If you’re reading this article that probably means you’re interested in pursuing a career as an industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologist. You’ve probably searched Google or Bing with the keywords “what jobs can I get with industrial organizational psychology degree?” and found many how-to guides, tips, and fantastic advice. However, what often happens is you end up searching for more information on the same topic over and over again without a clear path to follow.
With an industrial organizational psychology degree, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to work in a variety of fields.
You can work with businesses to improve their performance and productivity, either by helping employees develop the skills they need or by improving management’s ability to lead. You can also help people find jobs by advising managers about how best to conduct interviews and hire candidates.
In addition, you can use your background in industrial organizational psychology to work in research and development for companies that make products such as cars or computers. You could use your expertise in human resources to help those companies improve their hiring practices or reduce turnover among their employees.
You might also choose a career path that focuses on counseling individuals who are having difficulties at work or at home (for example, if they’ve lost their job).
What jobs can you get with industrial organizational psychology degree
Introduction
The field of industrial organizational psychology has grown rapidly since the 1960s and is expected to continue expanding in the future. If you’re thinking about earning a degree in this area, you might be wondering what type of jobs are available to graduates—after all, most college students have one thing in mind when they think about employment after graduation: finding a job. Fortunately, industrial organizational psychologists have several career opportunities available to them that are both lucrative and intellectually stimulating.
Which jobs can you get with an industrial organizational psychology degree?
The difference between industrial and organizational psychology is that the former deals with how people interact in an organization, while the latter focuses on how people interact in an industry.
To get a better understanding of how these professions differ from one another, let’s first look at their histories. Both fields were founded simultaneously by Dr. Hugo Münsterberg in 1904; however, he coined the term “psychology” for both disciplines—and thus created two distinct disciplines instead of one—when he published his book titled Psychology and Industrial Efficiency (1913). In it, he argued that industrial psychology should be separated from educational psychology because they studied different areas of human behavior: namely work habits versus classroom learning.
In other words…
You can think of it like this: A doctor may have a bachelor’s degree in biological science, but she also needs to attend medical school before she can become an MD (a physician). Similarly, those who study industrial organizational psychology need to obtain either an undergraduate or graduate degree in this field before they can earn certifications such as “Certified Industrial Organizational Psychologist” or “Certified Human Resource Consultant.” These certifications require specific coursework depending on which state you live in; some states also require professional experience as well!
Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
An industrial/organizational psychologist is a psychologist who uses psychological principles in the workplace. They study how people perform their jobs and how work environments affect them. They also evaluate employee selection and placement programs, training programs, and organizational development programs.
I/O psychologists help organizations improve productivity, efficiency, and profitability by identifying ways to optimize individuals’ job performance through training or other interventions.
Human Resources Specialist
Human resources specialists are responsible for employee relations, including hiring and firing employees. Their duties include conducting exit interviews, creating recruitment plans, and handling employee grievances.
If you’re interested in becoming a human resources specialist, you’ll need to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field with coursework on organizational behavior, labor economics and industrial/organizational psychology. You can also pursue an advanced degree through a master’s program or doctoral program.
The average salary of a human resources specialist with an undergraduate degree was $48,128 per year as of 2017. Human resources specialists who have completed graduate degrees typically earn higher salaries than those without advanced degrees – about $66,000 per year according to SalaryExpert data for 2017.
Labor Relations Specialist
Labor Relations Specialists are specialists in negotiation, arbitration and mediation who work to help manage the relationship between unions and employers. This is a specialized field that requires extensive knowledge of labor law and negotiation strategies, as well as strong listening skills and excellent communication abilities. Labor Relations Specialists must also have an ability to remain patient under pressure, as well as good negotiation skills so that they can effectively resolve disputes between unions and employers.
The role of a labor relations specialist is not only to negotiate contracts between unions and employers but also to provide advice or guidance on legal issues related to labor relations. Because this job involves advising management on how best to solve problems while satisfying both sides (management & union), it demands patience from those who apply for this position.
Training and Development Specialist
Training and development specialists are trained to help employees improve their skills, develop their careers, and improve personal qualities. They can go further than just helping employees with technical skills—training and development specialists also help people develop their leadership qualities, as well as communication skills. In other words: an industrial organizational psychologist who specializes in training and development would be able to provide a wide variety of services for organizations that need them.
Market Research Analyst
Market research analyst is a field that requires you to be able to think analytically and communicate effectively with others. If you’re interested in this line of work, it would be helpful if you were bilingual or multilingual. Working as a market research analyst involves working with clients to evaluate marketing campaigns, so being able to speak with people who don’t speak your native language can be useful as well.
To become a market research analyst, you will need at least an undergraduate degree, though many employers are looking for applicants who have earned their master’s degree (or higher) in this field. A bachelor’s degree program may take four years of coursework; however, some programs will require students to complete internships during their studies or after graduation before they are hired by companies who offer jobs as research analysts.
An industrial organizational psychology degree gives you a lot of career options.
An industrial organizational psychology degree gives you a lot of career options. This is because the field of I/O psychology focuses on improving business operations by understanding how people interact with their environment.
Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists can work in a variety of fields, including human resources and marketing. They may also choose to specialize in particular areas such as compensation or employee training and development.
Conclusion
This broad range of options means that an industrial organizational psychology degree can help you find a job that matches your skills and interests. If any of these sound good to you, get ready to apply!
