Personal Narrative: My Social Work Career

When I first received this assignment, I perceived it as just another requirement for this class but, as I began researching social work as a career path and interviewed my internship supervisor, I soon saw the value of this project. Given that my career path is unique and fairly modern, I was unable to locate an interviewee who could provide me with the specific information about this specialized field, but I was, however, able to interview Pat. Even though Pat is a clinical psychologist who works with at-risk youth instead of military youth, I do aspire to be a youth program coordinator, so she was the perfect choice. Thanks to the positive relationship that I have with her, this interview went much smoother than I ever could have expected.

Unfortunately, given that this is an uncommon field, I still do not know who to reach out to, to obtain this information. In fact, when I was researching this type of position, there were limited details provided on the subject. I was unable to find specifics about job openings, what the monetary compensation generally is, how many of these specialists actually practice on military bases or who would be a good person to interview. I never expected that investigating a career as a military social worker was going to be as difficult as it was. I am thankful, however, that I was at least able to learn more about what a youth program coordinator does and what education is needed. I was shocked to learn about the administrative duties that Pat is responsible for on a daily basis. For instance, I never considered she must manage the budget for the entire bureau and needs to attend monthly advisory board meetings even though she absolutely despises going to them. While I am not looking forward to these types of duties, I am excited to work with the children and see how I can guide them through the challenges that come along with being a child of a member of the United States Armed