Sociologists
Demographer, Medical Sociologist, Social Scientist, Sociologist
What they do:
Study human society and social behavior by examining the groups and social institutions that people form, as well as various social, religious, political, and business organizations. May study the behavior and interaction of groups, trace their origin and growth, and analyze the influence of group activities on individual members.
On the job, you would:
- Analyze and interpret data to increase the understanding of human social behavior.
- Prepare publications and reports containing research findings.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate methods of data collection, such as questionnaires or interviews.
Knowledge
Math and Science
- sociology and anthropology
- arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Arts and Humanities
- English language
- history and archeology
Education and Training
- teaching and course design
Engineering and Technology
- computers and electronics
Skills
Basic Skills
- listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
- talking to others
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
- thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
- figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Abilities
Verbal
- communicate by speaking
- listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
- use rules to solve problems
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Analytical Thinking
- Initiative
- Persistence
- Achievement/Effort
- Independence
- Integrity
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Analytical or scientific software
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- SAS
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Data base user interface and query software
- Microsoft Access
- QSR International NVivo
Education
Education: (rated 5 of 5)
doctoral degree or
master's degree
usually needed
master's degree
usually needed
Get started on your career:
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Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Explore More
- Anthropologists & Archeologists
- Political Scientists
- Social Science Research Assistants
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary
- Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
You might like a career in one of these industries:
See more details at O*NET OnLine about sociologists.