After getting a degree in social services, what next? What should prospective graduates in the program know, including career prospects? While this isn’t exactly a complete career directory, it offers a quick glance on the possibilities.
Read on the important information needed especially for both graduates and those aspiring to pursue a degree in human and social services.
Child care management defined
For starters, a degree in social services is a human services program; it seeks to prepare, at the baccalaureate degree level, various human services providers in their quest for enhancing the welfare of the society.
Credentials and career paths
A degree in social services is an umbrella program. Those pursuing the degree can specialize. For instance, they can become a social worker, counselor and policy maker.
There is a laundry list of career opportunities for the human services program. However, the subtext is enhancing the welfare of the community.
The following are examples of the career paths, both at entry levels and high-profile career prospects.
What about a social and community service manager? Alternatively known as a program manager, program director or director of social services, they prepare, oversee, and organize the relevant human social services programs. They are notable for making financial arrangements.
Entry level managerial jobs require experienced applicants with at least a bachelor’s degree but preferential treatment is given to applicants with postgraduate degree in human services. Helpful tip: Also pursue a relevant postgraduate program to get a competitive edge.
How about a counselor? They are mandated with assisting people with physical, mental and psychological problems such as those affected by addictive habits like substance abuse, those with impulsive-control disorders, the bulimic and anorexic.
Entry level requires at least ‘O’ level graduates though a recognized credentialing exam may be needed. Helpful tip: To stand out, learn beyond the ordinary level certification.
What are the policies that need to be made or analyzed? To qualify as a policy maker, a candidate must have a Doctor of Philosophy in Human Services. Policy makers in human services have various responsibilities such as gathering firsthand or synthesized data and implementing it to pinpoint and deal with a specific dilemma.
Furthermore, they are charged with analyzing the presently implemented human services programs to determine the implementation cost and general success. Helpful tip: If you aspire to be a policy maker, have your eyes trained on a doctoral degree.
Salary range
There is a one-size-fits-all salary for the career paths in human services. However, this was the average salary for professionals in the aforementioned careers in the recent past.
By 2014, social and community service managers earned $62,740 yearly on average while counselors earned an average of $39,270 annually. On the other hand, policy makers’ annual salary ranged from $37, 141 to $84,030 or $54,216 on average as of 2015.
To wrap it up, are there better career prospects? The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics has made the following predictions. Between 2012 and 2022, the job growth will be an estimated 21% for social and community service managers. The decade-long job growth for counselors will be 31%.
According to PayScale, Inc., policy makers’ potential employers are humanitarian organizations, the U.S government and its contractors, consultants, and tertiary institutions.
The promising job market augurs well for those with a degree in social services.
