The Social Work Profession And Career Interests

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.

There are several goals that I hope to achieve by pursuing a graduate degree in Social Work. Pursuing a MSW will provide me with the knowledge, tools, and skills-set that will be fundamental to the achievement my career goals outlined below.

On many levels, I secretly desire to be this professional social worker that has experienced many different realms of social work practice. As I maneuver through my first couple days of field, many questions run through my mind as to what’s to be expected of a master’s level social work. Although, I’ve only had the pleasure of working children and families as a social worker; it has broaden my desire to want to know more.

One thing that I have always been certain of when it comes to my future is that I want to inspire, help, and have a positive impact on as much people as possible. I want to fight for those that have no voice and create any necessary social change in my community. The field of social work would help me accomplish that. Social work is a broad field where I would be able to work with various populations of people throughout the community ranging from children to the elderly. I believe that by pursuing a master’s degree in social work I will have a sense of deep satisfaction knowing that I will be prepared to face any obstacle in my future as a social worker. I am aware that social work can be challenging but knowing that I will be able to advocate for others that are helpless and fight for social justice will be very rewarding. I first became interested in social work seven years ago, after my aunt and her husband decided to become foster parents, I would help my aunt take care of the children, and they were all very sweet kids that I will never forget. My aunt and her husband were given the opportunity to adopt a 5-year-old girl and shortly after were able to adopt her newborn sister. It was a very joyous day for our family when the adoption was finalized. During that time I met their social worker, she was a very kind and knowledgeable woman that inspired me to pursue a career in social work. I admired how passionate she was about her job and how much she enjoyed making an

In applying to Arizona State University’s School of Social Work (ASU SSW) Ph.D. program, I aspire to peruse a career as a social work educator. I plan to use this platform and newly acquired skills developed with the university, to advance the field

I am currently a Psychology major at Brigham Young University. I am graduating in April 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Psychology and a double minor in Family Life and Gerontology. This coming December 2016, I will be applying to the Masters of Social Work program at both BYU. I hope to become a medical social worker and be employed in a hospital as a child life specialist or a therapist for cancer patients and families. I’m attracted to social work because I served a service mission for 18 months in Guatemala teaching ecclesiastical principles and providing service to hundreds of Guatemalans. I left my heart there and came back with a determination to help those in need. With my educational background and my ability to speak Spanish, I am confident that I will be able serve many people in need. I have been able to volunteer as a Hospice Relief Supporter, a volunteer teacher at the Utah State Hospital, a volunteer at the crisis line, and as the Volunteer Coordinator at Camp Kesem (a free summer camp for children whose parents are affected by cancer). The more I volunteer, the more experience I gain and the greater my desire for social work grows.

Social Work is an occupation that once was assumed in a negative view to the uneducated and misinformed, as being “baby snatchers,” yet over time; the role has established its status, displaying significance, and competence, by advocating for individuals, children, families, and groups. It is clear that this profession is highly qualified when addressing the needs of adults and children, and social problems that arise, by offering qualities that generate from a magnitude of Social Work values, principles, and standards.

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.

There are so many career path options. What is good for one, is not always good for all. I have been contemplating many different options and I have finally chosen one. The career path I have chosen is to take the summer off and work at home doing day care. Then return to Argosy University in September, to start my bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration on child adolescents. During which, I will volunteer with a local organization called the Family Promise of Green County. Finally I will graduate with my bachelor’s degree in 2018 and get a job in Green County Human Services as a social worker. I have chosen this path because it suits my educational needs and balances my family and work needs. My only concern is not having the face to face communication, which I believe is important in the preparation of a psychology degree. However, by taking a volunteer position with the Family Promise Organization of Green County, I hope to get this experience. This paper will identify my skills and experiences needed for this path along with the skills and experiences I already have. Additionally, I will identify my strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, I will create a plan for meeting these goals and gaining these skills and experiences.

Two years have passed while hours have been poured into extensive research on every avenue outside of social work, from a Masters in Public Health to a Masters in International Affairs, each seeming as though they might provide the most benefits in future endeavors or leading towards this elusive path I thought I was seeking. At the completion of countless hours of research, I found my heart and mind consistently return to the core, where I started, a Masters in Social Work. With a MSW, a multitude of positions in various specialties, populations, and settings are available, but beyond the versatility of a MSW, a social worker is simply who I am at the core and never a career path I had a say in choosing. One and a half years in the Peace

After I graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara I was unsure what my next step would be. Of course I was anxious since I did not have experience working nor did I excel in my undergrad studies however, I knew I needed to use my newly earned degree in a positive way. Fast forward, after working for two years, I have gained the skills, knowledge and values from my work experiences that have confirmed my desire to advance my education in the social work field. I currently have my own case load of clients as a case manager at a level 12 group home but it’s time to take the next step forward. I want to ultimately advance social justice and provide services to assist individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities.

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

In conclusion, I look forward to having the opportunity to advance my practice skills and knowledge through the Master’s of Social Work program. Throughout this last year, I have learned the value of the education I received and the importance of my training. However, I have had the ability to see where improvements would benefit my professional abilities and where I hope to be long term in my profession. I personally cannot wait to obtain the knowledge that comes from receiving a Master’s Degree in Social

Every worthwhile journey begins with one step. My social work journey began when I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Utah in 2003. I thought my next step would be to immediately pursue a graduate degree. In my undergraduate career I had taken numerous classes from the College of Social and Behavioral Science and had done well in those classes. In my Social Work as a Profession course I had an assignment to shadow a social worker and write a paper about my experience. I chose to shadow my father-in-law, a social worker with over 30 years of experience, and in my paper I expressed my desire to go into the social work field. I knew I liked helping people. I knew I liked problem solving and critical thinking. I thought my 22 year-old self was ready to embark on that journey, but I wasn’t. I realize now that what I lacked at graduation was one crucial step… perspective. Over the past twelve years I have gained that much needed perspective and have taken many steps forward in my journey, and with those steps and that increased perspective, I now feel more fully prepared to begin my social work career.

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.