Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
Introduction Psychology degree holders possess many skills that employers value (Appleby et al., 2019). Despite this, research shows 53% of psychology graduates are underemployed, compared to 45% for all four-year graduates (Burning Glass Institute, 2024). In order to address this discrepancy, the 2024 Appalachian State psychology graduating class was surveyed to determine their utilization of on-campus career resources, career plans, and confidence in those plans. Findings suggested that while students were highly aware of resources, they remained underutilized (Briggs et al., 2024). Based on these findings, a dedicated psychology career advisor was established in the Psychology Department as a pipeline for undergraduates to career resources. The career advisor position promotes the use of career resources to address the prevalence of underemployment in undergraduate psychology students. The position will assist students with career planning, and provide resource recommendations for skill development opportunities to assist students in meeting their career goals. The current study is a follow-up that will examine whether the addition of the psychology career advisor has increased resource utilization. It will also update students' career plans, confidence in those plans, and expand the sample to include both junior and senior psychology undergraduates. It aims to see if the awareness and utilization of resources has increased, while also getting a deeper understanding of the resources that students would like to see more of. Methods Data will be collected from undergraduate psychology juniors and seniors at Appalachian State University through a self-administered online Qualtrics questionnaire to identify whether resource utilization has improved. Students will be inquired about their awareness and utilization of career resources such as resume building, career workshops, and internship placements. Students will also express what kind of career resources they would like to see more of. Furthermore, the study will gather data on students' potential career pathways post-graduation. Expected Results & Implications This research will allow for valuable insight into the utilization of career resources among upperclassmen psychology undergraduates. Data is expected to validate the creation of the psychology career advisor role as a viable pipeline to increase resource utilization and address underemployment within the psychology undergraduate population at Appalachian State University. By addressing student preferences, this study will also provide a critical understanding of how we can further optimize and cater career resources to the current student population, helping connect students with enhancing opportunities for engagement in industries that are related to their prospective career choices.
Date
11-9-2024
Subject
Industrial and organizational psychology
Document Type
posters
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Included in
Enhancing Career Outcomes: Evaluating the Impact of the Psychology Career Advisor at Appalachian State
Introduction Psychology degree holders possess many skills that employers value (Appleby et al., 2019). Despite this, research shows 53% of psychology graduates are underemployed, compared to 45% for all four-year graduates (Burning Glass Institute, 2024). In order to address this discrepancy, the 2024 Appalachian State psychology graduating class was surveyed to determine their utilization of on-campus career resources, career plans, and confidence in those plans. Findings suggested that while students were highly aware of resources, they remained underutilized (Briggs et al., 2024). Based on these findings, a dedicated psychology career advisor was established in the Psychology Department as a pipeline for undergraduates to career resources. The career advisor position promotes the use of career resources to address the prevalence of underemployment in undergraduate psychology students. The position will assist students with career planning, and provide resource recommendations for skill development opportunities to assist students in meeting their career goals. The current study is a follow-up that will examine whether the addition of the psychology career advisor has increased resource utilization. It will also update students' career plans, confidence in those plans, and expand the sample to include both junior and senior psychology undergraduates. It aims to see if the awareness and utilization of resources has increased, while also getting a deeper understanding of the resources that students would like to see more of. Methods Data will be collected from undergraduate psychology juniors and seniors at Appalachian State University through a self-administered online Qualtrics questionnaire to identify whether resource utilization has improved. Students will be inquired about their awareness and utilization of career resources such as resume building, career workshops, and internship placements. Students will also express what kind of career resources they would like to see more of. Furthermore, the study will gather data on students' potential career pathways post-graduation. Expected Results & Implications This research will allow for valuable insight into the utilization of career resources among upperclassmen psychology undergraduates. Data is expected to validate the creation of the psychology career advisor role as a viable pipeline to increase resource utilization and address underemployment within the psychology undergraduate population at Appalachian State University. By addressing student preferences, this study will also provide a critical understanding of how we can further optimize and cater career resources to the current student population, helping connect students with enhancing opportunities for engagement in industries that are related to their prospective career choices.
Department
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Dept. of Psychology