Community services is one of the biggest and fastest-growing sectors in the Australian job market, so if you’re looking for a career or even a career change, then have you considered seeking work in community services?
This article is going to take a look at some of the positives and advantages of starting a career in this industry, along with outlining the basic qualifications you’ll need to gain an entry-level position.
Community Services Work Is About Helping Others
If you’re a natural person and you’d like to be doing something that makes a positive difference in the lives of others, then there are not many better industries to work in than community services. Every day when you’re on the job, no matter what your role is, you’ll be helping other people to have a better quality of life in some form or other. That’s what this industry is essentially all about.
Whether you’re in an entry-level position or have advanced to a higher career, you’ll never just have a job in this field. What you do will make a difference and have a positive impact. There are even roles where you may go into battle to uphold the rights of people who can’t fight themselves.
It’s a very rewarding industry on a personal level.
You Can Earn a Good Income
So, you now understand that this career path is personally rewarding and satisfying, but did you know that it can be financially rewarding as well?
Don’t make the erroneous assumption that some make when they hear community services work mentioned. Many people believe that it involves unpaid volunteer work. While that does come under the community services umbrella, most roles in the field pay a salary and that salary can be quite lucrative if you follow the right career path.
For those just entering the industry with basic training and qualifications, you can expect to earn in the vicinity of $26 per hour or more. Once you acquire relevant experience and undertake further training, you can be earning considerably more money than that, potentially even upwards of $100 per hour.
Community service work is rewarding and satisfying on many levels.
The Job Possibilities Are Very Diverse
At the start of this article, it was mentioned that the community services industry is one of the biggest and an industry that’s currently experiencing tremendous growth. What this means for job seekers is that there are many different roles to target and there are always a lot of employment opportunities available.
Let’s list just a small snapshot of the types of jobs and careers that fall under the umbrella of community services work. With a career in community services work, you could aspire to be a:
- Counselor
- Disability support worker
- Aged caregiver
- Occupational therapist
- Community health worker
- Working for youth justice
- Crisis intervention worker
- Case manager
- Personal career
- Community program coordinator
- Child protection officer
And many more awesome job roles that make an impact daily. The above list is merely a very small cross-section of the job possibilities in community services work.
Another thing to note about this industry is it can offer you and your lifestyle a lot of flexibility. There is also a lot of scope for career advancement and career changes within the industry itself.
How Do You Get Started On This Career Path?
The first step in the process, if you’re not already qualified for a particular job role in community services work, is to gain an entry-level qualification. This comes in the form of Certificate III In Community Services. This is a nationally recognized certificate that will allow you to apply for entry-level positions. Other than being good with English and possessing excellent verbal and written communication skills, there are no real requirements for entry into the course.
You have a few study options, where you can complete the certificate course full-time for 12 months, or do it part-time over 24 months. The tuition environment is a mixture of classroom activities, along with a minimum of 120 hours of workplace placement for hands-on training.
In Conclusion
Chasing a career in community services could prove to be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. It’s definitely worth considering for people looking for their first career or those who are seeking a career change.
