Introduction
Social work refers to an academic and a practice-based profession concerned with meeting the fundamental needs of people, groups, families, communities, or society, aiming to enhance their personal and collective wellness. It draws from various fields, including community development, sociology, psychology, law, health, and economics, to engage with policies and systems, assess, intervene, and improve social responsibility and functioning. This paper aims to discuss social work practice as what I would like to do for a career.
Future Work Aspiration
I aspire to be a social worker and work mainly with middle-aged children. When it comes to children, it is essential to understand that social worker’s aid in treating and diagnosing individuals with psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues (McPherson, 2020). This can be instrumental in helping kids adapt to different environments, even in their home situations. For instance, they will enhance a child’s behavior by assisting parents or guardians attain practical techniques to better their association with their kids. I am interested in social work practice since I have benefitted before from the services offered by a specialist in the area. Molding children early will help to ensure they deal with specific pressures from their peers, as they will possess high self-esteem (McPherson, 2020). As suggested earlier, I was not on the right path at the age between 6 and 12. I had behavioral issues, and my parents could not help me. Similar to how they sought aid from a social work specialist, I as well desire to be of assistance to other kids.
A Social Worker’s Role
A social worker works with multiple individuals at any time, usually identified as a caseload. Daily work involves assessing people’s needs and strengths, working with families and individuals directly to aid them in making changes, solving issues, and providing support. Additionally, they are responsible for recommending other agencies and services and maintaining thorough records (McPherson, 2020). Work experience and skill are more important than formal education regarding social work practice since it helps one learn about the everyday realities of working life and equip them with soft skills required to succeed in any organization. What fascinated me about social work practice is that the social workers contribute significantly to the treatment of people with mental illnesses. It is surprising that the majority of people who face psychological problems do not rely on psychologists in hospitals (McPherson, 2020). Apart from that, it is captivating that the average age of a social worker is 42 years, which means that most of them are not young.
Pros and Cons of Social Work Practice
Social work practice is a good profession since an individual gets to work with people who need help. Apart from that, some pros include learning how to handle stressful situations, valuing life, and the job is interesting (McPherson, 2020). However, despite the advantages of the work, a social worker’s schedule can alter at any time, work periods can last longer than normal, and some individuals may prove difficult. I would desire to work for at least twenty-five years. This would ensure that I help as many lives as possible. Currently, in the United States, many children and teens are engaging in unhealthy activities such as drug abuse and gang violence (McPherson, 2020). It would be proper to help them develop self-esteem that would protect them from peer pressure. I would like to attain a Doctoral Degree in social work and eventually become a Professor of Social Work, which guarantees an opportunity to tutor and counsel others about the profession. Success in the twenty to thirty years in social work practice is to be able to help many children in need and their parents.
Conclusion
The paper has discussed social work practice as what I would like to do for a career, provided pros and cons of the job, the meaning of success in the profession, and the duties of a social worker. For instance, daily responsibilities include evaluating people’s needs, strengths, and limitations and providing support to different people directly. It has as well demonstrated that success in the profession means helping those in need, that is, children and their parents.
Reference
McPherson, J. (2020). Now is the time for a rights-based approach to social work practice. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 5(2), 61-63.