If you’d like to pursue a career in the field of health and human services, there are plenty of ways to go about it. Earning a bachelor’s degree will help you qualify for more advanced positions in the field–especially if you have at least some experience.
Resource: Top 10 Online Health and Human Services Degree Programs – Bachelor’s
Gain the experience that you need with entry-level health and human services jobs.
1. Home Health Aide
For those who ultimately aspire to work with patients in some capacity, starting out as a home health aide is a great option. The requirements for such positions tend to be minimal. You can typically complete training and obtain certification within a few months. In this line of work, you’ll travel to people’s homes providing medical care. The majority of your patients will be elderly. The work is demanding but rewarding, as you are making it possible for people to maintain their independence that much longer.
2. Guidance Counselor
For this entry-level position, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree. However, if you are interested in becoming a counselor or therapist, this is an excellent way to test the waters. Schools are generally in dire need of guidance counselors, so you should be able to find work at grade schools, community colleges, vocational-technical schools and the like. This type of work will give you a feel for what it’s like to work directly with clients, and you will see what it’s like to be a positive influence on people’s lives.
3. Probation Officer
If you’re interested in the criminal justice field or aspire to work for the government in some capacity, consider becoming a probation officer. You don’t usually need to obtain a license first, and some agencies even allow people to volunteer for such positions. Whether you have some higher education under your belt or not, you should be able to land a job with a state or local government office doing this type of work. It’s a great way to see whether or not this type of work environment is right for you.
4. Social Service Assistant
Get up-close-and-personal experience in the social services field by becoming a social service assistant. In this line of work, you will assist and work directly under case workers, social workers and the like. While you won’t be doing the same work as them, you will be directly exposed to the types of tasks that they undertake on a daily basis. You will also gain a clearer understanding of what it means to work in social services. Most employers require at least an associate’s degree, so this is a great option for those who are pursuing four-year degrees in this field.
5. Child Care Worker
Like many who are interested in the field of health and human services, you may aspire to a career in which you assist children in some way. To be successful in such a career, you’ll need plenty of experience working with little ones. You can get that and more by becoming a child care worker, or daycare worker. Since you’ll also work closely with parents and guardians, you will gain experience in dealing with families and the various issues that they face. This experience will come very much in handy regardless of where you decide to go with your degree in health and human services.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and entry-level jobs in health and human services help you gain valuable experience that will be very useful down the line. After earning your degree, your combination of education and experience will make you irresistible to employers.
