Alumni Profile: Tyler Johnson ’16
Degree(s): BA Psychology, UW–Madison
Current Occupation: Global Practice Lead, Business Consulting Development Program at Veeva Systems Inc.
What are some of the benefits of your psychology degree?
I’d list three attributes that apply to the work I do today: empathy, critical & analytical thought, and coaching & development.
Empathy: the ability to understand perspectives and work in an environment and role that requires distilling and repacking those needs into solutions that support all parties’ mutual goals.
Critical / Analytical Thought: the ability to take a large amount of information and pinpoint single causes and understand problems in the context of data and analytics.
Coaching & Development: the ability to collaborate with others and learn and grow in tandem. Also, the ability to apply human development research, cultural and identity group context, and communication tactics to facilitate others’ professional growth.
How did you find your way to your current profession?
I wanted to complete my undergrad and get working experience before I made a decision on graduate education. I was referred to Veeva Systems by a friend of a friend, and was attracted mostly to the working culture and growth mindset.
What advice would you give to students graduating with a psychology degree?
Value the widespread and real-world applicability of a Psychology education. When graduating, I strongly emphasize mapping your next opportunity to the things that interest you most–don’t just map it to a specific, limited set of roles that are out there.