How to Choose a Career in Social Work
Social work is expected to be one of the fastest growing careers in the United States between 2006 and 2016 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job growth is expected to be 22 percent for the entire social work field with mental health and substance abuse social work positions growing 30 percent. This is much faster than the average growth of about 10 percent, which is why now may be the right time for you to choose a career in social work.
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Instructions
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Learn about the different jobs available. Social work is a large career field as it offers a number of different job opportunities within it. You can learn more about specific jobs by visiting the Web site of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). They have devoted a special section of their site to providing information about careers in social work.
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Explore the different places to work. Mental health organizations, child welfare agencies, nursing homes, schools and hospitals are just a few of the places where you can work with a career in social work. Learn more by visiting some of these organizations or exploring other places to work through the career section of the NASW website.
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Shadow people in the social work field. Many people are willing to let you follow them around for a day experiencing what they do as part of their job. This experience can give you a better idea of whether a particular job or career in social work is right for you.
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Find out what education is involved. Some careers in social work require a master's or doctoral degree, especially if you are responsible for treating individuals for mental illness or overseeing their welfare. Other jobs in social work don't require as much education and may be a better fit for you if you don't think you are prepared to spend six or more years attending a college or university.
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Examine your values as well as your lifestyle wants and needs. Social work can be a stressful career, and employees in this field don't routinely make as much as their peers with similar education in a different field. When choosing a career in social work, you need to assess your personal values as well as your lifestyle. Determine what is important to you such as a high-paying salary, the ability to help people or the satisfaction of knowing that you did a good job.
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