Careers in Sociology
"To stay in one’s room away from the place where the party is given, or away from where the practitioner attends his client, is to stay away from where reality is being performed. The world, in truth, is a wedding.”
– Erving Goffman
Career options in sociology are very versatile, preparing students for various career options. No matter what option you choose in Sociology, increase your marketability through volunteering/internships, responsible work experience, good grades, involvement in extracurricular activities, and networking.
As a sociology major you have the ability to:
- Think abstractly
- Think critically
- Conceptualize problems
- Apply theories and concepts to real world issues
- Understand issues within a “macro” or social structural perspective
- Design research studies
- Analyze data
- Make oral presentations
- Write well
- Organize material
- Work in groups and collaborate with others
- Bring evidence to bear in support of an argument
- Help others develop insights and make decisions
- Understand and interpret statistics
- Analyze and evaluate policies and programs
- Understand issues of diversity (class, race/ethnicity, gender, etc.)
Sociology graduates have an advantage in understanding human behavior on three levels:
- how individuals behave in organizations, families, and communities
- the ways in which these social units function as groups
- the wider social, political, and economic contexts in which decisions are made and in which groups function.
Possible Career Options:
SOCIAL ACTION
Lobbying
Community Organizations
Political Advocacy
SOCIAL PRACTICE
Counseling
Halfway Houses
Human Services
Private Foundations
Vocational Services
SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHER
Data Analysis
Demography
Public Opinion Polls
Research Projects
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Corrections
Law Enforcement
Judiciary
Probation/Parole
GOVERNMENT
Public Administration
Policy Analysis
Program Development
Social Statistics
Urban Planning
BUSINESS
Human Resources
Management
Market Research
Public Relations
EDUCATION
Professor
Secondary School Teacher
School Program Director
School Counselor
Librarian
Also Visit:
American Sociological Association: Careers Information
Alpha Kappa Delta: Careers in Sociology
Career Search: