There Are Quite A Few Reasons Why You Should Go Into OBM!
And We Think The Best Way To Answer This Question Is By Letting Current members Of The OBM Network Speak For Us.
Click On Any of the Pictures Below To Read What They Have To Say.
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Michael Clayton
Assistant Professor of Psychology |
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Howard Lees
Managing Director/Consultant |
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Sigurdar Sigurdsson
Assistant Professor |
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Marco D. Tomasi
Student |
Check back regularly to see other students, academic, or consultants describe their OBM experience!!!
- Not Sure What OBM Is? No Problem! See the What Is OBM page!
What Are The Positions Typically Held By Those With A Degree in OBM?
- Graduates with OBM degrees primarily become either Academics (Professors) or Consultants.
- Consultants may work independently, or they may join consulting firms such as Aubrey Daniels International (ADI), Behavioral Science Technology (BST), Quality Safety Edge (QSE), Triad in Grand Rapids, Ernst Allyn & Young, Arthur Anderson, Ardent Learning, or Continuous Learning Group (CLG).
- OBM consultants are also more likely to work as coaches or specifically within human resources.
- They may take on positions of Instructions Systems Managers, Safety Managers, Account Managers, Project Managers, or General Managers.
- Generally speaking, if a recent graduate was chosen to work for a company, there is likely going to be a probationary or trial period, in which the current abilities of the graduate are tested, and where he/she may get the opportunity to shadow a senior consultant to ‘learn the ropes’.
- Jobs for those with a degree in OBM are located all over the world!
To Work In OBM, Do I Need A Ph.D. Degree, Or Is A MS/MA Sufficient?
- You will need a Ph.D. degree if you want to teach at the university level or conduct your own research within Academia.
- A MA or MS degree is appropriate if you want to work as a consultant and for most other jobs listed above, although a Ph.D. degree certainly won’t hurt you. To secure higher pay, you may also want to pursue a MBA degree in addition to your MS/MA degree.
What Is The Difference Between Academia And Consulting?
- As a professor, you are given the opportunity to educate both undergraduate and graduate students, while conducting research in your area of interest. You may even do some consulting as well. You get paid to teach and conduct research.
- Your success is primarily evaluated through the number of publications that you produce, the number of presentations you give, and the size of grants you receive.
- There is quite a bit of flexibility in terms of what classes you teach, the type of research you conduct, and how much time you allocate to each per semester. At the same time it is expected that you are highly productive, and that your teaching abilities are very high-quality.
- As a consultant, your primary task is to consult/coach your clients. A consultant generally does not conduct research, unless specifically asked for by the client.
- Frequent travel is often required as well. In general, there is much less flexibility in terms of time allocation in consulting than in academia, but on the other hand the salary is often higher.
- When you begin your work as a consultant fresh out of graduate school, the company you work for will likely put you through a company-specific training program before you get to apply your skills in the workplace.
Does My Degree Have To Be In OBM, Or Are There Other Specializations That Are Appropriate In Preparation For Working As An OBM Consultant?
- Generally speaking, OBM is very different from what you might learn in I/O programs and the like. Thus, OBM students typically are students within a psychology program with specialization in OBM, Performance Management, or Applied Behavior Analysis.
- In addition, it is useful to get some basic knowledge about some other disciplines such as business and I/O psychology, to complement your OBM studies, and to have an idea of how companies operate.
What Undergraduate Courses Are Useful To Prepare For Graduate School In OBM?
- Any courses that deal with the following topics may be useful:
Applied Behavior Analysis, Finance, Management Theory, Process Engineering, Basics of Economics, Introduction to Instructional Design, Human Resource Management, PC databases, Writing, Public Speaking, and Sales.
Can I Get Work With A BS/BA Degree? If Yes, What Kind of Work?
- Yes you can, although the work will most likely be an Entry-Level job or Internship. Your responsibilities may include shadowing a senior consultant in day-to-day activities. Generally speaking, a MA/MS degree will certainly make it easier for you t o find a job.
- To See How You Can Find A Job Or Internship in OBM or Applied Behavior Analysis, see the Jobs page!
What Are Some Readings In OBM That Provide Basic Background Information on OBM Techniques?
- A list of books that provide an overview of OBM principles can be seen by clicking on the following link:
List of recommended books
- A list of relevant articles can be seen by clicking on the following link:
List of relevant articles
Many Thanks To The Following Professionals For Their Support In Creating This Site:
- William Abernathy (Aubrey Daniels International)
- John S. Bailey (Florida State University)
- Howard Lees (Hollin Consulting Ltd.)
- Timothy Ludwig (Appalachian State University)
- Lori Miller (Ardent Learning)
- Manuel Rodriguez (Continuous Learning Group)
- Marco D. Tomasi (Florida State University)
- David Wilder (Florida Institute of Technology)
And extra special thanks to Danielle Tittelbach (Queens College) for her efforts in coordinating and developing this section
For comments and suggestions regarding this site, please send an email to the webmaster at djohnson@operant-tech.com
Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
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