Few careers are as selfless as social work. From helping children in need to working with displaced adults, you can rest assured that every day you will be working with someone who could really use some guidance. In fact, sometimes you will be the difference between a long and productive life and the alternative. Are you interested in social work?
It might sound like your time will be solely focused on helping others, but you’ll also receive some significant benefits as part of your career. This article will explore the benefits of working in social work for the community as well as for social workers themselves.
What do social workers do?
Before we dive into how social work helps communities as well as social workers themselves, let’s talk about what you can expect from the career. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), social workers help people cope with problems and prevent problems in their daily life. This rather simplistic definition only scratches the surface of what social workers do for communities and individuals.
First, we must note that social work is a huge field. There is something for just about everyone, with jobs ranging from supporting addicts in recovery to educating parents about safe parenting practices and proper childhood development. Social workers serve as everything from intermediaries to resource gatherers to confidants for the people they help. Due to the important and diverse roles they play in society, there is always a need for more social workers. BLS estimates that more than 70,000 new openings for social workers are expected every year through the rest of the decade.
If you’re interested in becoming a social worker, consider enrolling in an online masters in social work through a reputable institution such as Cleveland State University. This education opportunity makes it easy to pursue an education while putting your skills to practical use and volunteering in your spare time. With 100% online coursework, their Online Master of Social Work is offered both full-time and part-time, allowing students to continue meeting their current obligations. This course also requires 900 practicum hours, which can be completed in your local community.
Let’s explore how social workers benefit not only the communities they serve but also themselves.
Benefits for the community
It would be impossible to outline all the ways social workers benefit communities and individuals, but we’ve rounded up some of the most important of them to detail in this section. From improving general wellbeing to working to right social injustices, here are some of the biggest benefits social workers provide to their communities:
General wellbeing
The first benefit social workers provide to the communities they serve is a sense of general wellbeing. This does not necessarily refer to physical health, but rather the community’s health. Social workers work with the populations most in need to provide help with social issues, such as mental health, poverty, addiction, child welfare and domestic violence. When social workers dedicate their time to these issues and are able to make a difference, the community as a whole becomes a bit healthier and more prosperous.
Social workers are able to work with the most desperate people in a community when no one else can. By addressing the stories of those most in need, they help create stronger communities with tighter bonds and a more cohesive vision of success.
Advocacy and empowerment
Social workers provide more than general support to communities. They also commonly serve as advocates for their communities and work to empower residents to seek out opportunities they might not be aware of. They help vulnerable populations navigate complex systems and access resources that are all too often hidden from those who need them most. Because they have an intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the services that are available to the communities they serve, social workers are often the best positioned to help the people living within them access the tools they need to thrive.
Crisis intervention
When you think of first responders, your mind might initially go to police or paramedics. While it’s true that these people are often among the first on the scene of volatile situations, social workers typically follow right behind them. Social workers are often the first responders in times of crisis and provide immediate guidance and support to people facing emergencies, such as traumatic events, accidents and natural disasters. Their compassionate care and empathy can make all the difference in difficult situations when the world seems scary and dark.
Education for prevention
Schools are intended to offer students the education they need to do well in life, but some communities have special needs that must be addressed beyond the standard curriculum. In these situations, social workers contribute to prevention efforts to keep people aware of, and away from, substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health crises. They do this by offering education and awareness programs in workplaces, schools and at community events.
Social justice
Finally, social workers are warriors in the fight for a fair and just society. Due to working within the system to locate resources to care for people in need, social workers often have a front-row seat to the harm that can result from a poorly designed program or neglected service. They often stand up to help their communities demand justice to address systematic inequalities and oppressive policies. Many times, these issues are completely unintentional, and social workers help to bring awareness to them so that the problem goes away moving forward.
Remember, these are just a few of the benefits social workers have to offer their communities. As a social worker, you will have the opportunity to truly serve as a force of good in your community and will see the fruits of your labor as the people you work with go on to find success. Whether you’re working with addicts hoping to recover for good or people in domestic violence situations, you’ll have an unforgettable impact on everyone involved.
Benefits for the social worker
We’ve explored the many ways that social work helps communities all around the country, but what about the social worker themselves? The good news is that while the pay might not be the best, social work is unparalleled when it comes to personal and professional growth and personal fulfillment. Here are some of the biggest benefits of a career in social work:
Personal fulfillment
In a world where so many people are searching for a job that better aligns with their passions, be the person who gets a head start by helping others. Social workers are incredibly important, and their help can save people from disaster. If you enjoy helping other people, you might find this career to be a great fit for your interests. As you witness the positive impact you have on the individuals and communities you serve, you’ll be filled with a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction. It is a deeply rewarding career that leaves a permanent positive impact on the world.
You won’t have to worry about finding something new that helps you feel like you’re making a difference with social work — you’ll be able to see the positive changes you’ve helped people make every day.
Diverse career opportunities
We’ve been talking about social work as though it is a one-size-fits-all career, but the truth is that there are many different niches to consider. These include, but are not limited to:
- Child welfare
- Healthcare
- Mental health
- Gerontology
You have the opportunity to work with the population you feel most passionate about helping and can see the differences you make in the people’s lives you work with from the start. Thanks to the wide variety of niches that social workers can fill, there is no shortage of diverse jobs to keep social workers interested. Eventually, you can even consider working as more of an overseer than someone who works directly with those in need. This gives you the opportunity to refine programs and services to provide the population in question with the most help possible.
Skill development
Due to social work being such an interesting and diverse field, social workers must master many different skills. The exact skills depend largely on your niche of choice but often include:
- Communication
- Problem-solving
- Empathy
- Advocacy
- Crisis intervention
Social workers must be able to express themselves clearly and build a positive rapport with the people they are trying to help. Even once you have the trust you need to make big changes, you’ll probably need to sit down for a bit of problem-solving as you try and find the perfect way to make a difference in the community or person in question. This is also where empathy and crisis intervention come in. Sometimes you will be part of high-stress situations that require you to intervene in the life of someone in the midst of a crisis, whether that is related to mental health, addiction or something else entirely. With the right combination of skills, you have the ability to help someone move on from a very dark place.
Finally, advocacy is an important part of the social worker’s job. Whether you are working with hospital patients or helping addicts recover and rejoin society, most social workers see ways society could be better at helping the populations they serve. Part of your job is to serve as an advocate for those communities. Talk to your local political leaders, law enforcement or whoever else is in a position of authority to help you help others.
Professional and personal growth
Social workers can look forward to a great deal of personal and professional growth.
As professionals, social workers often have opportunities to advance, sometimes into very diverse roles. The ability to further your education and specialization is also typically encouraged, allowing you the unique ability to continue your education while working full-time. From guest seminars to online workshops, social workers have a wealth of options at their disposal when they want to develop their professional skills and knowledge of the trade.
As people, social workers can look forward to quite a bit of personal growth. The job is not always an easy one, but it’s always worth the effort. Working with diverse communities, experiencing a number of different situations ranging from child protection to adult mental health counseling, and balancing work events with home life all ensure that social workers continuously grow personally. By the end of your first year, you’ll probably find that you’ve changed an incredible amount, and always for the better. You will also have more confidence in your knowledge and your abilities to thrive and find smart solutions to even the toughest of problems.
Job satisfaction
We’ve mentioned this in an earlier section, but social work is not necessarily an easy field to work in. There are always people who need as much help as you can provide, and often even more than that. You might not always be able to provide aid to everyone you’d like to, which can be emotionally difficult. However, you can also rest assured that despite these difficulties, you are changing the lives of many people for the better. Due to this, social workers often report high levels of job satisfaction. In fact, a 2020 report from the National Association of Social Workers found that roughly 90% of respondents were either “somewhat” or “very” satisfied with their job.
Work-life balance
While social workers often face demanding schedules and long hours of work, the career tends to be much more flexible than others. If you find that you need to start work a few hours later a few times a week, for example, many employers will give you the freedom you need as long as your work is completed. This flexibility naturally leads to a good work-life balance that allows social workers to effectively manage both their professional and personal responsibilities.
How do I become a social worker?
We talked a little bit about becoming a social worker at the beginning of this article where we give advice about pursuing an online master’s degree in social work, but how do you get to that point? If you are completely new to the industry and aren’t sure where to start, you’re in luck! We’re here to help guide you through your studies.
Becoming a social worker is easy on paper. You earn an undergraduate degree in a related field, then complete a master’s degree or higher while interning with other professionals. Once you’ve completed those steps, you’re ready to start working! In practice, of course, the journey is a bit more complex. You can expect to complete a four-year undergraduate degree to start with. If your university doesn’t have a social work undergraduate degree, talk with your counselor and pick a related field.
Once you’ve graduated and are ready for graduate work, you can expect to spend at least another two or three years working towards a master’s degree. If you are working towards an advanced degree, you will spend even longer studying. Social workers are typically required to complete practicum hours working with professional social workers where they learn to manage cases and interact with a variety of people.
After you complete all of the above, you’re ready to look for a job! While that might seem like an overwhelming journey, the truth is that you will have guidance from your advisor every step of the way. The effort will be worth it the second you see how much you’ve helped someone turn their life around too.
Are you interested in becoming a social worker? With all of the benefits you stand to give and receive, we don’t blame you! Keep our tips in mind as you search for the perfect social worker program for you.
