If you love hands-on work supporting others, but aren’t sure which industry best suits your skills, it’s worth researching careers helping people. These can be highly rewarding, and (as with any people-focused role), no two workdays are ever the same. Many people-oriented business sectors offer a great deal of upward mobility and variety once you’ve gained some experience at the ground floor or completed additional training. Here are a few entry-level positions in careers where you help people that often come with flexible hours and plenty of room to grow.
Hospitality Worker
Hospitality professionals work in a surprising array of contexts, but all of them help people to enjoy luxury experiences as simple as a quick meal out and as extravagant as a long or high-end vacation. Just a few examples include:
restaurant workers and chefs
hotel staff
flight attendant
cruise ship employees and entertainers
tour guides
Nurse
Nurses work in hospitals and doctor’s offices as well as places like summer camps, schools, patient homes, ambulances, and military bases. You can begin as a nursing assistant, become a registered or certified nurse, and (with additional training) progress to positions like clinical research nurse (CRN) or nurse practitioner (NP).
Teacher
Teachers help to shape the personal and intellectual development of people of all ages. They work in schools and colleges, of course, but also retirement communities, churches, nonprofit organizations, and daycare centers. You can start as a teaching aide or assistant and (with higher education) become a teacher, professor, principal, superintendent, department head, and more.
Direct Support Professional
Direct support professionals (DSPs) work with people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDDs). They may work in individual or group homes, or in job development and coaching centers. You can begin with DSP-registered status and progress to certified and specialist career levels. DSPs can have profoundly positive impacts in their patients’ lives in a wide range of capacities:
Assisting with transportation and mobility
Administering medication
Helping individuals become more independent
Organizing social activities in homes, job sites, and in the community
Providing support with job searches and coaching
Generally advocating for individuals served
Start a Rewarding People-Centered Career With Progressive Lifestyles
Progressive Lifestyles, Inc. is dedicated to providing innovative support services for people with disabilities. Our mission is to provide supportive and caring residential opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities throughout Oakland County, Michigan. We are partnering with Oakland County Michigan Works to help connect job seekers with rewarding career training and work opportunities.
A primary focus of our organization is to interact with the individuals we support through the “Culture of Gentleness” model. We seek to create a positive environment to help them feel safe and valued while maximizing praise, limiting demands, maintaining consistent structure, and reducing stress during transitions.
We are hiring! No experience? No worries! You bring a warm heart and we'll teach you how to be a fantastic caregiver plus give you skills that you can use to further your career. Apply now!