What Does It Take to Become a Social Worker?

In order to know if you are fit to be a social worker, you have to first know what you are getting yourself into. Social work can be hard and rewarding work. It usually demands that one be caring, educated and patient.

Identification

A social worker is anyone who works to advance social justice by helping the poor or disadvantaged in a number of different ways while being paid to do it.

Types

There are many different types of social work that one can engage in. The types of work include psychiatric counseling, working with adoption agencies, being a community organizer, and helping to rehabilitate criminals or drug addicts.

Care

It takes a strong heart to be a social worker. That's because social workers generally work with people that are the most disadvantaged in the area. This can be especially difficult because social workers are usually not called upon unless these disadvantaged people are going through an exceptionally challenging or emotionally draining experience.

Education

Social workers generally need a Bachelor's degree in social work or a related field, such as sociology or political science. To work in research, a Master's or Doctorate degree may be needed.

Patience

One thing that a social worker definitely needs is a lot of patience. If you are working with interventions, patience with people who are going through their darkest hours will be needed.

Resources

• The National Association of Social Workers Website