How do you know if social work is for you?

Answer 1

I have been a social worker for the past 6 years. I decided to pursue my MSW after getting a B.S. in psychology becasue initially, I thought I wanted to open a private practice and do psychotherapy all day. However, I was not completely sure that was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. As a social worker (clinical master's level social worker), you can open a private practice and see patients all day for therapy if that is what you want to do. But there are so many other options. You could be a:

school social worker

child welfare social worker/supervisor

adult protective services social worker/supervisor

inpatient hospital social worker

psychiatric hospital social worker

intensive case manager for chronically mentally ill

in-home therapist for children with developmental disabilities or mental illness

case manager/supervisor with people with developmental disabilities

substance abuse counselor/supervisor

social worker in the criminal justice system (doing group/individual therapy in prison)

also, you could work for a non-profit, or open your own non-profit helping:

victims of domestic violence

victims of sexual assault

gay/lesbian population

immigrants

social injustices worldwide

homeless

cancer or other medical illness support groups

HIV positive/people living with AIDS

adoption

victims of child abuse

survivors of/family members who lost a loved one due to suicide

child prostitutes

You could also work on the social activist/social justice side and get into politics or become an advocate for any of the above groups. Or you could lobby on behalf of oppressed groups.

As you can tell, I love being a social worker and think it is a great profession. Of course, don't get into social work if you want to make a lot of money. However, social workers do make a decent living and are able to help to make the world a better place!

Answer 2

You may be suited for social work if you have a strong desire to help others, possess good communication skills, are empathetic and compassionate, and are able to handle challenging situations with patience. It can also be helpful to gain experience volunteering or interning in a social work setting to see if it aligns with your interests and strengths.