Sociology being the foundation of the social framework and structures in building networks and relationships with people of different cultures and ethnicity is the key tool in navigating one’s career, irrespective of the level of education. As seen in the webinar, this paper seeks to analyze the key aspects of sociology not only in the job market but in building personal experience and individual growth.
The webinar, hosted on January 28, 2021, by Diego who is the assistant research professional development academic affairs at ASA is joined by four speakers. Faidilat of NAACP of legal defense and educational fund Inc. Erik Lovell from Northwestern University, Irene from Baltimore, and Eddie Taveras the New York state director. The webinar is based on after-the-degree career options for sociology majors. It is a program tailored to equip students with knowledge and skills in their professions. Help them know where to look for jobs and learn options available for sociology majors. Advance their skills to go beyond educational boundaries to build various career paths.
In the webinar, all the speakers agree that an individual does not require a master’s degree or a Ph.D. to build a career path. Instead, they emphasize skills and experiences as the key factors in any course. Irene, for example, claims that the qualities she learned in sociology, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and good behavior, prepared her for her current position as an event and communications manager. Similarly, Erik also relates that sociology equipped him with finding creative ways of solving problems, and knowing where to obtain data. This enabled him to become sensitive to the needs of students in his current role as a teacher. On the other hand, Faidilat attests that sociology is the background to advancing human development in every career, she states that through sociology individuals learn to approach every situation with practical ideas to obtain critical information and relate them with their personal experiences. She posits that time management, active listening, and learning skills that she obtained through learning sociology are what drives her in her current position. Eddie argues that sociology is a foundation framework of how to think and build an understanding of different issues. It determines the quality of work and the methods that an individual is likely to use when faced with a challenge.
Additionally, the speakers highlight that in search of a career, an individual should focus on passion, building relationships, and examining the profession’s requirements in relation to sociology. In this way, the individuals will develop the competence and skills required for the various job positions. These views widened my perception and understanding of the difference between a degree certificate and real education. It instilled a view that, real education is not about getting the degree or holding a Ph.D. certificate but it is about, the skills and knowledge that an individual manifest in dealing with technical challenges that permeate a given profession. It stresses to me that, learning to deal with challenges and solve problems using tactical and practical methods is the qualification for one to be given a chance to serve in a particular position.
Consequently, the interview widens my view on career options by emphasizing passion and experience as the groundwork for building any career. It reveals that confidence and self-drive are the key pillars to challenging any problem. In this regard, I would develop three key steps that I feel will be integral in guiding my career path. The first step would be developing and following my passion in specific areas, the second would be working on projects to develop my skills and competence, and finally building relationships to widen my network and enhance collaboration with others will constitute my last walk-through steps.