According to Harvard Business Review, 9 out of 10 people are willing to sacrifice a bigger paycheck if it means getting to do more meaningful work.

One of the most meaningful and rewarding careers? The helping professions!

These careers focus on working with people and improving lives. Want to learn more about the helping professions and how to get involved in the field? Keep reading!

What are the Helping Professions?

The helping professions are changing lives.

They provide health or educational services and encompass a variety of fields. They focus on the physical, intellectual, and emotional well-being of individuals. They are professions that help people achieve life satisfaction.

Let’s dive into each facet of well-being to understand what kind of careers are available.

Physical Well-Being

Helping professions that promote physical well-being can be anything in the medical field. For example, doctors, nurses, or dentists diagnose and treat health conditions. These jobs need a medical degree or schooling as well as a bachelor’s.

Additionally, the medical field includes public health. Public health careers focus on improving the health of communities. They may educate individuals on healthy lifestyle habits as well as measures that prevent illness and injury.

Physical well-being is about taking care of the body.

Thus, dieticians, physical therapists, and fitness coaches could also be considered helping professionals. They help individuals by implementing healthy practices. This includes eating a balanced diet and achieving mobility.

Intellectual Well-Being

Intellectual well-being is engaging the brain to learn new skills and expand knowledge.

Teaching is one of the best examples of a helping profession that promotes intellectual well-being. Teachers work tirelessly to develop future leaders. They prepare individuals to be successful members of society.

Emotional Well-Being

Emotional, also known as psychological or social well-being, is all about mental health.

This branch of well-being includes thoughts and emotions. It contributes to relationship building and social connection. Strong mental health allows individuals to cope with changes in everyday life.

These helping professionals may be any type of psychologist or counselor. They often need a postgraduate degree as well as clinical experience and licensing.

Life Satisfaction

Some helping professionals may contribute to more than one sector of well-being. They may promote overall life satisfaction.

One example would be a social worker. A social worker’s responsibilities may change depending on their case assignment. They may work with families to protect vulnerable children, or otherwise provide housing, financial, or occupational assistance.

Social workers can also be advocates in school settings, as well as healthcare and mental health contexts.

Another great example would be a life coach. Life coaches also focus on multiple aspects of wellness. They may assist individuals as they pursue fulfillment in their education, careers, or personal lives.

How to become a life coach is an easier process than previous helping professions.

No need to get a post-graduate degree or clinical experience. All professional life coaches need is training and certification.

Pursue Meaning

This list is by no means conclusive of the helping professions, but it does include some of the most popular ones. Any career that works to benefit the life of an individual can safely be considered a helping profession.

While these careers require a lot of heart and dedication, it is worth it for how meaningful the work is.

For more information on the helping professions and other careers, check out the rest of our site!