What kind of jobs could I get with a Bachelors in Sociology?

Question

I am considering majoring in Sociology but I am not sure what kind of a job I could get with that degree....can you tell me? Thanks!!

I am currently majoring in Psychology, and minoring in Sociology, just wondering what jobs I could get with a major in Sociology instead. I do plan on going to graduate school after, but I want to be working somewhere while doing so.

Answer 1

My degree is in sociology. For the people giving the social work answers - sociology and social work have nothing to do with each other, they merely happen to sound alike. I used to see this all the time when I was in school and it even comes up occassionally now.

With a sociology degree, you can do almost any job in data analysis, communication, marketing, human resources, management, and more. What's the catch? All those areas have their own major! You always have to sell your degree, that is the tricky part that I hated for years and years (till I got so much experience in one career it didn't matter), you are always having to convince people of the value of your degree. This is true of any liberal arts degree. The only people who don't have to do this are those with specialized degrees, and that's a lot, those areas mentioned above, pharmacy, nursing, engineers, anything specific.

The only exception is social science survey design and implementation, this field basically draws most of its workers from sociology and similar fields. Limited jobs though and they are concentrated in certain cities like Wash. D.C. I found I couldn't get a job in this unless I moved to DC and I didn't want to, so I moved on.

With a masters (in soc. or psych.) unfortunately you don't increase your options much. In soc it does become more obvious you should be a social researcher and those DC jobs come easily if you want them, while in other markets you're in the same boat as with the BA. With a phd you have one new option, college professor. But you have to realize that those jobs are seriously limited. I have a lot of friends with soc phds (I went to grad school in soc for a year) and unfortunately I know a lot of them who could never get teaching jobs, there are more degreed soc phds than job openings. And it is important to recognize that for a lot of reasons people don't make it through grad school - it turns out not to be what they expected, that's what happened to me, I wanted to be a professor but I only lasted a year.

Anyway the upside is my first point, you can do a lot with the degree, you just have to apply it and sell yourself a bit more in the hiring process. I have worked for over 10 years in human resources and my soc degree has been really valuable, I understand how organizations work and offer a fresh perspective that my employers have appreciated. Also the data skills I gained in soc have helped me with financial modeling in the business environment. I know, not what the soc professors intended right, but hey I have to earn a living!

By the way it is a great major, I had fun working hard in all my soc classes.

Good luck.

Answer 2

If you're interested in working with individuals with disabilities you could eventually work at almost any level with an organization that provides services to that population. You could work in direct support of such folks, or after a year or more of experience in that field a supervisory position such as a Qualified Developmental Disabilities Professional(QDDP). That's the field I happen to work in.

With a sociology degree you can also serve as a case manager for many social service organizations, and very often without previous experience. Such positions start at around $19,000-$25,000/yr depending where you work, and these jobs are a great way to gain some experience for a better paying supervisory position. Law enforcement is also a field open to sociology majors.

Check out America's Job Bank and type in Sociology in the "key word" window and see what pops up. Or, type in "case manager" and see what jobs come up and the qualifications employers are looking for. If they require a social service degree without specifying what kind you'll usually find that sociology degrees qualify. I wish you the best!

Answer 3

Counselling, Social Work...ask a school counselor, great field!

Answer 4

French Fries Cook, Burger Flipper, Waitress.......... Endless!

A Bachelors Degree does not get a person a job..... None whatsoever, it is part of the step taken.

Answer 5

There is lot you can do for yourself.
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