Whether you have a background in one of the sub-fields typically associated with behavior change or you’re looking to pivot, there are always ways to include more behavior change strategies and tactics in the work you do… which is why we made this guide in the first place. The beauty of behavior change is its versatility—it's a skill set that can enhance virtually any career path. From marketing to public policy, and from healthcare to education, understanding how to influence human behavior can be a game-changer. It's like having a Swiss Army knife in your professional toolkit—adaptable, useful in countless situations, and always in demand. That being said, we’re a social enterprise and we made this guide to help people apply behavior change to make the world better. Obviously, we can’t enforce this and you might be planning to take this guide and use it to make people hate puppies or cut down more trees (shoo!). But we’re hoping that in understanding the toolkit behind behavior change, you also understand that it is, at its core, about aligning with the needs and desires of human beings. Needs and desires that, if heard well enough, inevitably lead to positive social change.
What's particularly exciting about pursuing a career in behavior change is the constant evolution of the field. As our understanding of human psychology deepens and technology advances, new opportunities are constantly emerging. You might find yourself designing a cutting-edge app one day and advising on national health policy the next. This dynamism keeps the work fresh and challenging, perfect for those who love to learn and adapt.
Moreover, a good career in behavior change offers the unique satisfaction of making a tangible difference in people's lives. Whether you're helping individuals adopt healthier habits, assisting organizations in creating more productive work environments, or contributing to global initiatives tackling climate change, your work has the potential to create a real, positive impact. It's a field where science meets creativity, where data-driven insights fuel innovative solutions to some of society's most pressing problems.
Here are some resources that might help you as you explore a career in behavior change:
A Guide to Career Paths in Behavioral Science
As you might guess, behavior change principles come from behavioral science. And yes, there are plenty of careers in this field. Even though it's a young discipline, it's a hot topic, with more industries realizing the benefits of incorporating behavioral techniques. What was once a choice between academic and applied spheres has now blossomed into many subfields, all eager to harness the knowledge behavioral science offers. Whether you're into marketing, health, finance, or tech, this practical guide offers a roadmap to finding your place in behavioral science.
From Theory to Frameworks: Putting Behavioral Science to Work
We’ve already talked about the importance of behavioral frameworks, in this guide you’ll find some practical tips on how to build your own. Whether you're creating one for personal use, applying it across an organization, or contributing to the growing body of behavioral science research, developing frameworks is a powerful way to identify gaps in our understanding and test established theories in new contexts.
Creating startups through empathy & behavioural research: Dr. Rachel Carey
While we’ve demonstrated how behavioral science exists outside of academia, how do we specifically apply this lens to a business context? Give this podcast episode a listen to learn about the importance of collaboration between the applied and academic spheres. When moving from theory to practice, working together makes certain that nothing gets lost in translation.
The One-Man Behavioral Army: Advice for Practitioners and Managers
A company doesn't need to be labeled as a BehSci firm to apply behavior change principles or hire a behavioral science expert. By giving you a peek into the life of a resident behavioral scientist at a large organization, this article offers some tips on how to position yourself and be the most effective in your role.
How Behavioral Science Can Build Products that Sell Themselves: The Pirate Funnel Toolkit
Interested in how behavioral science can help create successful products? This article aims to answer the long-standing question of balancing human connection with scalability. Explore The Pirate Funnel—a toolkit for growth made up of five principles: Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Referral, and Revenue. Each of these stages harnesses the power of specific behavior change principles that get your products into the hands of the right customer.
Applying Behavioral Science In An Organization
If you still have questions about behavior change or what a behavioral scientist does, check out this article on applying behavioral science in an organization. You'll see how a behavioral scientist can add value in many ways, far beyond just one area of the business.
Not every company has the resources or capacity to hire a full-time behavioral scientist. When faced with challenges they can't solve on their own, it's time to consider outsourcing. In this article, you'll learn about change agents—specialists who use applied behavioral science to tackle challenges and drive effective change within organizations.
The Mistake That Almost Half of Product Managers Make
Even if you find yourself in a career that isn’t explicitly behavioral, there’s no reason you can’t sprinkle in some of what you’ve learned—we encourage you to! In this insight piece, you'll explore the importance of context when working with data and discover how to stay vigilant against cognitive biases that can influence decision-making.
