What Careers are there in Social work?

[INFtha14]

Hey all
I'm interested in Social work and I am curious about what jobs there are in Social work.

I hear there is alot of variety of jobs in Social work.

If anyone has earned a Social work degree and got work in it. If anyone's willing to answer here's some questions.

* What do you do? What's a day like for you?
* what's the title of your job?
* how do you like it?
* how do you not like it? lol
* what other jobs in social work are out there?

^^D Thanks all I appreciate you guys taking the time out to answer these.

 

[tinkerbell]

Hey all
I'm interested in Social work and I am curious about what jobs there are in Social work.

I hear there is alot of variety of jobs in Social work.

If anyone has earned a Social work degree and got work in it. If anyone's willing to answer here's some questions.

* What do you do? What's a day like for you?
* what's the title of your job?
* how do you like it?
* how do you not like it? lol
* what other jobs in social work are out there?

^^D Thanks all I appreciate you guys taking the time out to answer these.

Hi

Not a social worker, but have worked in social work although a long while ago.

There is a massive range of dealing with people (I'm UK based):
Care homes -adult, learning difficultes and child care
Special Children...

Hell this could go on...

Social Work Recruitment Campaign Site

there is a booklet you can down load.

The qualification will allow you to move between areas, and specalise in specific areas. Some areas of care are pretty harsh and emotionally difficult to deal with. It is a portable qualification, and can be used to leaverage other career moves later....

I'll give you a run down on the day to day stuff in a mo

There are worse thing to do, but you are unlikely to make a million doing human care stuff....

 

[tinkerbell]

OK I worked (historically) in social care home for people with learning difficulties (it ws a temp job so I wasn't managing so this is a lower end of the care home stuff, with a qulification you may be expected to manage the home etc).

Ok come in around 7am, get people up
depending on the homes routeen you may give people drinks before you get them out of bed and bathed and dressed (this may involve doing peoples dressings, physical care - washing them or helping them sort themselves out).
Breakfast - depending on the environement either together as a "family" or individually. If a person can't feed themselves you would help them or feed them. More skilled than you think.
You may give out medication or help sort people out for day care/work or day time activities.
You may need to sort out bedrooms/clean the house etc
You may have administration to do as well (such as check fire alarms, medical recrod, write progress reports etc)
Any toilet care etc
If people are not at day care you may need to do activities with them - shopping, going out for a walk, something to engage them in.
Making lunch - helping people have lunch...
Afternoon may included some physical care (toilet care and the likes)
Handing over to the afternoon/evening staff

and so the day to day life continues...

Bigger picture stuff, is to figure out actiitites that help to promote independance
Helping/peparing case reviews
Dealing with relatives
Dealing with care authorities


The list goes on and on, and although their is a routeen, because you are dealing with people - no two days are ever alike.

It can be a very rewarding career, but it can also be intellectually and financially limiting.

 

[INFtha14]

OK I worked (historically) in social care home for people with learning difficulties (it ws a temp job so I wasn't managing so this is a lower end of the care home stuff, with a qulification you may be expected to manage the home etc).

Ok come in around 7am, get people up
depending on the homes routeen you may give people drinks before you get them out of bed and bathed and dressed (this may involve doing peoples dressings, physical care - washing them or helping them sort themselves out).
Breakfast - depending on the environement either together as a "family" or individually. If a person can't feed themselves you would help them or feed them. More skilled than you think.
You may give out medication or help sort people out for day care/work or day time activities.
You may need to sort out bedrooms/clean the house etc
You may have administration to do as well (such as check fire alarms, medical recrod, write progress reports etc)
Any toilet care etc
If people are not at day care you may need to do activities with them - shopping, going out for a walk, something to engage them in.
Making lunch - helping people have lunch...
Afternoon may included some physical care (toilet care and the likes)
Handing over to the afternoon/evening staff

and so the day to day life continues...

Bigger picture stuff, is to figure out actiitites that help to promote independance
Helping/peparing case reviews
Dealing with relatives
Dealing with care authorities


The list goes on and on, and although their is a routeen, because you are dealing with people - no two days are ever alike.

It can be a very rewarding career, but it can also be intellectually and financially limiting.

Thank you Tinkerbell for taking the time out to share your experience with me

I hear that alot, that it doesn't pay well.

What kind of careers for social work would be out there if i'd be leaning towards like maybe advocacy? maybe for children or even being a activities coordinator of some sort for older people.

I think as I explore in college i'll refine this more and realize what i want and don't want to do in social work .

Thought about nutritionist *which i don't think i'd get a social work degree for that, probably some health nutrition degree* cause it sounds like social work as in i would be helping people. Like it would be the same idea, advocating for people's health, and being in a profession of helping others in life in living a healthy lifestyle etc.

I'm just speculating i know i want to go into social work just where is what i'm working out.

Over all I definitely want to do work involving "Human Services".
I just wouldn't be able to motivate myself to work otherwise there would have to purpose in what i'd do. But i also know there would be college loans to pay off so...hmm.

Thanks again Tinkerbell .

 

[tinkerbell]

What kind of careers for social work would be out there if i'd be leaning towards like maybe advocacy? maybe for children or even being a activities coordinator of some sort for older people.

Thought about nutritionist *which i don't think i'd get a social work degree for that, probably some health nutrition degree* cause it sounds like social work as in i would be helping people. Like it would be the same idea, advocating for people's health, and being in a profession of helping others in life in living a healthy lifestyle etc.

Ah do keep in mind I haven't done this type of role for a long while...

Advocasy is part of many care roles. There are socail workers who dont do care in a direct sense but manage a case load of troubled families or children in danger (don't under estimate how hard that can be on your own emotions). Many of those types of roles are being advocates for kids/vulnerable people...

With a SW qualification a range of human care roles - both as a practitioner and direct carer are open to you (mine was more direct care), but community type workers etc. Then you can climb the career lader and manage other SW.

Nutritionist - can work in hosptials helping people who are obese/anorexia, or have diet related conditions, such as diabetes, or chrones desease etc... They can work in private sector, testing food products for FMCG companies, or New product development for Pizza hut etc... Or testing food stuffs, or academia... Not always people orientated...

If you want to work with helping people...

Optician - earn loads but long qualifying periods
Densits - earn loads but again long qualifying periods and high suicide rate (probably borning work/confined spaces etc)

Nursing - poorly paid in the UK but I beleive the US is better - not for the squemich (general, midwifes, pediatrics, mental health (and historically learning difficulties)) and then a variety of sepcalist.

Occupational therapists - who help people select tools to help them live independantly... like spoons and grips for arthytus sufferers.... they can work with old people to make their homes easier to move around etc... help with some physical movement therapy too... quite a clean job - nothing yucky about it to my knowledge

Pysiotherpist - lots of spending time in hospitals getting people to cought up phlem... or helping stroke sufferers regain movment, conductive therapies - encouraging people to increase their movment. Help teach people skills to improve thier life quality such as disabled people. They can also work with athelets and people with bad backs and the likes...

Choropodists, pediatrist... everything about feet, one of my neices wanted to do this early on in high school like since she was 14 - very strange, but she is now qualified and runs a practice looking after feet, and also sees a lot of sports people.

There are loads of other options... some pay better than other, but the ones whic don't pay well have emotional rewards.

Good luck - you might be as well trying to havec onversations with practicing people from a variety of disciplines to see what is good and bad about their fields....

 

[INFtha14]

Ah do keep in mind I haven't done this type of role for a long while...

Advocasy is part of many care roles. There are socail workers who dont do care in a direct sense but manage a case load of troubled families or children in danger (don't under estimate how hard that can be on your own emotions). Many of those types of roles are being advocates for kids/vulnerable people...

With a SW qualification a range of human care roles - both as a practitioner and direct carer are open to you (mine was more direct care), but community type workers etc. Then you can climb the career lader and manage other SW.

Nutritionist - can work in hosptials helping people who are obese/anorexia, or have diet related conditions, such as diabetes, or chrones desease etc... They can work in private sector, testing food products for FMCG companies, or New product development for Pizza hut etc... Or testing food stuffs, or academia... Not always people orientated...

If you want to work with helping people...

Optician - earn loads but long qualifying periods
Densits - earn loads but again long qualifying periods and high suicide rate (probably borning work/confined spaces etc)

Nursing - poorly paid in the UK but I beleive the US is better - not for the squemich (general, midwifes, pediatrics, mental health (and historically learning difficulties)) and then a variety of sepcalist.

Occupational therapists - who help people select tools to help them live independantly... like spoons and grips for arthytus sufferers.... they can work with old people to make their homes easier to move around etc... help with some physical movement therapy too... quite a clean job - nothing yucky about it to my knowledge

Pysiotherpist - lots of spending time in hospitals getting people to cought up phlem... or helping stroke sufferers regain movment, conductive therapies - encouraging people to increase their movment. Help teach people skills to improve thier life quality such as disabled people. They can also work with athelets and people with bad backs and the likes...

Choropodists, pediatrist... everything about feet, one of my neices wanted to do this early on in high school like since she was 14 - very strange, but she is now qualified and runs a practice looking after feet, and also sees a lot of sports people.

There are loads of other options... some pay better than other, but the ones whic don't pay well have emotional rewards.

Good luck - you might be as well trying to havec onversations with practicing people from a variety of disciplines to see what is good and bad about their fields....

ooh cool Thanks ^^).

Maybe I'd like to be one of those HS principal people. As that would be advocating for the students needs/ and having a community based role.

I think that also is something close to my heart cause if i'd be a principal i'd be a fair but sympathetic one. Reason being I would hear out the students needs especially the ones who are being shoved aside just cause they have a "learning disability". I've been there.

I'd be willing to put up with the administrative/clerical/managing a budget/meetings etc as long as i'd making an impact on the community's education standards/being an advocate for the student and parents. Feel there too low. I feel that they should listen to the student more as they know what they can handle better then any of the teachers/counselors.

That maybe something to consider too. hmm...

I think the emotional awards are much more important then salary .

Does a HS principal sound like a rewarding career emotionally cause technically you are an advocate for the school's and the students/parents needs. Also if you were in that profession you could really make a stand on things wrong with the education system when you'd come across it *i'd be very passionate about that one *

 

[tinkerbell]

"Does a HS principal sound like a rewarding career emotionally cause technically you are an advocate for the school's and the students/parents needs. Also if you were in that profession you could really make a stand on things wrong with the education system when you'd come across it *i'd be very passionate about that one "

No idea, we don't have them here as such so I don't know at all, why not ask them. I'm sure it would require a lot of patience thats for sure..

Good luck with it - worth while exploring the good and the bad, and trying to get a feel of general direction. You may change as you move through your education. so don't be to harsh on yourself

 

[INFtha14]

"Does a HS principal sound like a rewarding career emotionally cause technically you are an advocate for the school's and the students/parents needs. Also if you were in that profession you could really make a stand on things wrong with the education system when you'd come across it *i'd be very passionate about that one "

No idea, we don't have them here as such so I don't know at all, why not ask them. I'm sure it would require a lot of patience thats for sure..

Good luck with it - worth while exploring the good and the bad, and trying to get a feel of general direction. You may change as you move through your education. so don't be to harsh on yourself

i should hunt down my HS principal lol. She's a very friendly lady i think she's be patient enough on a not so crazy day to sit down with me especially since i was a student there .

Right i figure as i work with the counselors before i start and they can help me refine it as i go . I figure never hurts to be like water at this point just trying at least, i'll never know if i keep speculating XD.

Thank you so much tinkerbell for your patience .

Good point there about not being so harsh on myself, i'll definitely keep that in mind as it is something i need to work on lol .

 

[citizen cane]

[MENTION=7280]Lark[/MENTION] may be able to help as well.

Put quite simply, social workers work in a variety of settings- hospitals, schools, rehab, nursing homes, and countless others to take care of the needs of individuals, groups, families, communities, or society as a whole. They help others get connected with the resources they need.