Getting a college degree is a great accomplishment with real rewards. In 2014, people with college degrees earned more than $17,000 more than people without a college degree, had only about a third the risk of unemployment and only about a quarter the chance of living in poverty (Pew Research 2014).

But only a quarter to a third of college graduates get a job in their degree field (Washington Post 2013). Instead, most college graduates find a career that matches the skills they mastered while in college. So what skills will you master as a sociology student and how can they help you find a good job?

As a sociology student, you will learn about the social structures and forces affecting all our daily lives, changes in those structures, and how social trends and behaviors can be measured – all of which are skills that today’s employers are looking for. Sociology will give you the ability to identify the effects of globalization, interpersonal communication, status, and other phenomena and to apply your knowledge in ways that create real-world opportunities, solutions, and success. We’ll show you how to use technology, research methods, and communication skills to become a valuate team member in today’s diverse marketplace.

And employers are taking note of the importance of skills gained through sociological study. For example, in a study commissioned by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (2006), employers were asked to identify skills they were looking for. Look at these results:

Sociology majors frequently find employment ins social services, administrative support, management, marketing, services, research, or as teachers and librarians. Graduates report that their skills in working with people from other groups and cultures, working in a team setting, using the computer to find information, leadership skills, and report writing are used “all the time.”

But most people choose a degree in sociology for another reason: they love the science. The most frequently reported reasons for choosing sociology are because of interesting concepts, enjoying their first sociology course, wanting to understand social forces and individual relationships, wanting to change society and wanting to understand their own life. And enjoying your major is important. People with college degrees live longer, healthier lives. They are happier. They have fewer divorces and stronger ties to their community. (Check out this report).

So with a degree in sociology you get it all: Employment skills that are in demand, a more secure future, and the chance to enjoy your world and to improve the world for others. What will you do with your degree in sociology?