12 Jobs to Consider If You Want to Help and Support People

Are you the type of person who is always likely to go the extra mile to help somebody in need? If you see somebody in public who looks like they are having a rough time, maybe you’re the first to go over to them to see if there is anything that you can do to help. You don’t walk past a homeless person without giving them some spare change, buying them a meal, or at least sitting down to have a chat with them and trying to put a smile on their face. If you could not imagine seeing somebody else in pain and walking by without at least trying to help, then you could be a good fit for a career where you focus on helping others. It’s human nature that there are always people who will need help, and there are many different career options that you could consider if you want to spend your life offering assistance to others and making the world a better place.

People will always need help and support in many different ways, and the career options that are available for you to do this reflect that. You could choose a career where you are helping people in either more practical or more abstract ways depending on what you prefer. Some people enjoy career options where they can offer tangible help with clear and instant results, while others prefer working with people over the long-term to bring about changes for them that might take a while, but ultimately get results. Whatever you choose to do, there are no jobs quite as rewarding and fulfilling as one where you get to go home every day knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of others in a real way. Some of the best career options to choose if you want to help others with your professional life include:

Psychologist:

If you are interested in working in this role, there are various types to consider including a clinical or counseling psychologist. There are also various specializations that you may want to consider including social psychology or developmental psychology, which you can get into with a degree from Central Christian University. Psychologists work directly with patients to diagnose and treat a range of mental health conditions and disorders. They can be found working with clients throughout difficult life areas including injuries, illness, and personal crises. A bachelor’s degree in psychology is the first step towards working in this role. Once you graduate, you will need to earn a doctorate in psychology, which takes between five and seven years to complete.

Mental Health Counselor:

If you have a talent for talking to other people and helping them feel safe and at ease in your presence, you may want to consider a career as a mental health counselor. In this role, you will often be one of the first professionals that people speak to when they are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. You could be helping your patients overcome past traumatic experiences or get through difficult things that are happening in their lives in the present day. Mental health counselors are often tasked with helping people who are suffering from a range of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. You will be working with them to learn more about how their condition impacts their everyday life, what may have led to it, and how they can make positive changes in their life to cope better. To work in this role, you will usually be required to have a degree in mental health counseling or similar and a license to work in your state.

Family and Marriage Therapist:

Similar to a mental health counselor, a family and marriage therapist works with people to help improve their lives by talking about situations and outcomes. Some mental health counselors will also work as family and marriage therapists. In this role, you will be helping your patients improve their relationships with other people in their lives. You may be working with individuals, couples, or families to find out more about the problems that they are experiencing and help them overcome them together. For example, family and marriage therapists may work with couples who are experiencing issues such as infidelity, or families with teenagers that have issues with drugs or alcohol to help them deal with these problems and strengthen their relationships.

Nursing:

If you prefer the idea of helping others with their physical health, nursing is one of the most caring career paths that you can get into. Most of the time, nurses are concerned with physical health issues, although there is an aspect to this job where you will be required to talk to your patients and help them with concerns and worries that they might have. Nursing is currently one of the most in-demand healthcare careers as the US is facing a serious shortage of nurses. In this role, you will be working directly with patients who are injured or sick, and people who may be going through some of the most difficult times of their lives. To thrive as a nurse, you will need to have unlimited empathy and compassion for others and be dedicated to helping people. This is an ideal career for people who want to be able to move up the career ladder, with plenty of advancement opportunities available including working as a nurse practitioner, nurse manager, nurse educator, and more.

Psychiatric Nursing:

If you like the idea of nursing but want to mainly work with patients who are dealing with mental health problems, a role as a psychiatric nurse might be the ideal choice for you. A psychiatric nurse is a registered nurse who has undergone special training to work with patients who are dealing with mental health concerns and disorders. Most often, these nurses will be found working in mental health settings like residential units or psychiatric wards. Psychiatric nurses care for patients whose mental health is having a serious negative impact on their life. You will be tasked with ensuring the safety of your patients and providing the appropriate treatment alongside other mental health professionals.

Medicine:

Getting into medicine is often seen as the ultimate career for people who want to help others. As a physician, you will be working with patients in a wide range of settings. Medical students have the option to specialize in a wide range of areas, allowing you to decide to work in a setting that is the most interesting to you. Currently, primary care physicians are in high demand due to a shortage, but the demand is high in almost every medical sector, giving you plenty of choices when it comes to the people that you want to help the most. For example, you could choose to work with children as a pediatric specialist or become an oncologist and work with patients who are suffering from cancer. Getting into the medical field is one of the longest and hardest pathways, with medical students expected to spend between eight and ten years preparing.

Policing:

Helping others does not always need to involve working in healthcare. If you want a fast-paced job and are interested in keeping your community a safer place, then you may want to consider getting into a career in law enforcement. Police officers and other law enforcement professionals are not just responsible for keeping criminals off the streets and arresting those who have committed a crime. They will also spend their time supporting victims, providing education to the public, and improving community safety. If you like the idea of a career with some adventure where no two days are the same and where things can change at a moment’s notice, working in law enforcement could be the ideal choice for you.

Probation Officer:

Another law enforcement-based career where you can have a direct impact on the lives of others is the role of a probation officer. In this role, you will be working directly with people who have been convicted of a crime. This could involve working with people who have been sentenced to probation, or people who have been recently released from prison. Probation officers work closely with these offenders to ensure that they are supported during a transition and to ensure that they are abiding by the rules of their probation. You may be required to conduct drug and alcohol tests and will need to meet regularly with your clients at their home, school, or place of work to provide support and advice. While some people may end up re-offending, as a probation officer you have a real chance to work with others and help provide them with the support and encouragement that they need to stay away from committing a crime in the future.

Social Worker:

Working as a social worker gives you a chance to help others in a variety of different ways. Social workers are often tasked with working with some of the most vulnerable people in society to help them overcome difficult situations. You may be working with children who have been taken into foster care, people who are fleeing domestic violence situations, people living in poverty, and more. Social workers will often play an essential part in family court cases and will make recommendations that have a huge impact on the lives of others. You might be working with victims of crime to help them get the support that they need to move on with their lives, or even working with perpetrators to help them rehabilitate.

Teacher:

Teachers are not just professionals who provide education to students. The role of a teacher is often about much more than simply the subject that they have chosen to teach. This is especially true for schoolteachers, who are often found working closely with children and young people to help them reach their full potential and create a positive future life for themselves. If you enjoy the idea of helping others in a way that helps them reach their full potential and better themselves, working as a teacher could be the ideal career option for you. Teachers are an essential part of society, as they are always needed to provide education for children in today’s society. And, with studies showing that apart from parents, teachers are the main adults that influence a child’s life, there is a lot of responsibility involved, which some people may embrace.

Career Counselor:

Another professional role where you may be able to help others reach their full potential is that of a career counselor. In this role, you will be working with people to help get them into work that is the right fit for them. Career counselors can often be found working with teens and young adults who are in the process of choosing their future careers and the education that they need to get there. You might work in a school, college, or another setting to provide personalized advice by getting to know your clients and what matters the most to them. Career counselors may also work with adults who are looking to change their career later in life or people with disabilities who may require additional support and training to get into a job that is the right fit for them.

Personal Trainer:

Another way that you can help others as part of your work is to become a personal trainer. If you are interested in health and fitness and like the idea of a role where you can help others improve their health, this could be ideal for you. Personal trainers help their clients in a variety of ways. You may be working with people to put together tailored exercise plans for them or helping them make better nutritional choices. People may come to you to help them lose weight, get fitter, train for a big event, or simply improve their health overall.

It makes sense that as a helpful and caring person, you’ll want a job where you can do this every day. People need help and support in many different ways, with various careers to choose from based on their interests.