Career Spotlight: Human Services

Are you interested in dedicating your life to the well-being of other and are motivated to impact people’s lives in a positive way? Are you looking for excitement in a face paced environment? Are you open to diverse populations? If you answered yes to these questions, the human service field may be a career match for you! Human services is a broad field, and many types of positions fit under this umbrella including: crisis intervention specialist, rehabilitation counselor, peer recovery specialist, outreach worker, case manager, and social worker. While they may have different titles and job duties, there is a typical skill set for these types of careers, which includes:

• Empathetic
• Effective communicator
• Ability to set clear boundaries
• Critical thinking
• Active listening
• Emotional Intelligence

Necessary education levels can vary as well. For example, a certificate in the human service field may assist you in gaining positions such as a community outreach worker or case manager.  A social worker (or professional counselor) must have a graduate’s degree and a license. It may be a good idea to start out focusing on a bachelor’s degree so that you can build on it later when you have a better idea of what path you want to commit to. Once you have the needed education and you will be able to start applying to and interviewing for positions. Some examples of interview questions may include:

• Case situations. The interviewer will most likely give you a scenario involving a specific situation and ask you how you would handle it.
• You may be asked to share stories of how you helped someone achieve something or solved a problem.
• Personal commitment. Hiring managers may be interested to know if you are passionate about helping others and why you feel that the position is a good fit for you.
• Qualities and strengths. The interviewer will likely want to know what specific qualities you will bring to this team and what strengths you have that will help to facilitate success for those that you serve.

In asking these questions, the interviewer will likely be looking for the qualities that we listed earlier in this article, so keep them in mind when answering your questions.

Human services can be a very rewarding and exciting field for those who are passionate about helping others. If you would like to get started with your career in human services, you can contact us by clicking here.