Health and Human Services Professional Development

What is the “Right” Internship? by   Elissa Mitchell   on   July 4, 2013   You may have seen articles or heard your professors talk about securing the right internship. But what does that really mean? It’s different for everyone, but here are a few important points to consider when deciding whether an internship is the “right” one. It provides you the opportunity to learn new skills.  The point of an internship is to learn new things – about a career, about an agency, about you. Your internship should be a safe space for you to try new things and get feedback and advice from your supervisors. An internship that doesn’t get you outside your box a little to experience new things most likely isn’t the “right” one. It lets you use your existing skills.  For some organizations, especially non-profits, interns are a great way to get free labor. Finding an intern with great technology skills, for example, saves an agency from paying someone to redo thei...

Career Exploration: Find What Interests YOU by   Roberta Kingery   on   July 9, 2013   While helping students research potential careers, one of the questions I am asked most often is, “What career fields are hot right now?”.  It’s typically an easy question to answer, but not the best way to determine a career field.  Why?  First, what’s hot now may not be “hot” in four years when most students graduate.  Many factors determine what fields are in demand, and those change, often with little warning.  Selecting a popular career field in 2013, which may or may not interest you, can create a problem if you graduate in 2017 and that field isn’t hot, or you aren’t geographically somewhere with openings in that field. A better way to determine career options is to look at a combination of things.  Career counselors may ask you to take an assessment tool to help identify your interests, abilities and values.  Discussing these thre...

How Your Career Path and Everyday Habits Influence Longevity by   Jill Bowers   on   August 2, 2013   National Geographic writer and explorer, Dan Buettner, and colleagues (from National Geographic and The Institute on Aging) examined 4 geographic locations (“blue zones”) in which individuals live longer than they do in the United States. They found these individuals had some things in common in (eating habits, outlook, exercise, and more – see infographic for more): This information reveals the importance of healthy choices and balance in your life….and hopefully you have chosen a career path that gives you a sense of purpose and makes you happy. For more information, see Dan Buettner’s Ted Talk, “How To Live To Be 100+” here: blob:https://embed.ted.com/e7ba03a4-05ca-4280-a89e-21da733b5e9f *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

What’s YOUR Plan? by   Jill Bowers   on   August 22, 2013   Are you planning for tomorrow? Next week? Next semester? Next Year? All are vital to your career. No plan = no productivity = no job. Begin by thinking about your long-term goals and then, the shorter-term goals. Then, plan out the weekly, daily, and monthly activities that help you to reach your goals. Below is a sample plan for someone who wants to become an administrator in a domestic violence agency (as an example).    Long-term goal: Become an administrator at a domestic violence agency within 8 years. Intermediate goals: Finish bachelor’s degree in human services program administration , human development and family studies, or program that trains you in family services (4 years on average). Receive a Master’s degree in human services program administration, HDFS, business administration, or other field that will train you for an administrator role (1.5 – 3 years, depen...