Tyler Johnson ’16 built a career on understanding people, though not in the way most imagine when they think of a psychology major. His path didn’t lead to clinics or research labs, but to the fast‑paced world of tech consulting in Chicago.
At Veeva Systems, a cloud software company that powers the businesses behind prescription drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, Tyler designs and runs the early career development program for college graduates—a program he was once a part of. He credits the problem-solving mindset he developed studying psychology at UW-Madison as the foundation for the work he does today.
But after graduation, Tyler’s career path was uncertain—and he’d be the first to tell you that’s okay. He weighed graduate school against entering the workforce, briefly explored teaching, and eventually found his footing in Veeva Systems’ Associate Development Program. There, he took on work spanning client engagements, software implementation, and delivering business solutions that help the Life Sciences industry operate more effectively. Over the next five years, he drew on his interdisciplinary background, particularly his grounding in psychology, to rise from implementation work into team leadership, ultimately finding his calling in talent development: helping others grow the same way he had.
A particularly formative chapter came when his work took him to Europe, including a software implementation project in Spain. Working with clients across cultural contexts sharpened his ability to read people, adapt his communication style, and recognize that what works in one environment doesn’t always translate to another.
In 2020, Tyler was asked to build Veeva System’s Business Consultant Development Program. “There’s a real gap between what you learn in school and what you need to thrive in a professional environment. That’s what I’m trying to close,” says Tyler.
While Tyler’s day-to-day work involves business strategy, talent development, and technology, he finds his degree informs almost everything he does. The interdisciplinary nature of his studies gave him a framework for understanding human behavior in organizational settings, and his psychology coursework proved directly applicable to the consulting world.
He says that understanding how people interact with software and clearly communicating change to clients who may be resistant to it is where psychology gives him a real edge in the tech sector.
For Tyler, the most meaningful parts of the job connect back to that original pull toward helping people. He finds purpose in the impact of his work, whether it’s the software he helps implement benefiting medical patients or watching new graduates complete development programs and grow into confident professionals.
For current psychology students, Tyler’s message centers on self-knowledge and authenticity. Before jumping into applications, he encourages students to slow down and reflect: on what they actually want, what they value, and what kind of work will feel meaningful to them. That clarity, he says, makes for a more targeted and more successful job search.
“The best thing you can do is be reflective. Know your priorities. Then target your search around those; don’t just apply everywhere and hope something sticks.”
“You have a psychology degree and a skillset that’s incredibly transferable,” he says. “The question is just knowing how to position it, and having the conviction to go after what you want.”
Written by Sruthi Sitamraju x’27