Social workers work in diverse fields, including healthcare, family matters, and children’s welfare. Their roles and responsibilities also vary greatly. As a social worker, you have the opportunity to land a profound impact on the lives of many people, which is why it is a benevolent profession. It requires passion above all else to facilitate members of society in enhancing the quality of their lives, whether they are battling anxiety, depression, or other social challenges.
According to the US Department of Labor Bureau Statistics, social work is among the fastest-growing professions in the country. Experts predict the occupation to experience growth of more than 12% by the year 2030. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for social workers has grown dramatically, owing to the wide range of issues that people are still dealing with. As individuals and families continue to cope with everything they lost and went through, social workers hold fundamental positions in facilitating their journey.
If you are new to the field of social work, here are some of the things you’ll need to find success in the field:
Start by working on yourself
Social work is as much about you as it is about helping others. Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, and passions is crucial if you want to make a lasting impact. For most people, working on themselves involves learning, which can be something as basic as watching tutorials online or enrolling in a masters in social work online no GRE-required course. You learn a lot about yourself and the field you are working in and the people you are looking after.
However, beyond learning more, you must invest in other avenues of self-care too. Develop and practice hobbies that take your mind off the stress and realities of daily tasks. It is undeniable that the pressure that comes with social work can sometimes take its toll on you. This is why you’ll have to set aside time to invest in yourself, or else the burden will take you down with it. Be aware that at the end of the day, the impact you make is massive and strongly adhering to this belief can lift your spirit as well.
Focus on your clients while being realistic
As social workers, your client is very different from others. Although client satisfaction is a priority in every industry, here it is even more so because what they need from you is not just any product or service. Be sure that you understand where the client is coming from and the fact that they know their lives pretty well. Don’t try and undermine their experiences by trumping your thoughts over theirs. Always ensure you are as transparent as possible about the expectations and don’t assert that you have all the answers, all the time unless, of course, you do.
As a social worker, it is important that you don’t assume anything about the person in front of you. In case there is any ambiguity, ensure you ask instead of building a mental picture based on your assumptions. Also, given the nature of your job, you’ll need to play your strengths and think outside the box, even when asking questions. You need to ensure you are not offending the client with how you word your query.
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Seek assistance whenever you feel like it
Asking for help is never a bad thing. No matter what the task at hand may be, if you feel like you need help, ask for it. When you are starting off, it is best to have a supervising authority reviewing the decisions that you are making. You may ask a peer, a group, or a senior individual in your department to assist with what you are doing. Learn from the way that they are making decisions because this will allow you to develop your own career more professionally.
Surrounding yourself with positive people is another way to get support and utilize it. From being in traumatic situations, you can suffer in a personal capacity. Being in the midst of people who expel positive energy can also help uplift your spirit. Moreover, sometimes this is not enough, and you’ll need to also accept therapy for yourself. Be open to the idea because hammering the thought that you are strong, when no one is, can have crippling consequences.
Don’t take things to heart
As social workers, especially one who is new, you’ll hear a lot of negative things from the people you try to help. From personal attacks to targeting the way you work, any statement coming from anyone can go to your heart. The idea is not to take any of this personally, or it can pull you down. Hostility never works positively for any party, and if what a troubled individual says to you impacts you deeply and you even allow it to, your career won’t go far.
You must understand the fact that you are a professional. Your work may feel personal because it has a lot to do with improving people’s lives, but at the end of the day, it is still a professional responsibility. It is, therefore, imperative you maintain the same decorum at work. Be respectful and professional in the things that you do. Also, don’t expect that you can fix everything. There are some things that are beyond your control, and it is best to accept that as a professional.
Understand your inner challenges
As a social worker who wants to succeed in their career, being aware of your inner personality is fundamental. Every person has feelings, and they are all built as well as brought up differently. Each individual, therefore, has a different way of expressing emotions. There are biases in our hearts and mind while there are things that trigger people. Together, these factors make you different from the one sitting next to you.
Being a professional social worker means that you should be fully aware of these things about yourself. If you are empathetic, that is great, but if you feel you lack this trait, it is best to work on it considerably.
Conclusion
Success as a social worker depends on a number of things to learn about your personality. Learning about your strengths and weaknesses is an important part of the job description. At the same time, you must understand your inner workings and ensure you don’t take things to heart. Together these things make you a better social worker.
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