Each profession requires a unique combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities that differentiates it from other professions. The human services profession is no different. Becoming an effective advanced human services professional practitioner requires that you develop knowledge, skills, and abilities in many targeted areas, including social policy, information literacy, and program planning and evaluation.

For this Journal Assignment, you complete two professional assessments, which will help you determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities you already possess and those that you need to develop to be an effective leader in the field. Keep in mind that that you may have many gaps in your knowledge, skills, and abilities, given that you are just beginning your program of study. This is normal and can serve as a useful tool throughout the rest of the program to focus your efforts on those areas that require further development.

To Prepare

• Complete the O*Net Interest Profiler, and review your results. Reflect on how your interests might influence the skills and abilities that come naturally to you. For instance, if you scored high on social interests, skills and abilities related to working with people may come more easily to you.
• Complete the Human Services Assessment. Identify your strengths and limitations related to each of the categories in the assessment. Consider how your strengths and limitations in each area could influence your effectiveness as an advanced human services professional practitioner in a leadership position.

Submit a 1- to 2-page journal entry that addresses the following:

• Based on the results of your human services assessment:
• Describe two knowledge areas, skills, and/or abilities that you currently possess that could contribute to your effectiveness as an advanced human services professional practitioner in a leadership position. Explain how.
• Describe two knowledge areas, skills, and/or abilities that you need to develop further to be an effective advanced human services professional practitioner in a leadership position. Explain two strategies you could use to develop the knowledge areas, skills, and/or abilities.