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Chicago Businesses Are Enhanced By Understanding Customer Behavior

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment of psychologists is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022." While many may think career options can be limited for those looking to utilize their psychology degree, understanding human behavior can be instrumental in numerous fields.

CHI-Business
(Photo Courtesy of Shemiah Williams)

Modern Graffiti Marketing Group is a lifestyle marketing agency that launches and promotes businesses/brands, and Urbanance Media is Modern Graffiti's PR counterpart. Shemiah Williams, President of Modern Graffiti Marketing Group and Urbanance Media,  shows how a psychology degree can be used in an unconventional career path.

What inspired you to enter this field?

"After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in business & technology, I went on to receive a Master of Arts in psychology. I was very interested in how multi-faceted business is and the process for starting and maintaining one, but felt like something was missing. As I thought more about it, it dawned on me that no matter how strong your knowledge is in accounting, strategy, technology, or analytics, no business can succeed without people. I became very interested in learning more about how thoughts, feelings, and experiences impact how people work together in business and how engaging people can impact the ability of a business to connect with its customers."

How has the field of psychology changed in recent years?

"Both individual professionals and employers are starting to think in a more entrepreneurial way about how education in psychology can be used as a value that adds to a business outside of the standard path to provide treatment. From building a website to establishing brand standards to communicating via social media or managing a PR campaign/event, each step of that process requires multidimensional thinking and anticipating behavior based on presented data."

What advice can you give others looking to pursue psychology?

"Psychology degrees are of high value because the skills learned are applicable in every industry. Being able to think bilaterally, communicate effectively, understand client needs and intentions, anticipate future trends, etc... are skills that will lead you to success no matter what company or field you choose to enter."

Sara Lugardo is a professional writer out of Chicago, Illinois. She has a bachelor's in communication and is currently working on her master's. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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