What are you doing with your B.A. in Psychology? (sales, house)

[KeeponwithB]

I obtained a B.A. in Psychology and I'm interested to see what others who have the same degree are doing with it. More specifically, if you have this degree and are using it in the Southern Illinois area, please let me know how. Thanks!

[irish setter girl]

My sister in law has a BA in Psychology and she works for the county and assists troubled teens. She teaches them life skills, makes sure they go to court and runs support classes for them and their families. She is getting her masters right now and wants to get into private practice. She has worked for two different counties doing this type of job for about 6 years now.

[TabulaRasa]

I work at a school for kids with autism, and we're a pretty good mix of people with education degrees and psych degrees (my degree is English and education). We do applied behavioral analysis with the kids, and ABA is often studied as a branch of psych, so it's a natural fit for the psych majors, and we're not a public school, so education degrees aren't mandatory. We do academics, life skills, social skills, and behavioral work.

[Avengerfire]

I am evaluating multiple people that post on this site.

[jessiegirl_98]

I have a PhD in psych, but my students with BA's generally either work at residential treatment centers, inpatient psych hospitals (both tend to hire BA's), and many others do nothing associated with psych. Those wanting to get into graduate school often get RA gigs as well.

[KeeponwithB]

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to post. Jessiegirl can you tell me what the work in residential treatment centers consists of in general. I have a customer service background and was told by someone in the social service field that my degree didn't mean much without experience. A disappointing thing to hear after working so hard to obtain it. I knew I wouldn't be counseling with a B.A., but I didn't consider it insignificant, obviously.

[jessiegirl_98]

Originally Posted by KeeponwithB

Thanks so much to everyone for taking the time to post. Jessiegirl can you tell me what the work in residential treatment centers consists of in general. I have a customer service background and was told by someone in the social service field that my degree didn't mean much without experience. A disappointing thing to hear after working so hard to obtain it. I knew I wouldn't be counseling with a B.A., but I didn't consider it insignificant, obviously.

Unfortuantely, the psych degree in and of itself offers a great deal of flexibility, but the BA does not. Residential treatment centers house children (some are for adults, but mostly kids) with severe behavioral concerns or severe disabilities. RTC workers act as child care to the children. I can tell you that it is a great way to get experience, but the staff is generally underpaid and overworked. What do you want to do?

[KeeponwithB]

Jessiegirl,

I don't know exactly what I want to do and I guess that's the problem. I've worked in retail and sales mostly and was desperate to leave. I finished my B.A. with a major in Psychology earlier this year. I like the idea of working with people, helping to make their lives better. That is so general though. I don't have a dead on target because I haven't experienced that type of job. I'm just going to have to get out there and try some things. I admit the prospect of high stress, low pay, and ever changing work hours doesn't entice me. I'm one of those crazy people that desires a 9-5, but I want my time to mean something more than a paycheck. I'm definitely open to more education, but again, I want my time and work to mean something at the end. Not just another degree or certificate for the wall.

[irish setter girl]

What about working for a public school system? School psys are always needed and you get your holiday's off and a nice summer vacation. Check to see what their requirements are for hiring.

[seastar311]

To be a school psychologist requires a Master's degree, though this is a good long-range goal. I also worked in residential treatment with my BA in psych, and progressed to supervisor. I got my MSW while working there, and then moved into doing therapy and administration. Residential care gives you great experience for almost any type of career you might later decide on. The hours can be brutal (someone needs to work the overnight shift!), but this was more rewarding to me than any work I've done since. Another good thing about res. programs- they generally hire new grads with no experience. Good luck to you, Keepon!