1. ( Findings from Three Waves of ASA’s Bachelor’s and Beyond Research Project 2005-2009 “WHAT CAN I DO WITH A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY?” A National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology

2. Top Job-Related Skills Gained by SOC majors Understanding of people’s experiences as they vary by race, class, &/or gender Sensitivity to effect of culture & society on the personal lives of individuals Ability to view issues & problems from alternative perspectives Ability to develop evidence-based arguments & use available data to take informed position on an issue Critical thinking and analytical skills that aid in problem-solving

3. Job-Related Skills & Job-Hunting GOV’T JOBS www.usajobs.gov --can narrow search by city, state, zip code, gov’t agency name, or occupation --useful occupation keywords: Administrative support; administration; management; human resources; social services; social sciences --reasonable expectations: G-5 = entry level jobs for those w/ college degree; “foot in the door” jobs State job websites: for ex., JobCenterofWisconsin.com NON-PROFIT JOBS www.idealist.org: search by occupational categorieswww.idealist.org www.cof.org (Council on Foundations: a org. serving foundations that make grants)www.cof.org

4. Job application letter & resume BEGIN CAREER PLANNING NOW! --use course electives wisely --contemplate utility of an internship --develop relationships with those whom you plan to ask for letters of recommendation Application letter & resume: MODIFY, MODIFY! --should fit job specifics --highlight skills most relevant to job --highlight coursework most relevant to job

5. Resume YOUR NAME Address: Phone: Email: Seeking …. (type of job that you are seeking) __________________________________________________________ KEY SKILLS __________________________________________________________ EDUCATION Name of high school; year of graduation Name of college(s) attended; years of attendance; degree awarded Major &, if applicable, Minors Relevant coursework: ____________________________________________________________ JOB EXPERIENCE ____________________________________________________________ REFERENCES

6. Seeking a Competitive Advantage Only one in 18 undergraduate sociology majors completes a Master’s degree Value of MA degree to career advancement in many different fields; NOT just for those on path to PhDs and professorships! Grad School admissions: 3.0 GPA, decent score on GRE, & 3 letters of recommendation Financial cost of graduate school Career Planning in grad school: picking your electives wisely; selecting a thesis topic

7. Most Common Jobs of SOC Majors Social services: 27% --BA level: eligibility case worker; educ. outreach personnel; support staff in social service agencies MA advancement opportunity: Directors of non-profit organizations; caseworker supervisors in gov’t agencies Administrative Support: 16% --BA level: administrative assistant; lower-level management Administration/Management: 15% Mid & upper-level management in gov’t agencies; non-profit directors Opportunity optimized with a MA

8. Some Anecdotal Info on UW Sociology Majors Post-BA professional programs: Dunlap; Jacobs; Wing Best “tracking info” is on grads of our MA program Administration—Educational: Muecke (PhD), Rottweiller (PhD) PhD/Professors—Armstrong, Asiedu, Bentel, Coon, Dommaraju, Dunham, Fertig, Koeber, Melichar, Stuhlsatz, & Yoshida Research Analysts: Butler, Dorssom, Hahn, Jacobsen- Ashman (PhD), Johnston (PhD), Kasper-Wolfe, & Rohde Social Service agencies/non-profits: Eastman; Prehn Program Directors: Berg; Utz