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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Sociology ProgramDepartment of Sociaology and Anthropology
Sociology Program

Additional Resources

Career Preparation

Although some college majors seek to prepare students for a particular career, sociology does not. Instead, liberal arts majors like sociology emphasize general skills that are useful in many occupations. Such skills include writing, oral communication, critical thinking, and interpersonal relations. When students study sociology they not only strengthen these liberal arts skills; they also develop a better understanding of human behavior, become better able to see how broader contexts shape events, and learn how to conduct and interpret research.

Broadly educated graduates who possess general skills such as these are well positioned to succeed in almost any career. They tend to advance more rapidly, because advancement depends more on ability to think, communicate, and get along with people than it does on technical know-how. Broadly educated graduates also tend to be more flexible and adaptable. A broad education provides a type of insurance, in that it makes it easier to change careers later in life.

All college majors have strengths and weaknesses. As noted above, a major strength of sociology is that it prepares you for a whole range of careers rather than any career in particular. This also is a major weakness of sociology as a major. Employers expect college graduates to have general skills, but they also expect them to have knowledge and skills specific to the job. Generally, these specifics must be obtained outside the sociology major-through minors or second majors, volunteer or part-time work, participation in organizations, and so forth. For this reason, sociology majors should think carefully and often about career preparation. They should discuss their career plans with persons working in the career field and with their adviser on a regular basis. By devoting attention to career preparation, sociology majors can escape the limitations of the major and still reap its benefits.

For more information about careers and career preparation, take advantage of the resources of the Counseling Center and Career Services at SCSU. The Counseling Center is especially useful when you still are uncertain about which career field you want to enter. It offers career counseling as well as interest tests to help you narrow your career choice. Career Services is especially useful after you have decided upon a career direction. It offers seminars and lots of information about employers and jobs.

Employment Opportunities

Sociology majors obtain jobs in a variety of government, nonprofit, and business organizations. Many enter human service jobs in areas such as corrections, gerontology, social welfare, or counseling. Others obtain positions in business organizations, especially in management, sales, and human resources. Still others pursue careers in research, education, or other professions.

Your employment opportunities as a sociology major will depend upon which career field you seek to enter and how much attention you devote to career preparation. In general, employment opportunities for sociology majors are very good. After all, the job market for college graduates has been strong, and sociology majors have skills that employers value.

Unfortunately, many employers do not realize how well qualified you are for the positions that they have available. To reach your full potential, you must aggressively market yourself to employers. You must become familiar with their needs, and you must be able to demonstrate to them that you have the qualities that meet these needs. You should begin this process well in advance of graduation. By researching your future career in your sophomore and junior years, you can learn which skills employers look for in the college graduates that they hire. Once you know this, you can seek out activities that demonstrate your mastery of these skills. For example, if employers want people who have good leadership skills, you could obtain a leadership position in a student organization and successfully complete a project. If employers want people with good research skills, you could look for opportunities to assist in or conduct research in your classes or in organizations such as the St. Cloud State Survey. If you take the time to do this, you will have a strong resume by the time you graduate.

Although the job market for sociology majors is generally strong, demand and salaries are higher in some career fields than others. For example, SCSU sociology majors who have combined sociology with a second major or minor in a more technical field, such as computer science or statistics, have had a great deal of success. Graduates of technical programs often have weaker communication and interpersonal skills than do sociology majors. People who are strong in both areas are very marketable. A person with a sociology major alone, however, would have difficulty obtaining an entry-level job in these areas. This again shows why it is important to devote some attention to career preparation well before graduation. Your career opportunities will depend upon your minor or second major. If you know what kinds of credentials employers expect, you can make sure that you choose a supporting program of study that gives you these credentials.

When you become a sociology major, your adviser will provide you with a copy of Careers in Sociology, published by the American Sociological Association. This brochure describes career opportunities in sociology at the BA, MA, and PhD level, and it provides profiles of sociologists who are working in several types of career.

Where can I find out more about sociology?

The web site of the American Sociological Association contains a great deal of information about sociology that is of interest to students. Two programs that may be of special interest to students seeking a professional career in sociology are the ASA Honors Program and the ASA Minority Fellowship Program.

Many other sociology organizations have websites. Here are a few that you may want to visit. Some of these have discussion groups in which you can participate.

The following websites are more comprehensive in scope. They provide a broad range of links related to sociology.