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Careers for Graduates with a Degree in Sociology

Sociological Theory, Sociology

Graduates with a degree in sociology have completed a four year curriculum which gives them a readiness to begin variety of careers immediately. In fact there are so many special concentrations pursued by students who become graduates with a degree in sociology that their first job options are considerable. Many graduates with a degree in sociology will seek careers that may require additional training or an advanced degree in a science or in business administration. But even the basic bachelor’s degree earned by graduates with a degree in sociology will qualify and prepare them for entry level positions and beyond in their chosen field.

Social Services It is more than the similarity in sound that connects graduates with a degree in sociology to careers that have to do with social services. Graduates with a degree in sociology have spent four years studying and doing field work related to how human beings function and interact in society as part of groups and larger institutions. This classroom and practical work prepares graduates with a degree in sociology to work in social service agencies that handle the problems of specified segments of the national population.

Graduates with a degree in sociology can find careers in community work helping the elderly to address problems with health insurance, retirement benefits and housing. Or they may find that their academic concentration as an undergraduate prepares them to work for community agencies that reach out to troubled teens , unwed mothers, substance abusers or single parents and their children offering them counseling, support and direction.

Helping each of these unique demographic groups to improve their lot in life and to learn how and where to locate support seldom produces a fat paycheck, but graduates with a degree in sociology have entered this kind of work and study for the inner rewards it produces and for the changes it may produce for the good of our society as a whole. Also on the positive side, subsets of society with their own distinct needs can be found all over the United States, in cities and suburbs. For graduates with a degree in sociology there will likely be little need to relocate to claim an opportunity to work in social services career.

Criminal Justice Some rraduates with a degree in sociology have spent some of their academic semesters concentrating on working with that segment of the population that has broken the law. Graduates with a degree in sociology can find careers in community correction programs or institutions specified for young people, women or adult males who have been incarcerated but are working to bring their behavior into line with community standards so as to obtain an early release.

Other graduates with a degree in sociology find careers working with recently released prisoners helping them to adjust to the world on the outside. Graduates with a degree in sociology may also seek out careers in which they work on a g regular basis with men women or youth who have been found guilty of wrongdoing but who have been released from custody and placed on probation or are living in a half-way house. Counseling, guiding and directing people on the road back to normal living can be emotionally draining and not especially rewarding in a financial sense. But graduates with a degree in sociology also find the work certainly steady and personally rewarding.

Business Ordinarily one might not expect graduates with a degree in sociology to become involved in the world of business. In fact the education graduates with a degree in sociology have received gives them perception and insight into the way different groups in society think and act. This insiders’ view into human nature and response prepares graduates with a degree in sociology to work in marketing and advertising successfully. With some additional training and licensing, graduates with a degree in sociology also can be sensitive and effective agents working in real estate or insurance firms.

College Campus Positions Graduates with a degree in sociology need not assume that there are no job opportunities or career paths for them outside of social services . In fact there are a number of desirable positions available right on college campuses. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in sociology are obviously not prepared to teach at the college level, but their degree in sociology does allow them to interview for jobs in major offices like the college office of admissions. Generally colleges employ a number of admissions officers who review student applications and interview students and their families to gain a perspective about how a student might fit into the college community. Graduates with a degree in sociology have spent considerable time studying the ways in which human beings interact in community settings . This knowledge helps to qualify them and give them credibility in the field of college admissions.

Depending of the size of the college or university, graduates with a degree in sociology may also find themselves well prepared to find positions in the college placement office assisting students with course selections and career planning. Some schools maintain large alumni offices, keep up active contact with the alumni community, engage in fund raising, publish alumni magazines and newspapers , promote reunions and on campus events and plan social gatherings and enrichment programs nationwide. Knowledge gained in class by graduates with a degree in sociology can help them to adequately fill positions that are geared to such a specific and identifiable demographic.

Government Work Not surprisingly many departments of municipal, state and federal government are hiring graduates with a degree in sociology to fill positions in data analysis. Graduates with a degree in sociology have spent four years learning how to make the best use and most sense out of statistics obtained via surveys and census forms. The comfort level most graduates with a degree in sociology have with statistical analysis of this kind of work makes them natural partners with the large bureaus of government that necessarily deal with statistics every day. Graduates with a degree in sociology will find career opportunities in departments that deal with housing, employment , health services, education and civil rights.

Because of its size and the limited demographic group with which it works, the Social Security Administration has careers suited to graduates with a degree in sociology. As with most federal government jobs, Social Security offers regular employment, competitive wages, training, good benefits and many opportunities to advance within your field.

Graduates with a degree in sociology have prepared themselves for many possible people centered positions. While they may choose to advance through additional degree work, most will find that even with a bachelors degree in sociology there are good jobs to be had in a variety of interesting fields.