7 Develop A Niche

As you are building your core skills, I also recommend finding a specialty area. This might be a particular subject area or skill that you find interesting but not a lot of other people in the field have expertise in. Doing so can enhance your value to the field while also increasing your own level of interest and drive.

As an example, early in my career I was given the opportunity to earn a credential in HIV early intervention counseling. It involved several hours of training and observation, but it led me into an area that I knew little about. After a couple of years, I had a significant amount of expertise in HIV testing, counseling, and treatments. I was able to expand my resume while also becoming more valuable to the agency and the clients.

Your own niche might be very different, but it should be relevant to the work you do and should spark interest for you on a personal level because it is something you will have to spend extra time pursuing. In some cases, it will involve formal training through a college or university, or through a state-recognized training program.

Other times, it will be an area you have to learn without going through those traditional channels. You might find yourself researching journal articles, looking for videos online, or seeking out other professionals with expertise in that topic. The advantage of developing a niche for yourself is that you can apply the skill or knowledge in many ways, and you will have something that few others have. It might allow you to work with a specialized population, train others, or broaden your professional horizon outside of clinical work to include writing, research, and teaching.

As a brief aside, I do not suggest pursuing a series of credentials (“alphabet soup”) simply to add letters to your business card. The purpose of a niche is not to add unnecessary acronyms after your name, but rather to build yourself a unique skill set. In the helping fields, you will undoubtedly run into people who have accumulated a long string of impressive initials that fill a business card or email signature. However, before pursuing a credential, you need to be aware of its purpose in your own path. Will the credential open new job opportunities or help you earn a promotion in your current agency? If not, then the time, effort, and money required might not be worth it.

Another benefit I think you will find in having a unique ability in your field is that it makes your work more interesting. Pursuing new skills that you personally desire is a wonderful way to stand out from the crowd while improving your work at the same time. Trying to focus on the grind of your daily work can make it all the more challenging. Finding a skill that you enjoy learning about and sharing is invaluable.

Working within your agency’s and supervisor’s guidelines to find ways to expand your knowledge and training base is a great way to start. All helping credentials – from licensure to certification – come with a requirement to earn continuing education credits, so use those in a meaningful way for yourself.

Other ways that you can bring variety to your work are through writing, researching, teaching, and presenting. These avenues offer you additional outlets to expand your knowledge and practice while stepping outside of the comfort zone of your daily job. These creative pursuits will enhance your work by feeding you with new ideas and knowledge in your field. They will also promote longevity in your career while bringing greater enjoyment to the work.