Human Services:
Skills & Job Outlook for this Career Cluster
On The Job:
- Some human services workers are self-employed. Many child care workers operate home-based centers. Hairstylists and barbers often lease a chair in a salon.
- Advancement into management positions for human services workers is common, but usually after significant work experience or an advanced degree.
- Human service workers are less likely to work evening and night shifts but often work weekend hours.
- Work settings for counselors and social workers include government facilities, private offices, hospitals, clinics and schools.
- Many of the jobs in this cluster require a significant time commitment. Some workers put in significant hours preparing cases, managing caseloads and meeting with clients. Psychologist and social workers sometimes work off-hours responding to emergencies. Some nonprofit and government agencies are understaffed, resulting in large caseloads.
What Skills Do You Need?
- Confidentiality to guard clients' private information.
- Critical-thinking skills for making on-the-spot judgments in stressful situations.
- People-orientation skills for working with children, the elderly, emotionally distraught or ill clients.
- Physical stamina to stand for long periods of time or endure long, stressful work shifts.
- Problem sensitivity to relate and react appropriately to clients issues.
- Time-management skills to adequately provide services to the public within time constraints.
Job Outlook: GOOD
Society recognizes the importance of the services that counselors, social workers and other human services workers provide. However, hiring for many of these positions depends on county, state or school-board funding.
The trend for spa treatments has increased the need for hairstylists, manicurists and aestheticians.
A large number of people in human services enter and leave jobs each year because of burnout, low pay or the desire for additional education.
Some occupation, like child care workers and cosmetologists, require short-term training with good opportunities to gain work-related skills. Other positions like social workers, counselors, clergy and funeral workers require an advanced degree and/or a professional license.
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