Social Worker: 7 Things You Need To Know (Must Read)

Picking a career line can be hard, especially with such a wealth of options available these days.

If you have a passion for giving back to your community and want to make a difference, becoming a social worker is an excellent option.

If you’re interested in learning more about social work, keep reading below.

So, what is it like to be a social worker?

Being a Social Worker can be a rewarding yet challenging job all in one. Social workers have a vast job description, and the job can include promoting human rights, working closely with clients, keeping records, and helping clients get in touch with useful resources.

Social workers work to extricate clients from abusive and toxic situations and play a huge role in improving their lives.

Social workers work in a range of capacities to help communities.

Many social workers work in a legal capacity, to advocate for better rights for vulnerable communities, and many social workers act in an administrative, educational, and even healthcare capacity.

These are a few of the most popular roles social workers can adopt.

School Counsellor $75,920 per annum

School counselors work with primary and secondary school students and help address their immediate mental health needs.

This includes regular check-ups with the student body, especially in the wake of traumatizing incidents.

Additionally, it can include keeping an eye on students who are struggling and building a connection to find out if something is wrong at home.

School counselors can help assess and deal with a range of mental health issues at school.

Geriatric Social Work $50,390 per annum

Geriatric populations are often some of the most vulnerable groups anywhere, making these social workers essential.

Families can often face a lot of uncertainty when it comes to caring for geriatric populations, and social workers can help them access the relevant resources.

Geriatric social workers also spread awareness about issues that come with aging, and help elderly populations protect their health better.

Environmental Social Worker $51970 per annum

These social workers aim for the preservation of the environment, and their work helps make the Earth a better place for communities too.

Their work can focus on implementing greener practices and spreading awareness.

Medical Social worker $62,645 per annum

Medical social workers help clients understand their illness and the best way they can cope with it.

They deal with the emotional stress in the aftermath of the disease and help families and patients implement the best care protocols.

Military Social Workers $58,838 per annum

Military veterans often require personalized mental health care, and military social workers have the skills to cater to their unique needs.

Their counseling can help veterans adjust back to normal life.

Being a Social Worker Hard?

Being a Social Worker is hard because you may encounter complicated and emotionally exhausting cases. That being said, as a social worker, you will have heightened empathy for vulnerable communities, as well as a strong desire to assist them to the best of your ability.

However, no matter how hard you try there are certain cases you won’t be able to save.

There are several reasons which can contribute to this.

At times, your wards may not be able to step away from a toxic situation themselves.

At other times, there may be a lack of legislation or resources to protect vulnerable communities.

These cases can be incredibly taxing mentally.

Additionally, seeing so much trauma regularly can be emotionally draining for you too.

Moreover, apart from the mental burden, social work requires a lot of hard work.

You will need to contact various agencies, connect with resources and monitor your cases very closely.

Social workers need to take care of the legal aspect, and social aspects, and do all they can to ensure the best care for their wards.

Additionally, many social workers have to work at odd hours depending on the severity of the case.

All the multitasking and uncertain work hours can make social work a challenging job.

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Social Work Degree Hard to Study?

Yes, studying Social Work degree is somewhat hard because there is a range of subjects you need to be well-versed in to succeed. Most social work degrees are either three or four years long in duration, making them no different from the usual university degree.

Some of the harder subjects you’ll have to study in social work can include law.

Social workers need to have a holistic understanding of the law so they can advocate for their clients in a legal setting.

Social workers may also need to study certain aspects of public health to understand the mental and physical health issues vulnerable communities face.

Moreover, social workers also need to study psychology, sociology, research methodology, and more.

Social workers need to explore social policy and need to understand the political system too.

Do Social Workers Get Paid Well?

Yes, Social Workers do get paid well at around $50k per annum. Being a Social Worker there are a host of employment opportunities available.

Whether you choose to go into counseling, legal work, or healthcare, you can find well-paying job opportunities easily.

What Skills Required for Social Work

There are various skills required to work successfully as a social worker. For starters, the most important trait to have is empathy.

You need to be able to empathize with the clients you deal with, who can come from a range of different problems in life.

Moreover, you need excellent communication skills to help you deal with clients and other stakeholders.

For instance, you may need to communicate with law enforcement agencies and other institutions to ensure your clients get the care they need.

You also need to hone your critical thinking skills, as you will need to analyze a situation from all possible angles to find the best solution.

Additionally, social workers also need well-developed organizational skills.

You will work on a variety of cases simultaneously, and without organizational skills juggling everything together can be hard.

What Are Some Issues in Work for Social Work?

Some of the most common issues social workers tackle include drug abuse, poverty, healthcare problems such as HIV, domestic violence, and physical and sexual abuse.

Social workers also tackle a host of mental health problems and help their clients maintain their well-being.

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Social Workers in Demand?

Social workers are in high demand, especially in the wake of the pandemic. Apart from the general health anxiety and mental health problems people faced during the pandemic, many social issues needed tackling.

There has been an increase in poverty, violence, and drug abuse following the pandemic, and social workers are in high demand to tackle all these issues

What The Internet Is Saying?

Yes. It is not always an easy job. You hear sad stories, and you deal with difficult people, but at the end of the day, it is so rewarding.

Each person you meet brings something new to the table.

So despite the hardships, it is worth it.

Source Quora

Final Thoughts

Social work can be an incredibly rewarding, enriching career where you get the opportunity to make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

If you’re passionate about giving back to the community, this job is perfect for you.

The wide range of specializations makes it easy for you to find a line you excel at.