I WANT TO WORK IN THE SUBSTANCE MISUSE FIELD!
Do I need qualifications?
Qualifications for entry 'into the secor' are welcome, however not essential.
What the sector looks for are skills and some experience. If you can show that you have transferable skills (i.e. skills that are not directly obtained from the substance misuse sector) and how they can be applied to working in the substance misuse field then this can help you in writing your application and being successful in interviews.
For specific qualifications related to the sector, click here
Will I need to work towards a qualification when employed?
Yes. As a professional sector we have specific standards and ways of working to ensure we get the best results for our clients - you will need to demonstrate that you can work at this level. After some initial training, the most common method of demonstrating your ability is by undertaking an NVQ qualification (or a professional development course if you are professionally qualified). See the qualifications page for further information.
What experience do I need?
If you have zero experience - fear not! There is a route into the sector for everyone. Volunteering is a great way to get a foot in the door. If you are working or studying, a few hours a week will really stand out on your CV. If you are working part time try increasing your volunteering to one day or more per week.
By volunteering, you are showing potential employers that you are willing to learn and you are a self-motivator. Volunteering will give you the opportunity to build skills and experience that are relevant to becoming a drug worker. You can then describe the skills you have learnt when completing application forms and answering interview questions.
Experience examples
If you have direct experience in the substance misuse field, that's great news!
However don't be disheartened if you haven't got this experience. There are plenty of other jobs that you may have picked up experience from, which can be used as transferable skills:
- Personal experience / life experience
- Voluntary experience in any field
- Voluntary experience in the substance misuse sector
- A graduate with volunteering experience
- A college leaver with volunteering experience
- Social worker
- Nurse / Psychiatric Nurse
- Health care assistant
- Counsellor
- Probation
- Teacher / trainer