Health and Human Services Professional Development

Avoiding Burnout: Human Services Program Administration Professionals by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 16, 2013   It is personally rewarding to work in a human development and family studies (HDFS) career. It is also challenging in many ways as professionals in the area of FCS and HDFS face unique challenges. For instance, often those that work in HDFS are at the mercy of government funding, leading to a feeling of insecurity related to employment possibilities. In addition, we tend to make less money than those working in other areas of family and consumer sciences (for example, consumer studies or entrepreneurs). Those of us that work in the helping profession also face a daunting array of regulations regarding proper documentation of expenses and activities (in other words, A LOT of paperwork). Finally, we can feel as if we are spinning our wheels if we do not see change occurring in those with whom we work. When we don’t perceive improvement in the qualit...

American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Annual Conference and Expo: See You There! by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 16, 2013   Start your planning NOW! AAFCS has a conference and expo each year in late June. In 2014 the conference will be held in St. Louis, MO. The annual conference provides a great opportunity for students and new professionals to meet others and hone their professional skills. Check out   http://www.aafcs.org/meetings/14/index.html   for information about the conference and start saving your pennies. Maybe I will see you there! *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

What Regrets Will You Have? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 19, 2013 Many people have regrets. This article on Huffington Post highlights many of the important aspects of life and gives you an idea of what you might view as important when you look back on your accomplishments.  How well do you listen and value advice from parents, professors, or other adults? Do you take others’ hurtful comments/reactions to heart? Do you take sexual risks?  How have you learned from your mistakes? It’s important to think about these things now. Read the full article for tips on living life with little regret: The 20 Things I Wish Someone Told Me at 20 – Huffington Post *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...

Professor and Supervisor Fraud?! Yes, there are Stupid Questions. by   Jill Bowers   on   August 26, 2013   When teaching classes or leading groups, I often say, “there is no such thing as a stupid question.” I say this to make sure that everyone feels comfortable, and I very much appreciate questions that imply that students or members of the audience are critically thinking about what I have talked about, that they want to learn more, or that they want to ask one more burning question so they can take the information I have discussed, research some on their own, and go out and solve the problems of the world! Yet, please know that there are, in fact, many stupid questions. I walk into every new class with the utmost respect for students and enthusiasm for getting to teach and work with them. At the same time, there are questions that kill me and I want to say, “Of course, you did not miss anything because I don’t generally prepare for this class and we also ...

Making Happiness Happen by   Mikki Sherwood   on   August 28, 2013   Think that making more than $50,000 per year or living in a better climate will solve all of your problems? Think again. According to designer Stefan Sagmeister, you can train your mind to focus on happiness and overall well-being. Sagmeister’s rules for happiness include: having meaningful friendships and relationships, doing more of what you want to do and less of what you do not like, using variety (in tools and techniques), making sure you get the end results you want, and getting involved in projects where about half of the information is new and the other half is familiar. You are in charge of your own destiny, so try to train your subconscious mind. Finding a career that you enjoy and that allows you to take Mr. Sagmeister’s suggestions (e.g., be involved in projects that are familiar, yet challenging) could facilitate  your  happiness. If you are at the point in your acade...

Are Your Digital Habits Influencing Your Productivity? by   Jill Bowers   on   August 29, 2013   Although modern technology tools can help us to achieve our goals and in an efficient manner, we also need to be cognizant of how much time we are spending on email, Facebook, or site surfing at large. You may want to consider logging the amount of hours you spend online or texting on an average day. It may be surprising to learn how friends’ status updates or text messages are prohibiting you from completing important and even urgent tasks. In his book,   The 4-Hour Work Week ,  Tim Ferris recommended setting aside certain times of day to respond to emails. Following this model, on days or weeks where you need to complete urgent and important tasks to meet your goals, you may want to consider checking in online once in the morning or last thing in the evening and disconnecting from email, Facebook, Twitter, or other online communication tools the rest of ...