If you are a naturally caring, helpful, and empathetic person, it probably comes as no surprise that you are interested in working in a human services field. After all, professionals in this line of work get the satisfaction of being able to create a very positive impact on the lives of others in the work that they do every day. Human services is a career choice that is centered around meeting the needs of others, promoting overall quality of life for the people that you work with, and prevention and remedy of problems. As a career path, human services is broad and multi-disciplinary. Professionals in this fieldwork in a wide range of settings from family service agencies and mental health centers to halfway houses and group homes. Some will be key parts of programs that are dedicated to helping people overcome substance misuse issues while others work with the victims of domestic violence or child abuse. Some work with special populations such as the elderly or children.
One thing that all human services workers have in common, however, is that no matter where they work or who they are working with, they all devote their time and energy to provide help, support, advice, and guidance to people who need this the most. For many people who enjoy helping others and want to do more of it throughout their careers, this is what can make this field so appealing. If you are interested in becoming a human services professional, keep reading to find out more about what it takes to succeed in this field.
You Put Others First
While the day-to-day roles and specifics of the job might vary a lot when it comes to working in human services, one thing that will usually remain consistent no matter what kind of work you do in this field is that you will be using compassion and empathy to help others with overcoming their personal challenges and improving their lives. Perhaps you are that person who always thinks of others, or maybe there is a certain cause that is close to your heart and you would do anything to support. Whatever the case, if you’re always thinking of others before yourself, your compassion and ability to empathize with others and understand their point of view will help you go far with a human services career.
You’re Good with People
Being a great communicator doesn’t always mean that you must get the attention of a large audience. In fact, as a human services professional, your communication skills are often going to be better used in one-to-one situations. If you have the ability to connect with people, put them at ease and help them open up and trust you easily, you likely have very strong interpersonal skills that will help you when it comes to helping others and breaking down the walls that your future clients might have put up to protect themselves. Most human services professionals work with a wide and diverse range of different people, but these skills are often beneficial in a universal way and will help you overcome some of the most common barriers that you might face when helping others.
You Are a Natural Helper
Just like other careers such as counseling, nursing or teaching, human services is a profession that centers around helping others. If you are always the type to help people when they are in need and doing this just comes naturally to you, this is one sure sign that you could be an ideal fit for this line of work. Maybe you never let somebody who’s carrying heavy bags walk through a door without holding it open for them or wouldn’t think twice about approaching a stranger who seemed upset just to check if they were okay. Perhaps you’ve never passed a homeless person without making sure to give them your spare change or buy them a hot drink. No matter the case, people who find that helping others is something that they do freely and naturally tend to be ideal additions to the field of human services.
You’re Quite Creative
People often mistake being creative with being artistic, but the truth is that you can still be creative even if you draw a terrible stick figure. Creativity can be put to use in a wide range of different ways. Whether you’re more creative when cooking meals in the kitchen or enjoy a creative activity like making music or writing, if you like to come up with new ideas for things and have a creative flair that you are in touch with, this can help you get further in a human services career. In this field, your ability to be creative is likely to be an asset to you as you will need to often think outside of the box to help solve the problems that your clients might come to you with. Human services professionals are often required to navigate complex regulations and procedures and being creative may often help you come up with solutions that not everybody will have thought of.
You’re a Good Listener
If you are the person that other people often come to talk to when they need somebody to offer support or advice, or just want to feel heard when it comes to a situation that they are going through, chances are that you would make a good human services worker. Human services professionals often tend to be people who have amazing listening skills and always know how to make sure that somebody feels completely understood and valued when they are talking to them. If people tend to feel comfortable opening up to you, from friends and family to people that you barely know or even strangers, then this could be an ideal role for you.
You Have a Lot of Patience
A career in human services is not always easy. Sometimes you might want to do more to help somebody, but you are only able to work within the limits of your profession. However, a good human services professional knows that good things take time, and they have a lot of patience for spending that time making sure that they are able to help their client get the best outcome. Whether you are a parent who has mastered the art of patience through raising your kids or you simply have a natural ability to be patient and wait for things, this is an important skill for any human services professional to possess.
You Always Do the Right Thing
Whether you find a lost wallet on the floor or are accidentally given too much change when paying for something at the store, you always act with integrity and do the right thing, even when nobody is around to watch you. If you are the type of person who does not hesitate to do the right thing every single time and you have a very strong sense of right and wrong, you could make excellent human services professional. When it comes to professions within the human services field, ethics are an essential and central element. In this field, you will need to always act with integrity when it comes to making choices on behalf of your clients and always doing the right thing by them.
You Want a Career You Can Be Proud Of
Many people decide to change their career to a role in human services because they feel uninspired or unmotivated in their current role. Perhaps you are tired of working in a role where you do not feel like you have very much to be proud of when it comes to the work that you do. If this sounds like something that you are going through at the moment, a career in human services could be an ideal choice for you since it will provide you with plenty of options to be proud of yourself as you help others and get the high satisfaction that comes with knowing you have been instrumental in helping somebody enjoy a happier and more fulfilling life.
You Want to Make a Difference
When it comes to choosing the right career for you, you cannot imagine working in a role where you do not get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. If you feel called to help others in your role and want work where you can make a meaningful impact on the lives of real people, a role in human services could be the best choice for you to consider. If you feel that you need a career where you can dedicate your time and energy to something that is going to make the world a better place, you could be an ideal fit for the human services field.
Careers in human services are all about helping others and providing support and advice to people who need it most. If all the above sound like something you can relate to, you might be an ideal candidate for working in this field.
