I want to be a social worker but my mum keeps telling me how hard it is?

Question

I want to be a social worker when i finish my primary degree in May 2008. I think I would be good at it because everybody tells me that I have the personality for it. I love helping people out and it gives me a real sense of satisfaction.
My mum keeps telling me how hard it is. Shes a nurse and tells me ive never met the kind of people that i may be dealing with in the future. Shes right in the sense that i have never met a family ruined by drug abuse or similar. However i went to a talk by a social worker a few weeks ago and what she does (works in the maternity unit in the local hospital with crisis pregnancies and women who may have to put their unborn children into foster care at birth) and I would really like to work in a situation like that.
Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Is it really as hard as my mum makes out?

Answer 1

My aunt has her degree in social work but after a couple of years she couldn't handle what she was seeing anymore. However, she is kind of sensitive.

If you are an emotionally strong person, I say go for it! The world needs more people who are willing to stand up for those who cannot do it themselves. See if you can do a practicum with the social worker you have met with. That will give you the opportunity to experience first-hand what she deals with in crisis pregnancy and such. Ask her what types of things she has to deal with, the attitudes of the mothers and the conditions of the babies. You've got an inside lead, use it to gather the information you need to make a decision.

It is hard being a social worker. It is hard to see a mother who has to have her child confiscated at birth because she has a horrible history of abusing her children. It is difficult to see the crack baby with the DT's struggling to get through an day one hour at a time. It is difficult to understand how people can be so cruel, but if you are strong, you can do it. God bless you for even considering it. I wish you the best.

Answer 2

If you really want to go into social work, then you should do so.

Do not dwell on all of the bad and heartbreaking situations that you may (probably will) have to deal with, instead dwell on the potential good that you can do and the people that you can help.

It can be an emotionally difficult job. You need to be sure of yourself and your ability to do the job. Also there are many branches of social work - for example working with children in a residential treatment center, to school social work, to the maternity work you described (among others).

Answer 3

I am a social worker, and what I found really difficult to accept is that there are people who:
- don't appreciate the help they get, even though they asked for it
- try to play the system (don't want to work even if all barriers are removed and just want to keep getting the free benefits)
- keep getting into the same situations over and over again (you will keep seeing the exact same people)
I don't mean to disillusion you - you will have some great days when you will have a lot of job satisfaction, but there are days when the job just sucks the life out of you.

Answer 4

Well, if you contact the office and find out WHY they put a social worker on you, then it'll all be good. One thing to question: do you know she IS who she says she is? Cuz there are some pretty crazy people in this world.. Another thing: has she told you why they sent her (if they really did)? Be sure you check on that. could be some plot on you. never know. ok, so--- call the office, find out WHY, then get some background info and credentials on your social worker. If you can fix the "why" then they can't take away your baby, right? Hope this helps!! :)

Answer 5

Your mum is only trying to protect you - a totally natural thing to do. However she also has to realise that this is YOUR LIFE and if you want to do a rewarding role such as social worker then thats your choice.

Social work is difficult at the best of times as your mum mentions your meet all types of people. Plus you are responsible for actions that may make or break other people

Think hard about it and if its what you want then go for it...

Answer 6

From what I know about it, it is a challenging profession to work in, but also very rewarding. I think you just need to be prepared for the different situations you may have to deal with, and have the ability to 'switch off' and relax at the end of the day so that you're not constantly thinking about people's problems and situations over and over again when you're outside work.

Answer 7

Sometimes it's a thankless job. It's very low paying, lots of paperwork, the very worst parts of the city, possibly working on holidays, AND sometimes, there's nothing you can do for people. But you're spying on them (or so they think), checking on them monthly, putting them on waiting lists, giving them information, sometimes, taking their children from them. Can you do those things? That's direct work. Social work covers a broad range, and then there's social services which is similar, but different. Social services is more about integrating disabled individuals into their comunities.

Answer 8

We really need social workers who are qualified and give a sh*t about the people they're working for. It's not easy, but it can be gratifying if you protect yourself from burning out.

Answer 9

Don't let your mum discourage you. My father discouraged me from two different professions and I WISH now that I'd did it anyways. GO for it. Most professions have some drawbacks, but that's the way it goes. Just follow your heart and do it.

Answer 10

you wont get satisfaction out of it after 2 weeks, listen to your mum, people advising you dont know crap about the job