How can decide what to do with my major(s)???

Question

I am a sophomore in college and want to get a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in both Sociology and Business...I eventually want to get my masters and PhD in Clinical Psych..but that takes a long time..in the mean time I'd like to do something with fashion and psychology but I don't have any clue as to what type of company i would intern with or even work for?? and what are options for ppl who like fashion but cant draw??? my heart is with psych but i need to do something with my business minor to make moneyyy to live off of before spending forever in grad school. ummm sorry to confuse anyone, but any advice would be appreciated...

Answer 1

Consider working in fashion marketing. You could use your business and psychology backgrounds to conduct market research.

As for companies, any large corporation is likely to have a marketing division. Also, some smaller companies might subcontract their market research. Try to make connections in the fashion industry and see if you can find out what marketing companies do work for the fashion industry. You might also be able to find that out through some Google research. The marketing companies might have websites that list their clients or specialties.

If your school has a fashion related major, you could talk to people in those majors or the professors to get info. And your school's career center is likely to have some information. They might know other students who have worked in the industry. Sometimes, the career centers are even contacted by employers looking for interns.

Answer 2

If you want to be a clinical psych, you need a PhD in most jurisdictions. My sister went that route. If that's what you really want to do, then go for it. It is a long path, so my suggestion would be to take as few detours as possible. Competition to get into good schools for a PhD can be competitive - you need good grades and references. I'd try if it all possible to look for summer opportunities working for professors in your field - that certainly helped my sister.

If you are serious about clinical psych, you should be aware that you will require some reasonably strong statistics. I don't know what a 'business' minor is, in most universities where I live, business is in a separate faculty from arts and science, and you cannot dabble in 'business' courses. Sociology is fascinating, but a very high overlap with psychology. If you have the ability, a minor in biology or statistics would be a much bigger help in going for your PhD in psych. If you don't have the ability ... I suspect you're in for a rough time.

An alternative path if you're interested in 'people' and business might be to aim to work in human resources, though this involves a lot of work regarding benefits etc in addition to dealing with personnel. I don't know whether business school or a BA is more common as a lead up to HR work, but you might look for an HR position in any organization as a summer job, if you are unable to find work in psychology.

Finally, if you are interested in business and psychology, you might want to consider working towards a career in industrial/organizational psychology. Unlike the HR department, industrial psychologists are normally consultants brought in to deal with a specific problem or issue, like organization design, designing tools to screen and hire applicants, etc. This is one of the only fields in psychology where you can (apparently) find work with a masters degree, rather then necessarily needing a PhD.

Answer 3

I feel your pain, I'm in the same boat...more or less. I have a BS in Psych from Fordham University, and came to the conclusion very late in the game that I wanted my PhD. If you want your PhD, take the steps to make securing it much easier. Don't concern yourself with money, as most doctoral programs grant assistantships/TA position with a stipend that about covers the cost of tuition.

At the end of your jr year, ask the dept about a possibility in doing an honors thesis. Doctoral programs will expect you to have some research experience. Or ask if one of your professors is running a study and needs assistance. I did this the fall semester of my senior year, I spent about 6 hrs a week doing data entry tasks.

I know this probably wasn't the answer you were looking for, but I wish I had known this when I was a sophomore.

Answer 4

Go to career services. They can help you find an idea for internships and future jobs.

If you are interested in fashion and business, I work in a study abroad office in a university. I know of many programs in London that offer internships and classes in fashion, including some geared toward business aspects of fashion, like merchandising and advertising. It is possible to combine both of your loves. I bet you can find psych courses as well, like being able to read trends, etc. (or maybe thats sociology)

However, if psych is what you really want, don't go into something just so you can make money. You won't be happy doing something just for cash, and you'd eventually quit or be miserable. Trust me. I was a business major for my first two years because I wanted to be rich, but I ended up switching to international education because it fit my personality better. I'm so much happier now.

Answer 5

Concentrate on finishing your B.S. You have plenty of time to figure out which career to pursue. The most important thing is to find a job that you enjoy, even if its not in Psych. Most people end up working in an industry unrelated to their major anyway, unless its a specialized field. So, get your B.S. and have some fun. These are the best days of your life. Take care.

Answer 6

You should consider truck driving school. Seriously.

You can earn big bucks, it's glamorous, and you can meet all sorts of contacts in the fashion industry at each of your destinations. Also you will have plenty of time to study psych between deliveries and such. Also the training is real short you you can get into it real quick. Also, all the time on the road will give you plenty of time to sort out the options in your life.

I hope this helps.