Are You the Right Fit for a Career in Human Services? 4 Ways to Know for Sure

Career in Human Services

If you’ve thought about taking an education assistant course, recreational therapy programs, Autism courses or other continuing education courses in human services, you might be contemplating changing careers. That may lead to questions of whether the field of human services is right for you. If that concern is holding you back, you’re not alone. It’s quite common to wonder if human services is the right fit and if you will enjoy the career options ahead of you. 

 

Ashton College has been training people in human services for a number of years and brings some of the best teachers in the field to our students. This gives keen insight into the traits required to make individuals who choose this type of career – as well as the additional education like dyslexia training, RBT certification training, gerontology courses or therapy programs – much more successful as well as enjoyable.  

 

Human services covers a vast number of areas and occupations. It includes working with the very young, to seniors; healthy and active individuals to those who are mobility challenged; people with education disabilities and those who have physical disabilities. There are some common factors to all of these jobs though and they are included in these 4 ways to know if a career in human services is right for you: 

  1. 1. Are you a “people person?” 

If you enjoy working with people and spending your day focused solely on their needs, you’ll do well in a human services role. Whether you prefer being around children, youth, adults or seniors, there are jobs in the various stages of life and in working with those with various conditions, disabilities and situations.  

 

Certainly, choosing between occupations as different as an education assistant or an addiction recovery counsellor depends upon the area of work you enjoy and the people you like working with; but it all comes down to working with people day in and day out.  

  1. 2. Do you believe in inclusivity regardless of the circumstance? 

When you believe that all people have a right to be included in a community, neighbourhood and the world as a whole, and feel that these individuals have equal value to everyone else, then human services is the right career choice for you. Inclusivity is talked about a lot in learning disability circles, but it also applies to all other areas of human services.  

 

Seniors deserve to be included in whatever interests them and not shuffled aside or ignored, those with mobility challenges have a right to access the same places as those without challenges, it’s right for children with severe physical challenges to experience fun and playful things outside of a care facility. As someone working in human services, not only will you work with individuals who believe this, you believe it and you will advocate for others to be more open-minded towards it. 

  1. 3. Can you see the big picture and the small steps? 

Human services careers are all about growth, potential and improving quality of life. No matter who the client is, or what their needs are, as someone in human services, you can see the big picture of what will make that individual’s life better. You can also break that goal down into small achievable steps that help create continual growth.  

 

In an abuse recovery program, that may include gradual steps to independence that start with being able to make eye contact, holding a conversation with a stranger or going shopping without fear. For a child with Autism, it could include finding a fulfilling hobby and learning it step-by-step or forming a positive friendship with someone.  

  1. 4. Can you stay focused on progress even when there are steps back? 

Many people in human services could grow overwhelmed quickly if they allowed backwards progress to bring them down. To be successful in a human services job, it’s important to celebrate the victories, acknowledge the setbacks and stay focused on the long-term goals because it will be two steps forward and one step back in many situations. Even in a two forward, one back, scenario, it’s still positive progress and this is what people working in human services are committed to. They also keep the individuals they work with focused on the long-term growth when there are setbacks. “Look how far you come!” and “But you can do X now, so soon you’ll be able to do this!” can be phrases commonly heard.  

 

It takes a lot of work to be great in human services, but those who are the right fit often feel it’s not work at all. It’s their calling and their joy in life. If you see yourself in these 4 traits, it’s time to explore your career in the field of human services! 

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