Social Work Career Analysis

Working in the social services field was always my dream. Whether working with children, family, adults, elderly etc. this career path is so broad it instills the hope of a career opportunity. My first year working in this field was in 2010 when I interned as an intake specialist in an outpatient drug treatment facility, while completing my bachelor’s degree in human services. Thereafter, I was able to branch off in various areas such as a case manager at a domestic violence shelter, housing specialist, substance abuse counselor and now a family services specialist.

I believe there is a specific personal example that demonstrates how my social work career has progressed over the last two years. For example, I had the opportunity to go Kennedy Middle school where I mentored fifth grade students, it was such a great experience working with children and establishing friendships with them. It was very full filling for me because I had the opportunity to help children and give them encouragement, and it was such joy seeing them smile when they accomplished something. Throughout the semester, I worked with one particular fifth grader boy who has bipolar. I discussed with him ways to control his anger. Many times when he was doing his homework, he would become frustrated and get mad. Before starting math, I gave

I chose social working as my career because many other people go through tough situations and have a difficult time talking to relatives or friends to help them through a tough situation. I thought of becoming a social worker so I can have the ability to change the lives of others. Social work is one of those careers you can truly make a difference in people’s lives. I want to become a social worker because life isn’t about just helping yourself it’s about helping others as well, which is what social workers do for a living. Child and family social workers protect children and families in need of assistance. Many families and children don’t feel comfortable talking to just anyone about obstacles they have faced in their lives which is why

Advocating for women and children when they are seeking services from different agencies in the community.

Social work is a career that finds and chooses you, rather than you selecting it. Social work has always been an immense portion of my life even when I had no recollection of what social work entailed. My life revolved around so many situations that had a social worker stepped in, my life would be totally different than it is today. Many individuals and agencies lack the compassion and empathy for oppressed people. Having been in many circumstances, has given me the experience and background that influenced me to go into social work, as well as the understanding of my role and responsibilities that I will assume as a professional social worker, and my reasons for selecting the program at ASU School of Social Work and thoughts on how the Mission Statement addresses my career goals.

Throughout my life, I have always loved helping people and enhancing them to be the best person they can be. My purpose for choosing to pursue social work as a degree is through the burning desire I have upheld to support individuals achieve their goals. I consider myself as someone who is keen on acquiring new skills and knowledge of understanding on a daily basis. This is due to my motivation and determination as those two things are essential to sustain as an individual. From previous experience obtained by working in a Care home & Nursery, I have always had a passion to guide individuals who are less able to do so.

Helping people is something I have always felt like I am supposed to do. The mission and responsibilities of social workers, especially as it is laid out in the Columbia University School of Social Work mission statement, seamlessly aligns with my vision for how to best utilize my experience and passions. Specifically, I hope to use social work to address social justice issues and help empower individuals who cannot advocate for themselves due to societal barriers. Experiences in my personal life and volunteer and work positions have culminated in my decision to pursue a MSW. Knowing that there is a major need for workers in the field of social services, and that my life experiences and interests are aligned with a career attuned to serving individuals, families, and

Through academic and personal experiences, I have formed a broad understanding of social work. I personally view the field of social work as a gigantic umbrella that overshadows a vast array of specialized careers. The social work field is made up of educated and experienced professionals that strive to make a difference in the lives of the population in which they serve. I believe social work to be a fairly

When I think about what social work means to me I think of a life of service, humanity, social justice, human dignity and worth, integrity and competence. You are stating that you have and desire to improve the lives of people less fortunate and/or unable to advocate for themselves. You understand the value of every human life, regardless of their background or belief. This is a profession that is above reproach where integrity and ethics are most important. That means something to me.

One of my most important career goals is creating impact. I hope to make a difference in people’s lives and I hope to make changes that will benefit our society entirely. I hope to achieve this goal by attaining a Master’s degree so that I can offer therapeutic services. At my internship placement I had the opportunity to observe individual, family and group sessions. This was a great learning experience as it presented the interaction between a client and their therapist. My supervisor was an LMSW who did a phenomenal job as a social worker. He attained his education through the Graduate College of Social Work program at the University of Houston. Through this experience I realized I wanted to become a therapist. Witnessing how great of a job he did overall in his career helped me decide to apply

Starting from being a certified nursing assistant, to becoming a unit secretary for a hospital that specialize in wound care, I have always known that I wanted to help individuals in need. However, I noticed that I was not happy with helping individuals in medical need. It wasn’t until I decided to continue my education that I introduced to the world of social work. Going up with a single mother that suffered from drug abuse, my family depended on social services for a lot of assistance, from everything such as food stamps to family counseling. This life experience helped guide my thoughts on pursuing social work as a career. I know that I want to help individuals that are down on their luck, but I want to take it one step farther, by providing individual counseling to adults that may need more one on one time, than what is normally given from a social service agency. Counseling will also give me a chance to do what I love most and that is to talk and get to know the individuals that I am helping make like changing decisions. Working as a clinical social work has my interest because it does not put limits on what I can do or who I can help, and it will set me up for my future goal of becoming a licensed clinical social worker. Being my own boss and changing my community is my dream job, opportunity and goal. I am currently on my way with changing my community and living my dream, because I am currently working for a non-profit

It is no doubt that I consider psychology an exceedingly interesting field, but if I were to pick an alternative career path, it would most likely be social work. According to the University of South Carolina (n.d.), social work is defined as “a helping profession; the main goal of social work is to improve a society’s overall well-being, especially for the most vulnerable populations.” This field of work is highly focused on direct action to communities and individuals who need help in some form or another. The social work interview with Dr. Natalie Cawood (n.d) also mentions social work’s “emphasis on social policy issues,” due to their impact on the vulnerable populations that they work with. This emphasis on vulnerable populations is one

Social workers want to make a difference in people’s lives. They care about others and want to improve them. They want to help people overcome everyday life struggles. As well as face many of today’s world challenges. The challenges today are “poverty, discrimination, abuse, addiction, physical illness, divorce, loss, unemployment, educational problems, disabilities, and mental illnesses” (Social Work Profession, 1).

Social Workers offer their services to a wide variety of people. They work towards meeting the basic needs of all people. Not only is it a mission to bring diversity to others but they also pay attention to the needs of autonomy and empowerment. The origins of social work started with wealthy christian women wanting to help to poor. Over the years it has grown into helping anyone and everyone meet their basic needs. The job market has increased and the population that social workers provide services to has increased as well. As the job market increases so do the requirements and experience needed to become a social worker. Licensing and education becomes less universal as each state has their own specifications. As we conducted our interview with Noreen Mcgirr, the Clinical

Social Work is a field of interest to me because of the positive effort it contributes to society. Within the social work profession individuals are striving to improve the welfare of those in need of assistance. Social Workers assist a variety of individuals; from children, young adolescents, older adults, mentally ill, substance abuse individuals, and many other minorities; as in LGBT members, veterans, homeless people, and low socioeconomic status individuals. The broad mix population fascinates me because within this field one will always be able to work in a flexible environment. Social Work is used in multiple settings as in hospitals, nursing skilled homes, mental health and substance abuse clinics, schools, correctional facilities, community centers, child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, and private practices.