Most living specialists list "independent living," "community resources," and "autism" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important living specialist responsibilities here:
The most important skills for a living specialist to have in this position are organizational skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a living specialist resume, you'll understand why: "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients" According to resumes we found, organizational skills can be used by a living specialist in order to "required customer service skills, computer literacy, organizational and analytical skills. " While it may not be the most important skill, we found that many living specialist duties rely on time-management skills. This example from a living specialist explains why: "social and human service assistants often work with many clients." This resume example is just one of many ways living specialists are able to utilize time-management skills: "obtained high achievement levels regarding production time and accuracy in the preparation of forms, documents and recording data entry. " Living specialists are also known for communication skills, which can be critical when it comes to performing their duties. An example of why this skill is important is shown by this snippet that we found in a living specialist resume: "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help" We also found this resume example that details how this skill is put to the test: "assist individuals with disabilities in reaching their highest level of independence by teaching independent living skills and self-advocacy through communication skills. " A thorough review of lots of resumes revealed to us that "problem-solving skills" is important to completing living specialist responsibilities. This resume example shows just one way living specialists use this skill: "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems" Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical living specialist tasks: "provide peer support counseling and teach conflict resolution through anger management and communication skills. " As part of the living specialist description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "compassion." A living specialist resume included this snippet: "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations" This skill could be useful in this scenario: "provide crisis intervention support and counseling in a friendly and compassionate manner. " Another skill commonly found on living specialist resumes is "interpersonal skills." This description of the skill was found on several living specialist resumes: "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues" Here's an example from a resume of how this skill could fit into the day-to-day living specialist responsibilities: "provide interpersonal support and guidance to assist clients in the development and maintenance of independent living skills. " See the full list of living specialist skills.
We've found that 54.0% of living specialists have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 11.0% earned their master's degrees before becoming a living specialist. While it's true that most living specialists have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every seven living specialists did not spend the extra money to attend college.
The living specialists who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied psychology and social work, while a small population of living specialists studied business and criminal justice.
Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become a living specialist. We've found that most living specialist resumes include experience from BRC, Youth Villages, and CARE. Of recent, BRC had 7 positions open for living specialists. Meanwhile, there are 4 job openings at Youth Villages and 3 at CARE.
Since salary is important to some living specialists, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Terros Health, East Bay Innovations, and Horizon House. If you were to take a closer look at Terros Health, you'd find that the average living specialist salary is $46,711. Then at East Bay Innovations, living specialists receive an average salary of $41,109, while the salary at Horizon House is $40,086.
View more details on living specialist salaries across the United States.
Some other companies you might be interested in as a living specialist include The Threshold Incorporated, Lowe's Companies, and Big Brothers Big Sister. These three companies were found to hire the most living specialists from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.
For the most part, living specialists make their living in the non profits and hospitality industries. Living specialists tend to make the most in the non profits industry with an average salary of $37,646. The living specialist annual salary in the professional and telecommunication industries generally make $37,225 and $36,937 respectively. Additionally, living specialists who work in the non profits industry make 4.7% more than living specialists in the retail Industry.
