Hidden jobs: Good news for sociologists

Applied sociology, if defined broadly enough, is a ray of light for sociology graduates in an otherwise dismal career landscape. This is particularly true in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area. Sociologists’ general or liberal arts skills are as valuable, if not more valuable, than research specialization. Finding a job in government requires a different strategy than a job with a government contractor. Unfortunately, in neither case is there a rational path or match-up between a person’s skills and finding the job which utilizes these skills. Local knowledge can help in making the match. Edward Sabin, Ph.D., University of Michigan 1970, taught sociology for five years in the Midwest. Since 1974, he worked for 8 years as a writer/researcher under a number of government contracts in the area of international health. Currently he is a writer/systems analyst for a NASA library automation project.