Much like with the nursing field, being a social worker means demonstrating compassion for people in need. Social workers are in demand. They must listen with empathy, work towards solutions for people and resolve present difficulties too.
Not every social worker has the same education, which may surprise you. There are clinical ones and those with master’s degrees who are better educated on the various issues they’ll be faced with and how best to approach them.
For people who choose to enter social work and are willing to study towards that goal, the career has several advantages.
Job Longevity
When studying for a master’s degree like one of the LCSW programs online, it opens up different areas of social work due to the range of topics studied. This bodes well for working within the social work field and being able to switch between different areas like mental health or alcoholic treatment programs to keep the job interesting. Because of this, there’s considerable longevity with many people spending decades with their career.
This differs markedly from other careers where it’s become more common to jump between several throughout a working lifetime and re-educate each time.
Salaries and Different Employers
Social workers may work at the local, state or federal level.
A healthcare social worker can expect to earn over $50,000 per year. There are specialties likeworking with substance abusersor people with mental health difficulties. These pay a little less than the average but still offer a good salary.
There’s also the possibility in some circumstances of being eligible for a government pension too. This is quite valuable as few careers provide this option now.
Job Happiness
Some people refer to themselves as ‘a people person’. They are good at interacting with people from all walks of life. They’re also outgoing enough to enjoy getting to know someone and forming a friendly bond. This is helpful as a social worker because it’s necessary to take people into your confidence and get them to share their problems in order to be more effective.
Rather than sitting in front of a computer all day, the ability to directly interact with others and try to assist them is enriching for those that enjoy this type of role. Personal visits and follow-ups provide continuity to see with their own eyes that their assistance has made a meaningful impact on the lives of others. This delivers a feeling of really making a difference that’s hard to find in other professions.
Flexible Hours
The hours aren’t set all the time to a 9-5 routine. Indeed, many jobs are based on shifts which could be early or a late shift or something in between.
It’s also possible to drop down to part-time work by arrangement. This may suit women with children or people wanting to reduce their working hours later in life but still keep busy.
Make no mistake, social work is a challenging career choice. But for the people who relish the opportunity to help others, it’s certainly a worthwhile one.
