How do I know if working in human services is right for me?
Do you enjoy helping people? Is making a difference with people important to you? Do you enjoy working with people one-on-one? Are you patient and a ‘helper’ at heart? Do you want to help make the world a better place? If the answer to these questions is yes, then a career in the human services industry could be a good vocational fit. Here are five tell-tale signs that working in human services may be a natural fit for you.
- Putting the needs of other people before your own comes easy
Although there is significant diversity between human services professions there is a sense that all of them use care and compassion to help people in need overcome their personal problems and difficulties. If you are motivated by a charitable cause or find it easy to think of other people in need then a career in human services could be a good vocational fit for you.
- People tend to come to you for help or simply to talk
Just like nursing and counselling, working in human services is a people helping profession. If people come to you for help or simply to talk it could be that you are a natural fit for this field. Perhaps your listening skills and emotional intelligence make you open to others when they want to share? Or you have a way of making people feel at ease and comfortable opening up? If people seek you out to share their difficulties and you feel comfortable as a ‘helper’ at heart, then you may be suited to work in the human services field.
- You are comfortable working with people one-on-one
To make a difference in human services you need to be comfortable and effective working closely with people on a one-on-one basis. This makes it essential to connect easily with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences and build swift rapport with them. This also makes active listening and interpersonal communication skills vital. If you have strong interpersonal skills, relationship-building abilities, and multicultural sensitivity that can help break down barriers with clients then working in human services could be right for you.
- 4. You have compassion and can empathise with other people in need
Empathising with people in need and wanting to understand their personal perspectives lies at the heart of the people helping professions. Professionals in human services use compassion when helping others. This is what motivates them to do what they do. Compassion enables human services professionals to understand the unique experiences of their clients. Human services practice requires putting yourself in the shoes of others to identify unique solutions that can make a difference. Does this sound like you?
- You want to do something that makes a difference
People who work in the human services industry wake up each day knowing that their work truly makes a difference. This positive impact encapsulates both individual clients and their broader communities. This is not something many other people can say about their careers. If you feel a sense of ‘calling’ or purpose to devote your career to something that will truly make the world a better place for people, you may find fulfilment working in human services.
If you answered yes to the above questions then this may point you towards a career in the human services field. Why not take the next step and check out what is on offer in this space? If you are motivated by your compassion for people in need, why not make a career of it? Help future clients overcome their personal challenges and live lives of meaning! Training providers will have key staff available to walk you through the process and fill any gaps of information that you might still have. Find out more at CHC.
WRITTEN BY CHC Counselling