Companies Want to Hire Creative Problem Solvers
BA and MA in Sociology
Founder and CEO, GovLoop.com
The company I founded is an online community for public servants. The heart of the problem we are trying to solve is “how to get public sector employees to connect, share, and engage in an online community.” Every day we must use our sociological imaginations and think about the social constructions that affect participation. For example: how do social norms prevent public collaboration? We must consider social factors and barriers when deciding how to tailor incentives to facilitate conversations. We also think critically about how to present problems in order to avoid the bystander effect and instead encourage action.
The most important skills that one can get from studying sociology are the ability to critically solve problems and present solutions and arguments. Sociology provided a framework that helped me understand problems using both theory and qualitative and quantitative methods. It forced me to present my understanding and analysis of arguments using compelling data and facts.
Companies want to hire creative problem solvers that can help find solutions to the rapidly evolving challenges of the 21st century.
This career profile was extracted from the booklet 21st Century Careers with an Undergraduate Degree in Sociology, 2nd Edition. The booklet is available for purchase in the ASA Bookstore.
