Introduction
Human services are a large, fast-growing sector with great potential in the world of work. Modern trends and changes in the world require more competent specialists to work with people and develop the structure of society to improve the quality of life. This area is quite complex and includes many positions depending on the services provided and the severity of working cases. This work certainly brings benefits and fulfillment to the social worker himself but he must be prepared for the possibility of challenging conditions and increased stress.
The Direction of Work of Human Resources
Human services are focused on working with people at the community, social, and educational levels. The main task of this sector is to help certain categories of people and purposefully work to improve the mechanisms of society following all ethical and cultural norms. Human life and, particularly the importance of mental health, has acquired value over the centuries. Now the physical and psychological wellbeing of people is the most significant goal of any morally developed society (Homer, 2017). Human services workers mainly work with the most vulnerable categories of people. These can be elderly people, people with drug or alcohol addiction, dysfunctional families, homeless people, and so on. A distinctive place is given to people who have survived violence and abuse and need serious help and shelter (Mosley & Smith, 2018). Considering all areas of human services, people in this sector should have not only a sincere altruism, but the basics of psychology, economics, law, and other disciplines.
Relevance of Work and Employment Opportunities
The demand for social workers and the number of related positions continues to grow steadily. The annual wage of an employee in this area is about $54,000, which makes it quite competitive in the labor market (Homer, 2017). The acute shortage of workers is explained by too influential and rapid changes in the social structure combining with a lack of specialists. Recently, this work has become more in demand due to modern changes in society, including an increase in life expectancy, attention to mental health, the tendency of mass immigration. Personnel of this kind is needed in the health sector, the justice system, community departments, non-profit organizations. They can serve as public advocates, crisis counselors, probation officers, juvenile detention workers (Mosley & Smith, 2018). The field of activity is quite extensive and includes dozens of specialties of different specifics and directions. The choice may depend on personal preference, training characteristics, and professional ability for a particular position. The number of vacancies continues to grow due to population growth, restructuring, and modernization of the social system.
Difficulties Associated with Working with People
Working with people is always fraught with many challenges and requires good psychological preparation. This area often implies close interaction with people in difficult life situations experiencing pain or deprivation. People with deep empathy can find it very difficult to objectively perceive someone else’s pain and look at it from a purely professional point of view. One of the most common reasons for leaving this industry is constant stress and feelings of regret (Lizano, 2021). It needs to be understood that this work should come from pure motives, and not be oriented towards personal recognition. People can be angry, frustrated, disoriented, and desperate for help. Workers often have to deal with orphans, people with severe addiction or mental illness, aggressive people in distress (Homer, 2017). Not everyone has enough self-control and altruism to do this kind of work. Unfortunately, kindness alone in this matter will not be enough.
Interview with a Social Worker
For the interview, I chose my neighbor Margaret, who has been working as a social worker for almost 12 years. I wanted to learn about her personal experience and look at the whole sphere from the inside. The main direction of her activity is working with children, checking their living conditions, relationships with their families, accessibility of education, and so on. She calls this occupation unspeakably important and noble but “bloody.” Children are the most vulnerable and dependent part of society, requiring constant protection, help, and control (Lizano et al., 2021). It is impossible to remain indifferent at the sight of their pain and adversity. Margaret, a mother of three, came into the social services industry with a well-meaning to help the rest of the children. It took her a while to understand the profession and come to terms with the inevitability of some aspects.
Conclusion
Human services are a promising area due to the constant development of society and changing requirements for employees. This specialty is suitable for people who can professionally and objectively assess any situation, regardless of their feelings. It is highly essential to separate all personal experiences from objective rationalism to provide more effective and professional help. This area is much multifaceted and includes many different positions focused on individual cases and categories of people. Career direction and growth are sufficiently dependent on personal preference, characteristics, and training.
References
Homer, C. (2017). Human services: An essential partner in improving health in the United States.Public Health Reports, 132(2). Web.
Lizano, E. L. (2021). Work engagement and its relationship with personal well-being: A cross-sectional exploratory study of human service workers.Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 45(4), 326–336. Web.
Lizano, E. L., He, H. S., & Leake, R. (2021). Caring for our child welfare workforce: A holistic framework of worker well-being.Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 45(4), 281–292. Web.
Mosley, J. E., & Smith, S. R. (2018). Human service agencies and the question of impact: Lessons for theory, policy, and practice.Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 42(2), 113–122. Web.