Are you considering a career as a social worker? Social work can be exceptionally fulfilling and rewarding, yet it can be incredibly challenging at the same time. This is not a career path for everyone, but is it the right choice for you? Read on to discover whether this is a career that would suit you are not…
When it comes to social work, one of the most important aspects of this is a non-judgmental approach. If you are judgmental person, this is most definitely not the right type of career for you. You need to be someone that has the ability to listen to terrible things and not judge a person for them. You also need to draw on a number of core values. This includes protecting people against prejudice and discrimination, the legal and human rights of children and adults, the importance of personal control, choice, and independence, and the worth and equality of all people, respecting individual significant and diversity.
In addition to this, you may need to attain certain qualifications and experience. This is not a necessity to get involved in social work, but it can certainly help you to progress into more advanced roles. For example, taking an online Christian psychology degree is a great way to arm yourself with the tools that are needed to understand the people you are working with and provide them with the best advice and assistance.
There are also a number of skills that are important for any social worker. A lot of these skills can be taught, but equally, there are some that come naturally. Only you know whether you are the type of person that can fulfill this role. These skills and attributes are as follows…
- You need to pass criminal record checks
- You must understand social work
- You need to analyse situations, with a self-aware and reflective approach to solving problems
- You must be a good team worker
- You need to be motivated
- You need to have empathy, i.e. to understand the feelings of others
- You must have emotional resilience
- You need to be reliable
- You need to have good time management skills
- You will also need to sometimes manage a heavy workload
Aside from this, effective communication skills are vital. Are you someone that has the powers of persuasion to tempt people to take a certain action? Can you put people at ease and win their trust? Are you good with perception so you can understand clients that struggle to express themselves? Do you have sensitive listening skills? Can you keep effective notes on all cases? These are the sorts of communication skills you will need.
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding as to whether or not social work is right for you. If you have the skills that are required and the attributes that make a good social worker, this is most definitely a career that you are likely to flourish in.
