Rebecca Ress

What is do you do as a Network Development Associate at a consulting firm?  

 The headquarters are in NYC, but I work out of the office in Austin, TX. I am aligned with the Life Sciences business unit, and our clients, typically large pharmaceutical or medical device companies, come to us with a research goal in mind. It is my job to connect the client with the appropriate industry experts and set up 1-on-1 learning engagements. This is typically a one hour phone consulting engagement, in-person consulting meeting, survey, etc. My day to day role involves working with our internal research team to meet the needs of the client, and then I go out and recruit/source those experts to consult with our clients.

Why did you choose to major in Psychology and how has that affected your career thus far?

I initially chose to major in Psychology because I found the coursework pre college and during my first courses at UofM to be fascinating. I never had an overarching plan, but rather I knew I wanted to spend my time studying subject matter that really intrigued me. Psychology was also the perfect mix between hard sciences and the big “why” of the human experience. The psychology coursework was a marriage between research, writing, science, and creative thinking.

My career thus far has been somewhat atypical of most Psychology majors. I chose to take my love for psychology/ medicine and mold that into a business route. In my current role, I work with a research team and sift through research articles to find the perfect doctor and recruit them to consult with our client. I use these research skills when reviewing publications and medical journals, and I am able to think creatively about the business goal at hand.

What was your career path like?

So far my career path has only been a few months! It has been so exciting to take my undergraduate knowledge and translate that into a paying and fulfilling career. I feel like I have so many options in front of me due to my background in Psychology, and that the Psych major is applicable to every role I may end up in during my career.

What advice do you have for students getting a degree in the UM Psychology Department who are considering your profession?

I would advise Psychology majors to really hone in on what focus area within psychology they may love. Psychology is such a large, overarching field, that I have found it helpful to sort out what aspects of Psych I truly love. That may be more than just one thing, but for example, for me it has been the intersection of people and health as well as an understanding of human development. Figuring out what subject matter within Psych you may love can help translate it into a passion, career move, or hard skill.

How do you use your psychology undergraduate experience in your work? 

Most notably, I use my psychology experience while researching on the behalf of our clients. In order to connect them with the most experienced professionals, I have to do some background work. I get to sift through research articles to find the key leader in a niche space of public health, or call research hospitals to get in touch with the ongoing work of the doctors there in the oncology space. It has been a unique combination of both business and health, an area that I hoped I could break into with my Psychology degree. 

What has contributed most to your career success?

Staying calm and not jumping at the first job if it doesn’t excite you. If you aren’t entirely sure what you want to do, apply to a lot of different things in different places. Use this time of uncertainty and flexibility to explore your options. Apply to a start up in San Francisco, a firm in Chicago, you name it. You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. I still don’t! If you’re like me and you are using your Psychology degree to break into the business space, keep an open mind and apply to whatever excites you. The possibilities are endless.  

What memories do you have about the Psychology Department here at U of M?

My favorite memories are with my two favorite professors, Prof. Jodl and Prof. Mann. Prof. Jodl’s coursework on Human Development as well as her senior seminar on Development for millennials are what sparked my interest in this particular focus of psychology. Her senior seminars made me feel close to other Psych majors and was a heartwarming reflection on the past four years of undergrad as well as what possibilities were to come. Prof Mann’s course Psychology of Spirituality is the most unique class I have taken at the University of Michigan for the Psychology major, and the books we read in that class have moved with me to Austin covered in sticky notes and marked pages. I intend to read them all again, and remember the class that pushed me to my comfort zone and required me to think bigger.