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Are you interested in helping others? Using your special skills and talents for a common good? Solving some of the world’s most complex social issues? Then you’ve landed in the right spot to start exploring careers in the Social and Human Services realms.
While both the Social and Human Services sectors offer a wide range of opportunities for any major, most people have a strong desire to solve problems and make the world a better place; whether that means being a Social Worker for a local community services agency or a Conservation Scientist at an environmental advocacy group. The majority of these jobs are in the nonprofit sector and provide opportunities to perform impactful work for a variety of issues.
Fortunately, there is no one single major or degree that is required to work these industries. Social and Human services professionals tend to wear a variety of hats – volunteer coordinator, data guru, public relations specialist, etc. Individuals with a variety of skills will find success in many different nonprofit roles.These skills are highly sought after in the nonprofit sector:
Practical skills
Practical skills are an essential part of positioning yourself as a highly-sought-after candidate. VCU has a partnership with LinkedIn Learning, formally Lynda.vcu.edu, to provide free skills training. Consider taking some of these recommended courses as a part of your training.
Your resume is your first, and sometimes the only, opportunity to differentiate yourself from other candidates, so it’s important to spend time developing a well-tailored resume. Most hiring managers are trying to answer the following three questions while reviewing your documents:
Think of the resume and cover letter as your opportunity to answer these questions while showcasing your different skills and talents. These documents are your first impression to an employer and are crucial elements of securing an interview. While varied experiences (i.e. internships, volunteer work, clubs, etc.) are important, it is equally vital that those experiences are formatted in a way that best illustrates your career journey.
Start with the Job Description
Perhaps the most important tip for making your documents stand out is to use industry lingo. Review the position description, highlight key words or phrases, and reflect that same terminology in your resume or cover letter. This shows you have done your research and are familiar with the culture of the industry.
Nonprofit Experience
One of the best methods for getting involved with a nonprofit or social services organization is to start as a volunteer or intern. Highlight these experiences near the top of your resume or create a separate section if you’ve worked with multiple groups. Possible section headers could include “Volunteer Experience”, “Community Involvement”, or “Nonprofit Engagement”.
Academic Coursework/Projects
Don’t forget to highlight courses, group projects, or papers that are related to working at a nonprofit. Perhaps your group assignment was consulting with a local organization on a logo rebrand or to develop a communication strategy. Or maybe you’ve completed a course on counseling skills. These aspects of your academic career are valuable and are certainly worth highlighting on a resume or cover letter.
Cover letters
Your cover is meant to achieve two goals:
It’s tempting to fill your cover letter with clichés about work, commitment, etc. This will not help you set yourself apart. Instead, use your personality and tell your own story – honestly. Be specific about your skills and show them in action. Follow these general rules for writing a good cover letter.
It’s always a good idea to have someone edit your cover letter before sending. Make a career advising appointment, or visit us during drop-in hours for assistance.
Interviewing
Human Services interviews come in all different shapes and sizes – one-on-one, phone, skype, group, project-based, etc. Similar to what you would experience while working for a nonprofit or social services group, one must always expect the unexpected. Depending on the size of the organization, you can expect one to two interviews before receiving a job offer.
If you’ve never interviewed before, explore our interview tips to learn the basics of a successful interview. Nearly all interviews contain two parts, common questions about your past experience and situation-based questions to gauge your fit for the position. Afterward, you’ll be given the opportunity to ask questions of the interviewer.
While you can’t control the interview format, you should be prepared to speak about your relevant skills and experiences. Take some time to reflect on what you’ve done and how you can fill this organization’s need. How would you answer these sample interview questions?
Practice
You’ll feel more comfortable during your interview with a little practice first. InterviewStream is web-based video interface that allows you to respond to a series pre-recorded interview questions from your computer. Afterward, you will be able to review your recording to see how you did.
Have an interview coming up? Practice with one of our career advisors. Schedule a one-hour mock interview and we will show you how to answer likely interview questions and offer tips to help you make an excellent impression.
Experience matters. Fortunately, this industry offers numerous opportunities to build experience through volunteer working, shadowing opportunities and internships.
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