5: Preparing for a Career in Sociology
- Page ID
- 43039
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- 5.1: Academic and Professional Preparation
- Many sociology degree programs prepare students for work as data or policy analysts, researchers, and support staff for private, public, and non-profit agencies (Soriano 2019). The problem with the degree’s generalized focus is that students often choose the quickest pathway to degree completion without considering the skills and competencies they will need to be a contender or compete in the job market.
- 5.2: Job Hunting
- Search for jobs in a variety of fields related to your interests and skill level (Steele and Price 2008). This means job hunting will require time and attention to detail to find employment opportunities and job titles that meet your knowledge, abilities, interests, and social conditions you wish to address in your career.
- 5.3: Networking and Building Relationships
- Networking and building relationships is part of everyday work for a sociologist (Viola and McMahon 2010). With the focus on helping people, you are responsible for nurturing professional contacts aimed at solving social problems and treating people you serve with integrity and respect. Your role as a practitioner will require you to form linkages, make connections, expand resources, and bring people together to employ interventions and change (Viola and McMahon 2010).