9.3 The Value of Field Education
Field education refers to the opportunity to take what you learn in your human services coursework and apply your knowledge in a real-world setting. The opportunity to apply and practice your skills in the community is considered such an important part of human services education that it is a required component of all accredited human services programs. Fieldwork usually comes at the end of a degree or certificate program, and can be referred to by many different titles such as internship, practicum, or cooperative work experience and can differ depending on your program. Although the actual experience comes toward the end of your program, you can begin laying the groundwork for your fieldwork now.
The value of this part of education is crucial to any educational period in a student’s life. Still, for students who have marginalized identities, it is a different experience, as they enter the work field with different needs and expectations. They have higher possibilities of not being seen for their full potential of skills, being discriminated against, not being mentored, being asked to do things other students would not be asked to do, or even being overlooked for positions. As current providers and professionals, it is up to us to ensure that we continue to provide feedback and help students advocate for themselves. We must pre-screenings potential sites to help reduce and mitigate some of these barriers.
Conducting Informational Interviews
One of the best ways to explore different areas in the field is to conduct informational interviews. An informational interview is an informal meeting with someone who works either at a position you are interested in or at an agency you would like to explore. It gives you a chance to meet with a professional in the field and ask them questions about their work. You can begin these interviews as early in your program as you like, and they are a good way to get to know the local agencies and the work they do while you make contacts in the field.
Many instructors have guest speakers come to class to talk about their work and their agency. If one of these interests you, following up with an informational interview is a great way to find out more. This way, you can begin to create a list of possible sites for internships. Informational interviews can open the door to a more formal opportunity down the road.
Internships/Practicum Experiences
As mentioned above, field experience is considered such an important part of a human services curriculum that it is required in any accredited program. What this experience looks like depends on a lot of factors, including what type of certificate or degree is being offered, whether or not you are pursuing a specific specialty (such as substance use treatment), and what specific requirements exist within the college or university.
The number of hours and the length of the internship may vary, but generally a practicum will include specific exper