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WHat types of jobs can i get with a economics major?
I want to major in psychology and minor in economics but im not sure what i can do with it
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10 answers
Updated
Jared’s Answer
Hi Isys,
Speaking as a former economics major, who also majored in Spanish and had a focus in political science -- the economics background has served very well in my field of financial services. Following the financial markets and speaking with clients requires a broad understanding of being able to use reasoning and analytical skills. It teaches you a broad understanding, not just of supply vs. demand, but how to approach tackling real-world problems and taking all factors into account.
Economics allows you to develop both of those skills and truly opens many doors -- finance, management, sales, politics. It allows you to focus in many areas as well if you have a specific interest i.e. international relations, financial economics.
I hope this helps!
Speaking as a former economics major, who also majored in Spanish and had a focus in political science -- the economics background has served very well in my field of financial services. Following the financial markets and speaking with clients requires a broad understanding of being able to use reasoning and analytical skills. It teaches you a broad understanding, not just of supply vs. demand, but how to approach tackling real-world problems and taking all factors into account.
Economics allows you to develop both of those skills and truly opens many doors -- finance, management, sales, politics. It allows you to focus in many areas as well if you have a specific interest i.e. international relations, financial economics.
I hope this helps!
Updated
Chris’s Answer
I majored in Economics and when I left university I really didn't know what I wanted to do! I started as a Demand Forecaster, and moved into Material Purchasing, Production Scheduling, and Capacity Planning. I built a strong Supply Chain career base with a broad set of skills before moving into team leadership and managerial/directors roles. I have worked in varying industries from jewelry, chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, and engineering.
So to answer the question.......... Economics is a great major. It is a great topic to study and understand (not just for a career, but for your personal life too!), and employers see it as a tough degree which demonstrates your ability to learn and develop yourself. It is broad enough to open up different career paths and many industry segments.
So to answer the question.......... Economics is a great major. It is a great topic to study and understand (not just for a career, but for your personal life too!), and employers see it as a tough degree which demonstrates your ability to learn and develop yourself. It is broad enough to open up different career paths and many industry segments.
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Chris’s Answer
In my opinion psychology and economics are very complimentary. Money is a very emotional subject and the markets reflect this on a daily basis. the principals learned in psychology and in economics can be applied to a wide variety of careers. One in particular that stands out to me would be a financial advisor. In that field you are working directly with individuals and working to help them attain their financial goals. You discuss topics such as retirement goals, death/estate planning, major purchases, financial hardships, etc., all of which your psychology focus could come in handy.
I am an economics major and was on the phones during the 2008 financial crisis, and you'd be surprised how many people called their broker just to talk.
Long story short, I think you have a lot of opportunity in many different career paths with the knowledge and skills learned in your two areas of study.
I am an economics major and was on the phones during the 2008 financial crisis, and you'd be surprised how many people called their broker just to talk.
Long story short, I think you have a lot of opportunity in many different career paths with the knowledge and skills learned in your two areas of study.
Updated
Brian’s Answer
Hi Isys,
Berkeley Economics and Business major here, so my thoughts:
Economics is a good foundational discipline built on logic, quantitative reasoning, and analysis. I was not a theoretical (vis-a-vis multi-variate calculus, advanced econometrics, etc.) economics major and was more practical (vis-a-vis Finance, Int'l Trade, Monetary Policy, Demography, Economic History), but I found the practical knowledge helped me with a career in professional services (think consulting, business analysis, data analysis). A lot of my friends from consulting went into:
a). Financial services (banking, trading, financial research)
b). Management rotational programs (J&J has a good rotational program)
c). Consulting (forensic, litigation, strategy, operational)
d). Marketing
e). Policy (a friend of mine went to work for the World Bank and another got an MPA to work for local government)
f). over time, graduate school (like Law, Business)
Colleagues who were more theoretical ended up in PhD programs, who are now teaching (one at USC), at the Federal Reserve, or in the aforementioned a)-e).
Overall, I think economics opens a lot of doors for you as it helps develop data analysis skills and logical reasoning. Most of the actual theories and frameworks are not the most applicable (do you really need to apply Solow economic growth models in day-to-day consulting - no, you don't).
Berkeley Economics and Business major here, so my thoughts:
Economics is a good foundational discipline built on logic, quantitative reasoning, and analysis. I was not a theoretical (vis-a-vis multi-variate calculus, advanced econometrics, etc.) economics major and was more practical (vis-a-vis Finance, Int'l Trade, Monetary Policy, Demography, Economic History), but I found the practical knowledge helped me with a career in professional services (think consulting, business analysis, data analysis). A lot of my friends from consulting went into:
a). Financial services (banking, trading, financial research)
b). Management rotational programs (J&J has a good rotational program)
c). Consulting (forensic, litigation, strategy, operational)
d). Marketing
e). Policy (a friend of mine went to work for the World Bank and another got an MPA to work for local government)
f). over time, graduate school (like Law, Business)
Colleagues who were more theoretical ended up in PhD programs, who are now teaching (one at USC), at the Federal Reserve, or in the aforementioned a)-e).
Overall, I think economics opens a lot of doors for you as it helps develop data analysis skills and logical reasoning. Most of the actual theories and frameworks are not the most applicable (do you really need to apply Solow economic growth models in day-to-day consulting - no, you don't).
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Amanda’s Answer
Hi Isys,
I don't have experience in majoring in Psychology, but I majored in Economics, where there are a lot of versatile career opportunities.
Potential opportunities in Economics: Some of my classmates pursued careers in tax, consulting, analytical market work, financial analyst roles, university research work, and non-profit opportunities.
Brief background about myself and my major in Economics: I initially worked in a tax position for a few years, which helped flourish my knowledge in Economics, and allowed me to apply my interests in Economics to global projects. After working in tax for about a year and a half, I transitioned to mergers and acquisition consulting, and I help organizations from a people point of view. We look at understanding employee workforce, benefits and insurances (such as medical, vision, dental, retirement, etc.), HR policies, organizational design, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, and workforce changes. I was able to learn information well beyond my major, but my Economics major helped reinforce my interested in global transactions and economies.
Best of luck!
Amanda
I don't have experience in majoring in Psychology, but I majored in Economics, where there are a lot of versatile career opportunities.
Potential opportunities in Economics: Some of my classmates pursued careers in tax, consulting, analytical market work, financial analyst roles, university research work, and non-profit opportunities.
Brief background about myself and my major in Economics: I initially worked in a tax position for a few years, which helped flourish my knowledge in Economics, and allowed me to apply my interests in Economics to global projects. After working in tax for about a year and a half, I transitioned to mergers and acquisition consulting, and I help organizations from a people point of view. We look at understanding employee workforce, benefits and insurances (such as medical, vision, dental, retirement, etc.), HR policies, organizational design, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, and workforce changes. I was able to learn information well beyond my major, but my Economics major helped reinforce my interested in global transactions and economies.
Best of luck!
Amanda
Updated
James’s Answer
I have an economics background and have had multiple different positions within different major Wall street banks. Equity compensation analyst, supervisory control officer, customer service representative attending to high volume day trades, mutual fund reconciliations. I think if you have an economics or finance background, you would knowledge that not many people have access too and will also give you information on a more broad level so you can find a good career at a major firm around the country.
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Zack’s Answer
Economics is a terrific major to prepare you for a variety of careers. You can go into a career in finance, sales, strategy, consulting, technology and a variety of other careers. I have found that economics prepares you to think critically and work in a variety of roles. If you are not certain what you want to do after school I think Econ can be a great choice as you will be prepared for many roles!
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Jaclyn’s Answer
Hi Isys,
I agree that working in HR analytics and talent development seems like it could be a good fit. Right now I am in a team that seems like something you might be interested. I work on a people analytics team. A major piece of the job is developing surveys for companies to gauge how they are performing and if there are changes that would benefit the employee experience by analyzing the results. I find this to be a good mix between economics and psychology and is something I did not know existed in college. Both fields are very broad and should be applicable in many area. As an economist myself I have worked for very different companies doing very different things.
I agree that working in HR analytics and talent development seems like it could be a good fit. Right now I am in a team that seems like something you might be interested. I work on a people analytics team. A major piece of the job is developing surveys for companies to gauge how they are performing and if there are changes that would benefit the employee experience by analyzing the results. I find this to be a good mix between economics and psychology and is something I did not know existed in college. Both fields are very broad and should be applicable in many area. As an economist myself I have worked for very different companies doing very different things.
Updated
Nadia’s Answer
Hi Isys - you can consider a role in HR, talent development, UX, or even business or HR analytics.
I personally know people who work as IT engineers after graduating from bioscience, HR representatives who were teachers or have a degree in linguistics, and so on. So, what's more important, very often it's not about what was your major or minor, but how you are going to "sell" it and what are your strengths.
I personally know people who work as IT engineers after graduating from bioscience, HR representatives who were teachers or have a degree in linguistics, and so on. So, what's more important, very often it's not about what was your major or minor, but how you are going to "sell" it and what are your strengths.
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
Pursuing a major in psychology with a minor in economics can open up various career opportunities. Here are five different careers you could have while staying in San Francisco
Human Resources Specialist: responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing workers. They may also handle employee relations, benefits, and training.
Market Research Analyst: study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.
Behavioral Therapist: work with individuals, families, or groups to address and treat behavioral and emotional issues. They may use various techniques to help clients manage and overcome their challenges.
Organizational Development Consultant: work with organizations to improve performance and efficiency. They may analyze the organization's structure, processes, and culture to recommend changes.
Financial Analyst: provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other investments to provide recommendations.
Human Resources Specialist: responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing workers. They may also handle employee relations, benefits, and training.
Market Research Analyst: study market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. They help companies understand what products people want, who will buy them, and at what price.
Behavioral Therapist: work with individuals, families, or groups to address and treat behavioral and emotional issues. They may use various techniques to help clients manage and overcome their challenges.
Organizational Development Consultant: work with organizations to improve performance and efficiency. They may analyze the organization's structure, processes, and culture to recommend changes.
Financial Analyst: provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. They assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other investments to provide recommendations.