,A;~ American Sociological Association /ootnotes.asanet.org

Preparing for a 21st Century Job Hunt with a BA in SociologyJaime Hecht, ASA Academic and

Professional Affairs

The transition from college to theworking world can be daunt-

ing. For sociology majors. manyof whom helps to translate theireducation into meaningful work,the transition sometimes proveseven more complicated. While thesociology major provides studentswith a variety of transferrable skills,it can leave room for interpretationon how the sociological skill setand sociological imagination canprepare students for successfuland meaningful careers. Throughresumes, cover letters, and inter-views, sociology graduates canpromote their critical thinking,research, and analytic skills, whichcan be applied to a wide range ofpositions. It is my hope that thisarticle can serve as a primer for the21" century job hunt, and help alle-viate some of the anxiety that oftenarises as college comes to an end.

Do Some ResearchThe good news is that you can

harness the skills you acquire insociology and apply them to a vari-ety of fields. To get an idea of thekind of jobs that are out there forsociology majors, look at researchon what recent graduates are doing,such as the Bachelors and Beyondresearch series from the ASAResearch Department). The brief,Jobs, Careers and Sociological Skills:The Early Employment ExperiencesoJ2012 Sociology Majors (2015),reported that the largest number ofsociology graduates were employedin social services or as counsel-ors (21.9%). Interestingly, those

employed in social services or ascounselors were also more likely toreport overall satisfaction in theircareers. And those satisfied withtheir jobs report higher use andapplication of sociological conceptsin their day-to-day duties.

While social service jobs may seemlike a natural application for sociol-ogy students, the skills acquired withthe degree provide a foundation for avariety of fields. Graduates have goneon to teaching positions, research,information technology, public rela-tions, and sales and marketing roles(ASA 2015). The key is describinghow your degree offers the skillsemployers want.

The task of actually searching forjobs can feel overwhelming. Whileeveryone needs to log a certainamount of time searching online,there are other meaningful andeffective ways you can learn aboutcareers, secure interviews, and landrewarding jobs.

Online Job BoardsMost graduates begin their

job search on online job boards.Idealist is a job board on whichnon-profit and non-governmentalorganizations post directly. SimplyHired and Indeed are Google-likejob aggregators. They pull togetherpostings from a wide variety ofcompany websites, job boards, andnewspapers.

Below are the results fromsearches I conducted on Idealist.The search terms listed here canserve as a starting point for yoursearch.

The term "sociology" yielded veryfew results, which is why creativ-

ity is important when doing a jobsearch. In a recent ASA DepartmentAffiliates webinar, Loren Collins, acareer advisor at Humboldt StateUniversity, shared the NationalAssociation of Colleges andEmployers (NACE) examples of thetop 10 skills employers want. Someexamples are communication skills,ability to work in a team, problemsolving, organizational skills, andquantitative data analysis. By exam-ining this list, it becomes clear thatan applicant with a sociology degreeholds many of the traits employerswant.

The numbers of job postingsdrop Significantly when you filterfor entry-level positions. It is nota requirement to apply for anentry-level position right aftercollege, so if you see other positionsposted, consider applying. Drawon job experiences you had duringcollege and skills you learned inyour courses. Use any internshipsor service work as examples of jobexperience.

Experts in the field of recruit-ment and human resources say thatjob boards are a good way to gatherinformation, but may not be thefinal portal to landing a satisfyingjob. That isn't to say applicants don'thave success applying to a positiondirectly from an online job posting,but that may be the exception andnot the rule.

So what else can job boards helpwith? They can assist in learningabout your field of interest. Do youdream of working as a social mediamanager for a nonprofit? Checkout some of the job posts in thisfield. Getting a sense of the daily

Search terms # of jobs posted (filtered for # of jobs posted (filtered for4-year degree and full time) on full time, 4 year degree, and

Idealist entry-level) on Idealist

sociology 138 4

program assistant 2,703 232~

research assistant 1,468 168

social media 1,077 94

case management 753 53

education 4,514 354

social services 2,183 169

*search conducted on 12/16/15 and includes results from the United States only

4

responsibilities of your ideal job willhelp you understand what wouldbe expected of you, as well as offersome insight on the reality of thejob. If you look at the job boardsprior to being on the job market,you can begin to research some ofthe skills and qualifications neededfor your ideal job and work towardgaining them before graduation. Doyou see an organization with manyopenings? Explore their website.Try to find a person within the orga-nization to contact directly with anapplication. Often job boards directyou to a generic inbox where appli-cations can get lost in the shuffle.

I recommend finding an entry-level employee holding a positionsimilar to one you want for yourself.Ask them for an informationalinterview. This informal meetingis a great way to learn about theirpersonal experience, how theymanaged to land their job, and theirday-to-day responsibilities.

Resources at Your Doorstep (orcloser)

Networking is an important partof searching for a job. By reachingout to personal connections aswell as using social media, you canincrease your chances oflearningabout job openings, landing aninterview, and receiving a job offer.

You should take advantage ofthe job search resources you havein your own backyard. If you area current student, find out whatcareer services your university orcollege offers. Talk to your depart-ment chair. I stress this point: usethe free resources available on yourcampus. Ask about job training andinternships and resume writing andinterview workshops.

Talk to your professors aboutyour interests and what you hope todo with your degree. It is possiblethey have a former student whonow works for an agency alignedwith a field of interest. Even if theydon't have a contact, they couldserve as a professional reference orwrite a recommendation for gradu-ate schoo!.

Linkedln: Get on it! Networkingis important and LinkedIn can serveas a starting point. I have spoken

Continued on Page] 8

.footnotes. March/April2016

Sociological Association

.21stCentury Job Hunt

to individuals in management roleswho report checking a candidate'sLinkedIn page as the first step in theapplicant review process. It is alsoa good place to connect with indi-viduals who work for organizationsor fields that interest you. LinkedIncan also be an alternative when it'sdifficult to make it to the "youngprofessional" face-to-face happyhours, or if you live in a town thatdoesn't offer them. When you set upyour LinkedIn account be sure tojoin the ASA LinkedIn group.

Alumni associations: Most majorcities have alumni associationchapters. They often organizenetworking events. If you are onthe job hunt it may make sense toattend some of these events. PeopleWHOhave gotten jobs with the helpof alumni or other contacts may bewilling to pay it forward.

Don't Forget Why You StudiedSociology

A 2014 ASA "BA and Beyond"research brief revealed that appli-

CorrectionThe February issue of Footnotesincorrectly listed Douglas Anderton'saffiliation.The announcement shouldhave been "Douglas L. Anderton,Universityof South Carolinaand aFellowof the American StatisticalAssociation, has been elected to theInternational Statistical Institute."

Call for PapersPublicationsCatalyst: A Social Justice Forum, willturn its attention in a forthcomingspecial issue to articles that offer cri-tiques of anyone of the five core socialscience disciplines, including sociology,combined with proposals for catalyz-Ing reform of that discipline.Theme:"Rebuilding the Core DisciplinestoDiscoverwhat is Humanly Possible andHowto Achieve It'The journal seeksarticles offering specific measuresand proposals for rebuilding the coresocial science disciplines to focus ondiscovering the "scientific"theories and"laws"of human group and individualbehaviors as a basis for designing tech-nologies for socialjustice and socialbetterment. Deadline: May 1.2016.Contact: David Lempert at superlemp@yahoo.com. For more information, visit:www.trace.tennessee.edu!catalysti.

18

cants who put SOCiology-relatedskills on their resume, regardlessof the level of mastery, felt moreconfident and received more joboffers. The takeaway: Rememberwhy sociology inspires you, beconfident, and sell yourself. Yourdegree will get you in the door andthen the rest is on the job training.Graduates are happy they chosesociology because its meaning andrelevance goes beyond a career; itsets you up to be a critical thinkerand a productive and contributingmember of society. Good luck withyour job search!

Additional Resources

• 21" Century Careers withan Undergraduate Degree inSociology. This popular bookletcontains profiles of sociologygraduates who are applyingtheir degree in a variety offields, as well as more tips fornavigating today's job market.

• Nuts and Bolts of Applyingfora Job with a Bachelors Degreein Sociology. Chairs in ASAAffiliate departments can

access this webinar recordingvia the department portal.Gather a group of studentstogether for a viewing.Contact apap@asanet.org with

any questions or comments.

Jaime Hecht has a BS ill sociology fromFlorida State University alld a AfA ill

applied sociology from the University ofCentral Florida. ~

References

Senter, Mary Robert Spelter- Roth, _IicoleVan Vooren. 2012. Social Capital,Organizatiollal Capital, alld the JobMarket for New Sociology GraduatesSurvey. Washington, DC: Departmentof Research and Development 011 theDiscipline and Profession, AmericanSociological Association.

Spalter-Roth, Nicole Van Vooren, MarySenter. 2014. Recent Sociology Ail",,,,i:Would they lvlajor Again.1\'asilillgton,DC: Department of Research andDevelopment on the Discipline GIld

Profession, American SociologicalAssociation.

American Sociological Association.2013.21" CentUlY Careers with allUndergraduate Degree ill Sociology.Washington, DC: Teaching ResourcesCenter, American SociologicalAssociation.

announcements

Intersectionality and Images ofFemale Aggression in 21st CenturyMedia is seeking submissions onfemale aggression. Aggressive womensaturate the media. Evenconcern ofaggression among young girls hasincreased with scholars, educators,and parents scrambling to respondto bullying, peer pressure, and socialmanipulation. This collection uses anintersectional lens to analyze how"ag-gressive girls"are treated in the mediaand the criminaljustice system. Thebook is intended to be a reference forresearchers, policymakers, profession-als, and students interested in imagesoffemale aggression and violence inpopular culture. Submit an abstractof 500-700 words. Deadline: May31,2016. Contact: KristaMcQueeney atmcqueeneyk@merimack.edu.Michigan Sociological Review (MSR)invites submissions for vol. 30 (Fall2016). MSR is the official.peer-reviewedpublication of the Michigan Sociologi-cal Association. Asan interdisciplinary,double-blind peer-reviewed journal,it welcomes previously unpublishedmanuscripts exploring a broad rangeof theoretical, methodological, andempirical questions. Tosubmit, send ane-mail with two files attached: one thathas all author identification removed,and a second filewith author contact

information, biography of no morethan 100 words, and any acknowl-edgements. Allfiles should be in .docformat, using ASAcitation style. Dead-line:May 15,2016. Contact: BrigitteBechtold, at becht1 bh@cmich.eduTeaching Sociology invites submis-sions for its upcoming Special Issue on"Incorporating Globalization in the So-ciology Curriculum:'TeachingSociologyseeks articles and notes that addressissues which focus on innovativeapproaches that incorporate global-ization and transnational concerns inthe curriculum.Topicsof interest are:Effectivestrategies that make globaland transnational concerns evident tostudents. Exercisesor assignments thatengage students in the study of globaland transnational concerns. Strategiesof orchestrating transnational learningexperiences, such as class trips abroad.Criticalreviews of ways that global andtransnational content are presented inthe curriculum. Deadline: February 1,2017. Contact: Patti Giuffreat pg07@txstate.edu; or Stephen Sweet at teach-ingsociology@ithaca.edu. Formoreinformation, visit:www.sagepub.comljournalsiJournal201974.

ConferencesAssociation for Humanist Sociology2016 Annual Meeting, November

footnotes.asanet.org

ChangesFrom Page3

an extended one) when there willbe confusion at the local IRB levelregarding the decisions abouthow specific research projectswill be handled. In order to avoiddelays, sociologists embarkingupon research projects during thisperiod would be well advised tobe conversant with the proposedchanges.

In addition, the ASA Code ofEthics, which is currently in theprocess of revision, will reflect an:'changes in the Common Rule (seewww.asanet.org/about/ethics.cfm).This will likely affect those stan-dards dealing research, informedconsent, and confidentiality. Sincethe membership of the ASA mustapprove any changes to the Code ofEthics, all recommended changeswill be publicized and open forcomment. At our workshop inSeattle we will further elaborate thechanges in the Common Rule andtheir implications for the revisionsto the Code. ~

2-6, Denver,CO.Theme: "ElevatingHumanity: Pathways to Proqresslvlslrn,"At this meeting certain questionsabout a more progressive societywillbe asked, such as: what wouldit look likeand how do we get therefrom here? What are the obstaclesand impediments and how can theybe overcome? Submit papers andsessions which enhance understandingof social issues and problems, whilefocusing on strategies, movements,and collective efforts that strive tobring about humanistic solutions andprogressive change. Deadline: June15,2016. Contact: Chuck Koeber andBhoomi K.Thakore, at ahsdenver2016@gmail.com. For more information, visit:humanist-sociology.org.

International Conference on Well-Be-ing: National Accounts of Happinessand Social Development, October31- November 1,2016, SIMUniversi-ty, Singapore. The broad concept ofwell-being isclosely linked to manykey societal and lifeoutcomes, suchas family relationships, health, work,wealth and quality of life.Inview ofits importance, an increasing numberof national governments are usingresearch findings on well-being as aguide for public policy.Abstracts arenow being accepted. Deadline: May9,2016. Formore information, visit

)ootnotes. March/April2016