Visiting psychology professor shares workforce insight

By: Laura Mack '16
Creative Services Student Writer

Due to the success of JMU Giving Day, the psychology department was able to host Eric Landrum as the keynote speaker for the Psychology Symposium on April 22. Landrum, a professor and psychologist who specializes in the foundational aspects of a psychology education, delivered a presentation titled "The Opportunities Available to Psychology Workforce Graduates: It's Complicated."

Landrum draws from an extensive career studying and improving undergraduate psychology education to support its future success in academia and the workplace. He holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology and is currently a professor at Boise State University, having taught over 13,000 students in the past 25 years. After delivering over 400 conference presentations throughout his career, JMU was lucky to have Landrum share his knowledge and advice with students, especially soon-to-be graduates.

As seniors approach graduation, they might consider the breadth of career opportunities related to the field of psychology. For students who are immediately joining the workforce instead of going on to graduate school, the department thought Landrum’s advice would be helpful. Nationwide, approximately 75% of graduates who hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology do not immediately pursue further education. With so many new psychology graduates looking to launch careers, the job search can become tricky in determining how their skillsets apply to different positions.

Students found Landrum’s talk particularly useful in learning ways to pitch their skills to potential employers, coming away with a greater understanding of the flexibility of a psychology background. Alexandra Bowen, a senior majoring in psychology, reflected on Landrum’s tips. "It is certainly scary to face graduation and enter the work force, but Eric Landrum was able to make me feel better about some of the fears I have about graduating,” Bowen said. “He provided us with a number of great resources that can help graduates effectively figure out their next steps and reminded us of the value of a psychology degree."