The purpose of social work is to enhance the well-being of humans with a particular focus on the vulnerable, oppressed, and marginalized. Social work can be seen as a process as well as an outcome. One of the reasons to get into social work is that you will be able to promote effective engagement in the community and produce desired outcomes by becoming a middle-agent between the government and the people.
There may be many means to engage in social work and the pandemic is undoubtedly one of the perfect times and should be one of your top reasons to become a social worker because it is the need of the hour. With the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the lives of more than 10 million people globally, the demand for social change volunteers and social workers has seen an increase. Since the work of a social officer revolves around the well-being of people and their circumstances, social workers have played a vital role in helping various local communities cope with the stress created by the pandemic.
If you are intrigued by human behaviour and want to help people overcome their unfortunate circumstances, then understanding how to get into social work is definitely your calling. This article revolves around the reasons to get into social work, choosing social work as a profession and the types of social work degrees.
5 Reasons To Get Into Social Work
You Love People And Want To Help Them
Your superego may be one of the driving forces for your moral behaviour, as justified by Freud. However, if you have a strong will to improve the well-being of those around you, then you must definitely consider getting involved in social work.
Moreover, if you are interested in human feelings, behavior, and overall mental health and are perceptive about what motivates people, you will do particularly well while working for social causes.
Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across life and the range of social systems in which people live in order to achieve health and well-being. You know that people’s lives change when they are empowered, and you find the work of helping them rewarding.
Find Purpose In Your Life
If you have achieved considerable self-actualisation in the recent past and still want to inspire and motivate yourself and those around you, you may want to consider participating in social work.
One of the reasons to get into social work is to give direction to your life. The focus of a social worker is always to improve the lives of those being catered to. This may include providing resources to a community of malnourished families or educating children for a continuous period.
Social workers are informed, resourceful, and proactive in responding to evolving organizational, community, and societal contexts at all levels of practice. Social workers recognize that the context of practice is dynamic, and use knowledge and skill to respond proactively.
Many people who are unable to decide how to optimally utilise their time and energy are advised to engage in social service. This is because social work is always in demand and the work of social service officers involves prioritising someone else’s life before one’s own.
Do It For Extra Credit
Social work and community service are two practices that are highly regarded by academic institutes. If you aspire to study internationally and have invested time in doing social service, your chances of getting admissions will increase multi-fold. Moreover, you will also be eligible for fully-funded international scholarships if you are involved in community service. Academic institutes such as schools and universities consider students who are involved in community service as all-rounders and responsible members of society.
Extensive Career Options
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has predicted a 16% growth in social services in the next decade. One of the reasons to get into social work is that you are free to involve yourself with a community or a situation that is directly associated with you. For example, you may be female with a special interest in contributing in bringing a change in the wage gap, or you may have witnessed the destruction caused by an Act of God such as an earthquake or tsunami in your past, and now want to help those who are affected by the same.
The increase in demand for social services, workers, and agencies has increased by a great number and will continue to do so. As a result, you can join these forces whenever you want to, maybe to open up an extra income stream. You may find many reasons to become a social worker and may choose to work as a family support worker, an adult guidance worker, life coach, career advisor, and more.
Social Service Degrees
With the increase in demand for social workers, there are also degree courses available for students who want to become professionals in this field. Countries such as the USA, Germany, India, Canada, and the UK, to name a few, are well-reputed countries around the world that offer degree courses in social services. Tuition fees for a Social Work degree at top universities and colleges start at 1,000 EUR/year and go all the way up to 20,000 EUR/year. If you’re wondering about how to get into social work, you can find several programmes that will help you strike a balance between cost and quality.
What Are The Types Of Social Work Degrees?
Just like any other subject field such as science or commerce, the degree courses relating to social work are also bifurcated into Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate programmes.
With a bachelor of social work (BSW), you will be qualified for entry-level positions in areas such as mental health, aging services, or residential treatment.
With a doctorate in social work (DSW), or a PhD in Social Work, you will pursue advanced training in research, supervision, and policy analysis. Social workers with doctoral degrees are qualified to teach at the university level and to hold high-level program or systems management positions.
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