A doctoral degree in personality and social psychology can lead to a variety of opportunities, including working in government, non-profits, and industry. Thinking about one of these pathways? SPSP has a variety of resources to help members explore and navigate the non-academic job market.
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Non-Academic Job Market Survey
- Recognizing the growing interest in non-academic jobs and the lack of information regarding the non-academic job market for social and personality psychology graduates, the 2020-2021 SPSP Student Committee gathered quantifiable information on recent graduates’ experiences on the non-academic job market including features of the applicant profile (e.g., number and types of internships, skills, publications), job search strategies, and employment outcomes.
March 2021 SPSPotlight: Non-Academic Job Market Survey
Nonacademic Job Resources
Internships
Completing an internship outside of academia can provide exposure and experience that will help in the decision about what career path to pursue.
To find a non-academic internship, check out:
- Websites for specific companies and organizations of interest
- Job/internships search engines: USAjobs, Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Google, your university career center
- Your network
- Social media: Twitter, Facebook groups
Perceptions of Non-Academic Internships
In 2016, a task force was charged with surveying SPSP membership on their opinions on non-academic internships for personality and social psychology students and found interest and support from all segments of our membership.
