings.  Networking with faculty and fellow students is important; connections are likely to be useful in the future.  However, students and faculty need to understand that an advanced degree is not enough; graduates still must prove their value by applying their knowledge and skills effectively.  Work experience in applied settings helps students develop their understanding of how they can contribute most successfully.”