According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the human services industry is expected to grow by 17 percent by the year 2029. This growth is faster than average for all other occupations in the United States.
Do you want to work in a growing field with lots of job opportunities? Read on to learn more about the human services field so you can decide if a career in human services is right for you.
What Does a Career in Human Services Entail?
A career in human services is all about helping people in need to improve their quality of life. Human services careers combine expertise in a variety of fields, including psychology, criminal justice, and social work.
The following are some of the careers you might want to pursue if you want to work in human services:
- Childcare worker
- Mental health counselor
- School psychologist
- Sociologist
- Social worker
Some clergypeople also study subjects related to human services so that they can better counsel the members of their church.
Is a Human Services Career Right for You?
Are you on the fence about pursuing a career in human services? If you’re unsure about this field, here are 7 signs that indicate it might be a good path for you:
1. You Love to Help Others
It doesn’t matter what kind of human services career you seek out. In most positions, a major part of your job will involve helping others and supporting their mental health, as well as their quality of life and their general sense of well-being.
Do you love to be of service? Are you often the person other people come to for advice?
If so, you’ll probably feel very fulfilled working in the human services industry.
2. You Want to Make the World a Better Place
Do you want to work in a field that has a positive impact on the world?
When you work in human services, not only are you making individual people’s lives better, but you’re also giving them the tools they need to go out and make the world a better place overall. You can sow seeds of change as a human services worker that yield all kinds of incredible results now and in the future.
If the idea of making a positive change in the world is appealing to you, working in human services will probably be rewarding for you.
3. You Enjoy Autonomy in Your Work
As a human services worker, you generally get to enjoy a great deal of autonomy. You’ll spend your days largely unsupervised and will have lots of opportunities to make decisions without a manager or team leader breathing down your neck.
If you value your independence and autonomy in the workplace, there are many human services jobs that you will likely enjoy. Of course, the flip side is that you also carry a lot of responsibility. However, for a lot of people, the trade-off is worth it.
4. You Work Well One-on-One
Do you enjoy working with people one-on-one? If so, a career in human services is an excellent choice.
As a social worker, mental health counselor, or other human services worker, you’ll spend a lot of time counseling and advising people individually or in small groups. This gives you a chance to get to know them on a deeper level and make strong connections.
5. You’re Patient
Human services workers must have a great deal of patience. When you’re counseling and advising others, you need to be able to put yourself in their shoes and give them space to make the best decisions for themselves. If this is easy for you to do, you’ll likely make a great human services worker.
6. You’re a Creative Problem Solver
Are you good a creative problem-solving and thinking outside the box? In the field of human services, there’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution to any issue. If you can look at problems from new perspectives and come up with creative, individualized solutions, you’ll find the human services industry to be very rewarding.
7. You Want to Get Hired Right Away
Finally, many human services workers can find work right away. The field is growing rapidly, and there’s a high demand for talented, skilled individuals who can support others as they work through mental health challenges, addiction, relationship struggles, and other issues that get in the way of their quality of life.
If you want to pursue a career that offers a great deal of job security, consider working in human services.
How to Start a Career in Human Services
Can you check all (or at least most) of the boxes listed above? If so, you might be wondering how to start a career in human services.
To work in this field, you’ll need at least a Bachelor’s degree in a human services field. Many people who participate in human services undergrad programs obtain degrees in social work, psychology, or sociology. These degrees allow them to learn more about humans think and behave in different situations.
Beyond obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, you may also want to go on to obtain a Master’s or Doctoral degree.
These more advanced degrees can create more job opportunities for you in the future. However, they will, of course, require more time in the classroom (and more money spent on tuition) before you can land a job and start earning a living.
If you want more information on the requirements to work in the human services industry, check out this page.
Start Working in Human Services Today
Does a career in human services seem like a good fit to you? Do you love to help others and want to make a difference in the world, while also joining a rapidly growing industry?
If so, a human services job might the perfect choice.
Keep the information outlined above in mind so you can begin pursuing your goal and getting qualified for the job of your dreams. If you want to learn more about human services careers before making a final decision, visit the Education section of our site today.
