If you’re looking for a meaningful, rewarding career and want to make a genuine difference to people’s lives, then a career in community services might be just up your alley!

Here are just a few of the reasons why people choose to work in community services.

1. Sense of Helping

One of the most common reasons people enter into the field of community services is because they have a strong desire to help and nurture others on a personal level. People who are naturally empathetic and good at listening often find themselves drawn to community service roles because they believe that is where they can best utilize their skills and natural abilities.

2. Something to Share

Many people who work in community service roles have had difficult experiences themselves. Often times these people feel like their struggles have made them stronger and wish to use their experiences to help others overcome their own personal difficulties. These people often have excellent results in counselling and therapy roles as they can better empathize with their clients.

3. Giving Back

At some point in their lives, many community service professionals have had a positive experience with a counsellor or support worker. This often motivates them to work in a community service field themselves as they want to offer to same support to others who are in need.

There is also 22% job growth predicted to happen in the community services industry by the year 2022. Much of this growth stems from the needs of the aging population and treatment programs relating to substance abuse.

With job growth on the rise, there is no better time to kick start YOUR career in community services. Here are a few handy tips to get you started toward your dream community service career.

Get Educated

AusLearning College community services courses give you all the relevant skills and information you’ll need to start working, as well as providing you with a network of industry leaders and specialists to help broaden your job prospects through meaningful relationships.

Set Goals

Ask yourself where you’d like to see yourself in 10 years’ time. Make note of the companies you’d like to work for and your ideal salary. Be realistic but don’t be afraid to dream big. Some examples of long-term goals include ‘I want to establish my own treatment program or ‘I want to be a qualified psychologist.’

Have Objectives

Your objectives are the short-term tasks you can set to help you achieve your goals. Objectives are time-specific and measurable so you can keep track of your progress. Setting objectives helps keep you motivated and lets you know that you are making progress, even though it might be slow going. Some examples of objectives are ‘do the required reading for my AusLearning course each week’ or ‘volunteer at the Community Centre two days a week.’

Gain Experience

Always be looking for opportunities to improve your skillset and build working relationships. Update your CV regularly to reflect any new qualifications and skills. When applying for jobs always include a cover letter addressing each requirement of the job with your own applicable skills and experience. Remember, quality over quantity when it comes to applications. Even if you only apply for one or two positions a month, you will have a better chance of securing those with a polished CV and cover letter.

There’s no better time to start a career in the community service industry, but getting educated is always the first step.