What Will I Do With a Degree in Sociology?

Some Jobs Our Graduates Have:

Electrocardiogram Technician
Family Advocate
ACJCS Community Service Specialist
Sales Rep and a Realtor
Behavioral Interventionist, Community Based Resource Specialist
Marriage & Family Therapist
Senior Demand Planner and Analyst
Behavior Intervention
Associate Attorney
Continuous Improvement Facilitator
Program manager
Corporate Event Planner
Administrative Assistant for Idaho State University School of Nursing
Director of Public Policy, Idaho Education Association
Director of Assessment and Communications
Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships
College Assistant – Library
Financial aid counsellor
Library Aide
Graduate Research Assistant
Senior Consultant
Case manager/CBRS/CPSS
Executive Director
Community service specialist
Emergency Room RN
Professor
Sex offender rehabilitator
Paralegal
Middle School history teacher
Prevention Coordinator
Research and Teaching Assistant
Loan Documentation Specialist
Admin Assistant at Boise State
Archivist
Psychosocial Rehab & Case Management
Animal activist, organic gardener, student of life
Corrections Unit Caseworker
Court Advocate
Science Teacher
Information systems administrator
School Readiness Coach
Manager in a public library
Operations supervisor
Consumer loan specialist
Operations Specialist
PSR Reg 3 adult mental health DHW
DBE Compliance Enforcement Specialist
Massage Therapist
Recruiting Manager
IT Project Manager
Teacher
Parks and Recreation Assistant
School Counselor
Supply Chain Manager
Attorney
Regional Field Organizer
Business Analyst
Graduate Student – Teaching Fellow
Care Services Coordinator
Workforce Analyst
3rd year medical student
Administrative Assistant for Director of Instructional Design and Development
Barber
Adjunct Faculty for BSU
School Counselor
Assistant Director, Department of Public Safety
Public accountant
Lecturer
Executive Assistant
Professional Academic Advisor
Speech language pathologist
PhD Candidate on a fellowship
Social Worker
Financial advisor
Mental Health Court Coordinator
Director of Nursing
Elementary Teacher
Sales

Using Sociology on the Job
How our alumni say sociology helps them succeed at work:
• Researching skills: being able to find the information I need to make informed decisions that set direction for my organizations.
• Being able to see the impact of a decision from multiple perspectives is probably the most useful idea from my undergraduate degree.
• Cross cultural communication awareness and understanding systems of hierarchy around the globe impact my daily work.
• The ability to read people and situations, by taking their background into consideration, to provide the best possible services for their individual needs.
• How policy can/does impact folks in dramatically different ways.
• I work closely with clients and am able to understand their expectations, actions, and reactions through their theoretical viewpoint making it easier to relate and ultimately acquire the information needed to complete my work.
• The research aspect of my degree has proven invaluable as I have been required to find answers to technical and theoretical problems or questions.
• How institutions & groups can provide the best conditions by which a person can succeed.
• Statistics to determine percentages of populations served and if current methods offered are effective. Research Methods to determine criminal histories, address histories, past reported violent acts.
• Teaching requires skills in dealing with people from all socio-economic backgrounds. It also requires a great deal of skills in research and general knowledge.
• Presenting complex ideas to a wide audience, both orally and in writing.
• Building the connections between my clients and their communities is a part of the job. At times connections are needed on a grander scale, requiring a deeper understanding of how race, ethnicity, gender, economics and so on, play a role in influencing the client’s sense of belonging and equality.
• I need to anticipate Member needs based on Cultural norms of their socioeconomic standing. I also need to diversify services to meet the needs of sub and cross-cultural groups in the same base group but of different socioeconomic standings.
• The knowledge I acquired helps in navigating the corporate structure. For instance, I have to write work instructions, so all of the papers I wrote in my classes have helped me to become the designated writer.
• Every single component of my BS in Sociology is applicable, on a daily basis. This ranges from reading, understanding, and interpreting policy, code, and/or Federal/State statute(s) in correlation with Standard Specifications and contract General Special Provisions regarding Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE).
• I am very fortunate to have the career I have; it is a cool job with something new to learn everyday, I consider my degree in Sociology to be the single most important factor in my short-term career successes.
• Understanding the historical aspect of communities that have been marginalized by our country and government has helped in my interactions with various communities and knowing how to reach out to these communities in culturally competent ways.
• Ability to work professionally with people from different backgrounds and world views. Ability to communicate effectively regarding difficult social issues related to healthcare and otherwise. Ability to think critically. Awareness of privilege and how that affects my patients.
• My knowledge and skill base has allowed me to have a better emphasis on communication across racial barriers. My job is specifically in relation to assist in communication between corporate/state/ and federal agencies to lower income minority ethnic groups and vice versa. Understanding of bias and being able to communicate with compassion and diplomacy is necessary and highly needed.
• I worked with Health and Welfare for 35 years. My degree in sociology gave me a perspective to see that people’s interaction with me were not personal, but reflected more what was going on in their lives. It helped me interact with people with mental illnesses and people in extreme circumstances.
• Quantitative methods (demography graduate work) combined with a sociological perspective has provided a strong foundation as a health care executive, strategic planner and currently as a financial advisor.
• Although I focused on nursing as my career, my sociology degree helped me visualize the ‘big picture’ and see the interactions of the group and community. This was critical in my role as a nursing education director.