Career Profile Research Assignment: a Career of Social Worker

I chose to be a social worker. I chose this job because, in social work, every day is completely different.You may try and plan exactly what you want but you can bet that there will be many unexpected challenges to deal with each week. Social work constantly keeps you on your toes. It’s not a regular job because at any point during the day, you may receive a phone call that requires you to drop everything and go to the scene of a emergency. You visit homes, schools, hospitals and community centers. Being a social worker means engaging with the community and this can't be done from behind a desk. This job would be a good fit for me because I’m very interested in it and what they do help our community. I have a strong passion for this because just hearing about global issues and the struggles some people go through just makes me want to help them and try and find ways to make their lives better.

Social work officially originated in the 19th century as a movement primarily experienced within the United States and United Kingdom. After the collapse of feudalism, people in poverty were seen as a direct threat to the social order, so the government formed something called Poor Law and created a system to provide care to them. As the Industrial Revolution sparked great leaps in technological and scientific advancements, the migrations to urban areas throughout the western world led to increased social problems and social activism.

During this time, rescue societies ( later known as social workers), were to provide support to resolve the problems of poverty, disease, prostitution, mental illness, and other issues. Social workers identify people and communities in need of help such as veterans, the elderly, the mentally ill, and abused children They assess the needs, situations, strengths, and support networks of various individuals to find solutions to their problems Social workers help clients adjust to changes and challenges in their lives, such as illness, adoption, substance abuse, grief, divorce, or unemployment. Social workers respond to crisis situations such as mass shootings, disasters, child abuse, and mental health emergencies.

They follow up with clients to ensure their situations have improved. Social workers help individuals, families, and groups manage difficult and stressful situations. A group of social workers often meet to have a “case consultation” regarding a child in care. Social workers meet with clients and others involved in a case to assess the situation and select a plan of action. Staying on top of new policies and laws is important, social workers meet together and with other colleagues to discuss updated government policies and review reports. Social workers often have to hear and observe sensitive material and situations. Making visits and phone calls to foster homes, parents, the police, and other agencies is common for social workers. It is important that social workers keep accurate records and detailed notes about each case. Filing these documents is all in a day’s work.

Some disadvantages of being a social worker are investing your feelings in a case/client could have you feel emotionally dead, this happens if you find it difficult to separate your personal life from your job. Social workers are not one of the top-earning careers, you have to really, really do it for the love of it, it is a secure income but many social workers live an average financial life. With all the paperwork and difficult cases, many social workers are overworked.

Combined with low pay, that’s a very big con for this job. Some advantages are social workers can choose among a variety of specializations, such as child and family, schools, health care, mental health and substance abuse. They select among employers, including hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, the military, mental health clinics and substance abuse clinics. Social workers help people cope with mental or physical illness, unemployment, divorce, poverty, addiction, abuse, and discrimination, according to the National Association of Social Workers. Sample tasks including helping clients get access to support groups, healthcare and government assistance, such as Medicare and food stamps.

Most social workers get a full-time income, but their wages vary with the specialty and type of employer. The number of jobs for all social workers will grow by an average of 25 percent between 2010 and 2020, faster than for most jobs. Some possible issues that come along with this job are some social workers tend to mix their personal life with their job. The average salary for a Social Worker is C$49,949 per year in Canada. Some locations of where social workers usually are and their employer include government departments, school boards, mental health clinics, and community health and social service agencies They also work in offices, but travel to meet with clients and attend meetings. Usually, on a regular week, they work 40 hours, sometimes including evenings and weekends.

Social work license requirements vary on where you live. Most places require the licensure exam and follow up social work license verification. Also requires a criminal background check during the application process. The Social Service Worker Certificate program is designed if you want to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the field of social services or to upgrade your current position in the social work field. This program offers courses in social work theory and practice, counseling skills, lifespan development, social services and social science. Through a combination of online theory courses, you learn about situations to prepare yourself for possible experience’s throughout your career.

Algoma University , Carleton University, Lakehead University, Laurentian University – School of Social Work, Laurentian University – School of Indigenous Relations, McMaster University , Ryerson University , University of Ottawa, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, University of Western Ontario – King’s College, University of Windsor, Wilfrid Laurier ,University and York University are all universities in just Ontario that have a social work program available. Empathy, mentoring, inclination and ability, interpersonal skills, self-direction, initiative, flexibility, and adaptability are all skills valued by employers.

The work that social workers do is hard because you interact with so much pain and sadness. Whatever field the social worker is in, they end up connecting with a lot of difficult experiences. Also, some kids may not want to open up to a social worker, or anyone for that matter, about their problems. This is a huge issue because some social workers don’t open up a good environment or they don’t present themselves as caring and ready to help.

This is rare, but still a problem. As a secondary student, I can prepare myself by taking courses that will help me get into certain University programs and what they look for. Also when looking at programs, I can make sure the courses that are being looked at, have high grades. Participating in school activities help me for the future, it looks good on a resume and also it gives you experience.

In conclusion, after researching about this career, I have decided to continue on this path because social work allows you to go after a passion for social justice. If you feel like helping people or you start to see those who have not been born with the privilege that others have from a different point of view, becoming a social worker is one of the most effective ways of doing something to help. Working with all kinds of people who struggle for rights and resources, from the poor and homeless to immigrants to the LGBT community, social workers speak and have a voice for those who can’t make decisions, or aren’t prepared financially or children who’ve had a rough life.

Social work is honestly just putting people who have been through a lot more than you, above your issues and helping out in your community and the feeling that YOU helped have a positive impact on someone's life is probably the most amazing feeling in the world. I want to do this so I can wake up and think “ Today I’m gonna save someone's life” or “ Today I am going to help someone through their tough times.” Everyone has problems in their life, but putting others in front of yourself doesn’t just show that you care, but it also shows that want to see others happy.Average monthly caseload of a case manager- about 1-49 cases come in each month.This graph shows the percentage of Glasglow’s child population supported by social workers.