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Very true, I'm planning to talk to some people in the field. If I start to doubt social work as a career, then I will switch majors. But right now it's my top choice.
I had a very good friend who was in this field for a number of years. She worked with small children and their families. The work was challenging and fulfilling for a long time, but things began to sink to a bad place when policies changed (not for the better) and the paperwork created a choke hold on actually doing anything useful. In fact, the paperwork got so bad she wasn't able to see as many clients and if I remember correctly, she was required to tell clients certain assistance would be coming their way when she knew there would be no follow through. Her group lost a lot of talented, well qualified social workers (including her) when they realized they were nothing but paper pushers making empty promises.
I truly wish you well, and hope if you do choose social work you are able to find a career path that doesn't look like the meaningless office work you so want to avoid.
The pay sucks. Most of the social workers I have met seemed outwardly depressed themselves. I believe their hearts are in the right place, but they have placed themselves on a path leading up a steep hill.
While I don't have too much advice for you, I'll share a few things I've learned as I considered a social work career. The major downside that I see is that it is emotionally draining work. You're dealing with volatile people who may be going through some of the roughest times of their lives.
If I were you, I would see if you could interview a social worker and ask them what they think are the pros and cons of the job. That type of interview is called an informational interview, since you aren't interviewing the person for a job or an internship.
I hope this helps.
Excellent advice. It is terrific that at such a young age, she knows what she wants to do, and there will always be a pressing need for such services, but she does need to know the pitfalls and rewards from a career social worker.
In her previous job, she made $12 per hour and has since obtained a higher paying position in a nursing home for about $15 per hour. Mind you, this is SW Missouri where the cost of living is low, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have about $60,000 in student loans to pay off for her education. I'm sure she could make more in St. Louis or Kansas City (or Chicago), but her other living expenses would be higher too.
I would read the book "Framework to Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne before deciding on a career in this field.
20yrsinBranson
Quote:
Originally Posted by Klassyhk
If you have the heart of a social worker then you'll prevail in spite of the many negatives about this work (there are SO many, believe me). I'll list them shortly but want to say first that a lot of these things may not bother you. Each person's tolerance level is different, thank goodness. Also, most social work involves the same populace that law enforcement deals with: all kinds of people from every background who are having problems or being a problem themselves. If they're doing well and flourishing -- they have no need for your services.
If you happen to get lucky and get a SW position (social worker not a psychologist or therapist) in an solidly middle class or upper middle class area in a school (public or private school) or in a hospital, the job itself including your work hours will be fairly decent. But heaven help you if your job is in an urban area, the "inner-city", or a rural area with a sizeable poor population. You will basically be a policeman without a gun.
Negatives:[list][*]Low pay ($28k - $45K). Entry level to top pay scale regardless of years worked/degree.[*]Management low pay ($50K- $65). First level management to top level.[*]Long hours (50-60+) weekly and NO overtime pay.[*]Low employee morale and high turnover.[*]Little motivation for workforce to excel.[*]SW attracts a lot of passive personalities and beta-male/females who'd rather go along with anything than create waves. They won't fight for professional respect, better benefits, pay, or stand up against bullies and injustices in the workplace.[*]Due to the above factors, many SW employees are burned out and have given up on trying to do exemplary work knowing it won't be compensated or appreciated in their lifetimes. They do just enough to get by.
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Master's degree with heavy student debt and then a low paying job? -- It's noT worth it! You can get a cheap two year Mechanical Designer Associates and get a $40,000 / year job as a Drafter. But if you're not even slightly technical enough for that then it's not worth it. Many Mech Engineers sometimes take low paying jobs as a Drafter just to get by.
Not a social worker, but related.
You hear some real train wreck stories that will physically drain you, as Atllover mentioned already.
Talk to several social workers, but be sure to find one who really enjoys their job. You want to hear the good and bad.
Thank you! Good to hear from someone who has a lot of experience. I agree, it seems like a lot of people on these CD forums think if you aren't a doctor, lawyer, engineer, fancy accountant, then you're unsuccessful and that any other job isn't worth it. Not true.
While totally skimming over some of our responses from people who are fresh out of college with experience ...
Being successful is having the ability to pay off your student loans and debt. Being unsuccessful is taking on too much schooling, getting a job with literally no pay, and too much stress. Career-job stress is a very big difference from a full time summer job ... it's more physically draining.
Get an internship in the field before deciding. You do NOT want to waste $$$ on switching majors. It is not worth it.
While totally skimming over some of our responses from people who are fresh out of college with experience ...
Being successful is having the ability to pay off your student loans and debt. Being unsuccessful is taking on too much schooling, getting a job with literally no pay, and too much stress. Career-job stress is a very big difference from a full time summer job ... it's more physically draining.
Get an internship in the field before deciding. You do NOT want to waste $$$ on switching majors. It is not worth it.
I didn't skim over anything, I read each post completely. Of course I will do an internship first.
And sorry, but if someone becomes an accountant/engineer/dentist/whatever, pays off everything, makes good money but HATES the job and dreads going to work everyday, that's not being successful to me.
That social workers work ~60 hours a week? That they have to stay at the office late into the night to meet deadlines for clients AND they have to put up with extreme mental stress and trauma?
There are professions where you work harder and longer hours. You think you work as many hours and have just as much stress as corporate lawyers. But you get paid peanuts? Every career has a trade off ... pluses and benefits.
Are you trying to convince me that you have as much stress and work as many hours as any profession out there? And you are proud of that? Uh ... why?
If you guys hate your career so much, then change it.
What I'm saying is that apparently you have NO experiential knowledge of social work. The point is NOT that there are professions that work harder. How hard other professions work and how many hours they work is irrelevant because she is not inquiring about other professions -- she's inquiring about Social Work. After Osmatic received this info, she stated it's ok because financial wealth is not her primary concern for going into this field. To my knowledge, I don't recall any posts on this thread from SW saying they "hated" their careers so not sure why you said that. At any rate, SW already has a high turnover so apparently those who find it's not for them do change their careers.
Depending on what area of SW that a social worker, case worker, or case planner is employed in there are some 60+ hour work weeks. Staying in an office all night? Ha, a SW can only dream it will be that nice to stay in the office and work. How about staying in the waiting area of a hospital until 11 pm, 12 midnight or beyond with a client waiting for them to be admitted? Or a 10 year old child being kicked out by foster parents at the end of the work day due to severely unmanageable behavior or a teenager that continues to break curfew. The SW doesn't get to go home regardless of what time is it. SW has to stay with the child and search for a new foster home that has an available bed and will accept the child on the spot. Depending on how the agency is set up, the SW may be the very one going down a list of foster parents calling to ask/beg them to please accept this child if they have a bed that no one is presently sleeping in. The home may be in another part of town or another county. Whatever there is an available home to take in this child the SW has to move not only the child but also his belongings which include clothing, coats, shoes/boots, and toys (hopefully) and drive out to where ever the home is regardless of time or how many hours you've already worked that day and regardless of rain, cold, snow, sleet. Very stressful! These situations often happened late day, at night, or extend past midnight. You drive away from that home knowing the child is so nervous to be placed with these strange people that he/she doesn't know. Yet, there is nothing you can do but leave him there and whisper a prayer that God will keep him safe and that this Foster parent is really a nice parent and won't abuse the child or that her husband/boyfriend or older son won't sexually molest the child.
Anybody with a heart knows that these situations are very stressful and that you can't just completely turn that off when you get home. SW is a very noble profession in spite of the low pay. Thank goodness for those who accept this fact and remain in the profession anyway.
Every other woman I meet in Massachusetts in their 40s and 50s is an MSW. You're the first younger person I've heard of including virtual express interest in this career, so perhaps by the time your career gets going, there will be a shortage.
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That you don't know what you're talking about
