Method Matters: The Importance of Understanding the Creation of the Skillful Psychology Student

Most psychology students will enter the workforce upon graduation, and therefore they need to develop skills that will prepare them accordingly. Since its inception in 2018, instructors, advisors, students, and researchers have used The Skillful Psychology Student (SPS) document to augment and study psychology students’ career readiness. However, little detail exists about the data collection processes that informed the creation of this document. Given the widespread use of the SPS, understanding the methods that guided this document’s development is essential to recognizing its empirical foundation. Additionally, instructors can incorporate such methods into their courses and curricula in order to help maximize student success in the workforce. In the present article, we describe three specific methods that informed the creation of the SPS. We discuss why these methods matter, and how the utilization of these methods can also benefit students on their journey to become workforce ready.