Everyday people choose careers for themselves; some pick the perfect one, others do not. Choosing a career takes much time and effort and can sometimes be very difficult because a career is not only a job but it’s the future for most people. Although there are many careers to choose from becoming a social worker may be one of the best. It provides the chance to learn new skills, and the reward of helping others. First of all, when people choose a career, they have to know how to attain the proper requisites for that profession. Such as, educational requirements, training, experience, and skills that are needed. An associate’s degree must be obtained before moving on to a higher degree. In order to enter the field of social work, a bachelor’s degree is required. A bachelor’s degree in social work is the most common entry-level degree. An advanced degree is now considered standard for many social work positions. For social work jobs in health and mental health and for clinical certifications, a master’s degree is required. Degree programs include at least 24 semester hours of clinically focused human behaviors and social work methods courses, one should be in psychopathology. Additionally, a bachelor’s degree will prepare students to be an individual caseworker or a group caseworker. The program includes at least 400 hours of supervision, social work practice, social work values, and ethics. With a master’s degree students concentrate on their profession while developing skills to manage a vast amount of cases. This program includes 900 hours of supervision. During supervision workers would be trained to work with a large field of service users, to be able to offer varied experience to future employers. “Social ... ... middle of paper ... ...ialworkdegree.net/how-to-become-a-licensed-social-worker/>. Body, Amanda. "The Ten Essential Traits of Successful Social Workers." Social Work Degree. 2014. Web. 14 March 2014. successful-social-workers/>. Brinkerhoff, Shirley. Social Worker. Broomall, Pa.: Mason Crest Publishers, 2003. Print. Cherry, Kendra. "What Is a Social Worker?" About.com Psychology. 2014. Web. 14 March 2014. . "Florida Social Work Licensure Requirements." Social Work Licensure in Florida. 2011- 2014. Web. 14 March 2014. . "What do Social Workers do?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 14 March 2014.
These careers fall into the category of “Micro” social work and they involve face-to-face contact with clients experiencing socio-emotional difficulties. However, that is not all you can do with a degree in social work, which many students are not aware of. I agree with Rothman that the landscape of social work is changing. With the economic roller coaster, micro social workers need to advocate for themselves and their jobs on a community level. They may see emerging trends with their clients or barriers to services that need to be resolved by the state or local government. Macro social workers need to understand how social work practice influences the issues they are championing as lobbyists and government agents. At the end of the day, social workers serve people and all of its levels of practice are important. To recalibrate the imbalance between micro and macro social work, I believe that macro policies and standards should be strengthened; macro faculty and the field instructors should teach more and share their experiences with students, more promotion and public support of macro leaders and practitioners and develop a unifying curriculum for both micro and macro
I first became interested in social work when I took a human rights course as a part of my political science major requirements. Throughout the course, I was fascinated and disturbed by the historic oppression of many large groups in society, and I realized my interests lie outside of the political arena; thus, I double-majored in social policy & practice because of my desire to learn more about how to enhance human well-being, fight social injustice, and pursue social change. I soon realized I wanted to pursue graduate social work education in order to gain a more holistic understanding of social problems and human ailments and, in turn, better understand the best ways to fix them. My background in political science and social policy gives me a unique perspective on the field of social work, as I have gained immense knowledge on social issues, the law, and public policy that will be useful in my graduate school and professional endeavors to fight for social
I knew I loved to help others but it was not until I was an emerging adult that I knew what my calling was. My devotion to improve the quality of life for those who are disadvantaged is one of the reasons I have chosen to pursue a Master’s in Social Work. After obtaining my masters, I plan on diversifying my masters by getting licensed and becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I would like to study social work because I feel it will lead me directly to one of the most emotionally fulfilling careers available, as well as giving me the chance to combine helping people 's mental well being with their physical
Gaining a master’s degree in social work is just the start in building a career as a social worker. A master’s degree provides educational requirements. However, the needed skills, knowledge, and training requirements are gained through internship such as the practicum assignment at DCBS.
Zlotnik, J. L. & Cornelius, L. (2000). Preparing Social Work Students for Child Welfare Careers:
Becoming a social worker is dependent on numerous factors, one of which being education. “A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) degree is the most common minimum requirement to qualify for a job as a social worker, however, majors in psychology, sociology, and related fields may be sufficient to qualify for some entry-level job” (Chao & Orr, 162). Many people when pursuing the goals of being a social worker, however, are most interested in jobs in public agencies and/or having their own practices. “A master’s degree in social work (MSW) is necessary for positions in health and mental health settings and typically is required for certification for clinical work” (Chao & Orr, 162). One’s level of school is not the only thing employers are focusing on when looking to hire social workers. Along with one’s education, a social worker must have “a broad liberal arts base which includes a knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology, anthropology, history, political science, and economics) to provide explanations about the nature of human society and the human condition” (Johnson, 48). There are many more skills that are just as essential, if not more beneficial, to the employer as well as client.
Kuther and Morgan (2013) state that “All states have licensing or certification requirements for private practice and the use of the title ‘social worker’” (p. 23). It will be necessary to complete a Bachelor’s degree and then receive a Master’s degree from a school that is recognized by a ruling body. Any major will be applicable for a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) application, but a Bachelor’s of Social Work would be best and other similar majors such as Psychology and Philosophy can be beneficial. It is also considered helpful to have some familiarity with the field in which you wish to enter, though it is not necessary. I plan on receiving a Bachelor’s of Psychology degree from Brigham Young University and attending an MSW program to receive a Master’s degree. I am already involved in social work through my employment and I plan to work in various social work settings to be well-rounded. The overall time to complete these degrees is around six
To become a social worker does not require a master’s degree or doctorate degree, just a bachelor’s degree in social work(BSW) or related field. However, if I chose to become a clinical social worker, a master’s degree will be required plus two years of experience in a supervised clinical setting. In addition, I will have to be licensed in my
One main reason why I chose Sociology as my major is because it’s very broad and there are many available careers that have peek an interest to me. A career that I have thought of pursuing is a Family Caseworker. The duty of a family caseworker is to provide social services and assistance to a family, child, or school to improve their social and psychological functioning’s. Family case workers job is also to advise families and a person so they can have some advice on how to cope with their issues. The requirements for this career is a bachelor’s degree on social work however studies either in sociology or psychology are relevant to this field. There are higher positions in this career which is supervisory but a master’s degree is usually required. I
When applying for the social work program you are required to have 1500 hours in either volunteering or work experience related to either social work or a social service. At the time I had over 3000 hours as a support worker for clients with special needs in my community.
My reasoning behind deciding to pursue a career in social work stems from my seemingly innate desire to see others succeed in fulfilling their potential. Although it feels somewhat of a cliché, my passion and desire for the field of social work originates from a genuine wish to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
According to the Department of Labor Statisics, There are requirements on becoming a Social Worker. A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) is the most common for entry level work. (Statistics, 2015) Some employers will hire people with a degree in a related field such as psychology or sociology. This is usually the case with the community social worker. Most states have require most social workers to be licensed. A Master’s degree can be required depending on the
For years, when I thought of Social Workers, I imagined a person coming into a client’s home and taking their kids away for neglect. Later, I found out that social workers could go into so many dimensions, such as clinical social workers, case mangers, and even administrative positions in agency settings. Furthermore, I realized that I was maturing into an adult. For example, when I began telling people of my decisions to become a social worker, a lot ...
Many reasons convinced me to pursue a graduate level degree in social work. First the standard of education has greatly increased in the field of social work, especially regarding social work in the healthcare field. The majority of jobs in healthcare require a graduate degree, especially in my town of Kamloops, British Columbia. I hope to do case management in healthcare and most of my colleagues stated I most likely wouldn’t be a candidate for this position if I do not have a graduate level education. Furthermore, I have invested my time in a career I hope to continue for the rest of my life and this being said I want to have options and flexibility of opportunities in the field of social work. Considering social services offers such a vast array of services, it’s in my best interest to allow myself the most exposure to opportunity and earning a graduate level degree will allow this to occur.
My understanding about the social work profession is one that works with a diverse group of people to better their well-being in all aspects. Social workers requires: responsibility, passion, and knowledge. The social worker has to understand their own personal cultural values, beliefs, and appreciate the multicultural identities of different people. The profession of social worker requires a lot of skills because they have different tasks and responsibilities. They are aware of social policies and programs for the diverse clients advocating.