Careers

If you are interested in exploring careers in social work, counseling, and psychology, many careers are available in these lines of work. HFST provides good preparation for entry level helping positions and for the degrees/programs required for professional level work in these fields. Working in these fields during the summer or school year may help you decide if you want to pursue this kind of career.

Some of the more popular careers include:

• Social worker
• Children, youth and family services worker
• Marriage and family therapist
• Rehabilitation counselor
• School psychologist

If you are interested in careers that involve teaching and education, there are a number of options. HFST students work in childcare centers, youth service organizations, and adult education. They can work for America Reads or enter programs like Teach for America or pursue graduate degrees in special education.

Some of the more popular careers include:

• Youth workers
• Adult literacy and GED teachers
• Health educators
• Daycare or preschool
• Public/charter elementary/middle school/high school teachers (Early Childhood, FACS)
• Career and technical education teacher (FACS)
• Students interested in teacher certification should look at the elementary/secondary education/certification pathways

As an HFST student interested in careers that involve advocacy and non-profit work, you have a lot of options. Local and national organizations have people who combine their knowledge of healthy human development and intervention with good administrative and management skills to work at non-profit organizations focused on solving social problems. These jobs involve less direct service and more program coordination and planning, developing public information materials and advocating for social change.

Businesses need individuals with strong people skills. HFST students receive training in communicating, listening, understanding group processes and dynamics, and working with others. These skills are essential to business. HFST students can pursue careers in human resources, public relations, training, and development. Students interested in these fields are strongly encouraged to combine their HFST knowledge with training in labor & employment relations, business administration, communications, or management, and to gain hands-on experience working in these fields to build their skills and knowledge.

If you are interested in exploring health-related careers, you can combine your interest in helping people with medical training or providing support in a medical setting. HFST students who become interested in health-related careers can continue on to receive training in occupational therapy, physical therapy, or a child life specialist. A range of careers is available for students interested in health-related careers. Students should plan their degree programs carefully, to be sure they are taking appropriate science and health related courses that will prepare them for undergraduate, graduate training and certification in these fields.

Some of the more popular careers include:

• Occupational therapist
• Child life specialist
• Public health administrator
• Health educator

Students with strong quantitative skills may want to consider a career in research. The world of human development or developmental psychology depends on current research. There are many good jobs in research. It is often possible to get an entry-level position providing support to a research project straight out of college, particularly if you have worked on a research project as an undergraduate and if you have taken some statistics courses. Professional level jobs in these fields require significant graduate training, typically a Ph.D.

Some of the more popular careers include:

• Survey researcher
• Political scientist
• Psychologist
• Sociologist
• College professor