Social Worker Career
[one_half][ads1][/one_half]Social worker Career – Today the society is becoming more and more complex in its working. The prime slogan of today’s world is the survival of the fittest. This has increased the number of deprived, disadvantaged & helpless. Hence, The role of Social work comes into action. Social work utilizes resources to sort out the problems of such people and try to ameliorate and alleviate their pain and suffering. Social worker Career try to prevent social problems caused by poverty, unemployment, inadequate health and education facility, alcoholism, drugs abuse.
Social worker Career in today’s fast developing and expanding world has found itself as a significant full fledged profession at par with any other profession. The Sector dealing with societal activities mostly consist of NGOs & institutions providing services to different sections of the society.
We can also say that it is indeed a noble profession to indulge in and give one’s energy and time. There is a dire need for individuals who can help make our society and our world a better place.
Job Profile
A Social worker’s work is often challenging yet a very rewarding career. Social worker’s responsibility is to help individuals,groups of people, families in coping and solving the problems being faced by them, to improve their lives.
- Social workers serve as liaisons between different institutions to assist patients & collaborate with other health professionals in order to provide patient wellness.
- Social workers also provide direct counselling to families, patients & groups of people.
- Social workers also address legal issues such as attending hearings and providing testimony related to their patients.
- Social workers engage in research, advocacy of services, policy development, etc.
- Social worker’s work is quite challenging and would garner media attention a lot many times, which is fairly disadvantageous for oneself when things go wrong.
- Social workers have a duty to abide by the legislation and a power to enforce it.
- Social workers work in both non-statutory and statutory roles.
The International federation for Social work states about today’s Social work that, ‘Social work bases its methodologies on a systematic knowledge derived from Practise evaluation & research, including indigenous knowledge specific to its context. It recognizes the complexity of interactions between humans and their environment, and the capacity of people both to be affected by & to alter the multiple influences upon them including bio-psychosocial factors.’
Skills Required
- Be efficiently be able to talk to others to convey information effectively.
- Be able to use reasoning & logic to identify the weaknesses & strengths of alternative solutions.
- Be service oriented, i.e actively looking for different ways to help & benefit people.
- Be able to read comprehension well, i.e to be able to read & understand written paragraphs & sentences in work related problems.
- To be able to identify complex problems and to review the related information to develop & evaluate options & implement solutions.
- Social perceptiveness- Be aware of others reaction and understanding why they react that way and what prompts them to.
- Quick and correct judgements and proper decision making skills are also very important.
- Adjusting actions in relation to others actions.
- Being empathic is very essential in this noble profession.
- Persuasion, coordination, Organization & self awareness are all very vital skills for a Social worker.
- Have an understanding & knowledge of human relationships
- To serve as a broker by connecting individual with resources.
- Emotional Intelligence and also taking care of oneself emotionally & psychologically as this profession can be very demanding at times.
Job Prospects
Social work can be said as one among those fields where the job opportunities differs according to the specialization the social worker has chosen.
- In field of criminology A Social worker may work in prisons, Rehabilitation cells and other institutions.
- Most of the jobs are available with NGOs, working for development of rural health and sanitation. and also work as community welfare specialist.
- In government sector, They work mostly in community development projects such as education, rural development, health, welfare of children and women, tribal welfare etc.
- Specialists in medical & psychiatric social work can make a career in clinics, hospitals, mental hospitals, old age homes, etc.
- One of the best options is to go into teaching and academics also
Salary packages
A Social worker in teaching profession can make initially 7,000 INR to 8,000 INR a month. A Social worker working in any governmental & non-governmental organization can start with a salary of 5,000 INR a month. But in Governmental community development projects ,the salaries & perks are slightly higher anywhere between 8,000 INR to 10,000 INR a month.
Salaries and perks are higher in International based NGOs and in corporate houses and industries.
How Do I get there ?
- One who has successfully passed his/ her 12th or an equivalent examination can opt for a bachelor’s degree in Social work. It is a Three year bachelor course (B.S.W/B.A).
- One can then opt for a two year Master’s course in Social work (M.S.W/ M.A).
- One with a background in diploma or plus two in social sciences, Psychology, Social work, or any other fields will get preference.
