careernav.

Career Description

This is an ideal career for intuitive thinkers. Social work is a profession for those with a strong desire to work towards maximising human potential and wellbeing. As a social worker, you will help people thrive in their environment, promote positive relationships and work towards creating a socially just and equitable society. Whether working with individuals, groups, communities or societies, social workers are passionate advocates for positive change.

Career Advice - Social Worker Career

Social work is an extremely diverse profession, allowing social workers the opportunity to choose to work in an area that they are passionate about. You might choose to:

• Advocate for patients in a hospital setting
• Assist children at risk or in need
• Research and write social policy on important welfare issues
• Assist new migrants to settle in Australia
• Facilitate groups for women at risk of domestic violence
• Promote participation of homeless people through local community centre programs

You might have passion for working with particular groups, such as:

• Young people
• Children and Families
• Mental Health clients
• Drug and Alcohol clients
• Indigenous communities
• Refugees
• Disabled clients
• Aged care clients

Although social workers can choose to work with highly diverse groups of people in a multitude of different settings using many different methods, they are unified in their support of a strong value base, which includes the promotion of human dignity and worth, a belief in social justice and service to humanity, a high level of professional integrity and competence.

What you do every day

Your day will be different depending on the organization you choose to work for and the client group you work with. For example, if you work in an Aged Care setting, you might run support groups for family caregivers or for the adult children of aging parents, advise elderly people or family members about choices in areas such as housing, transportation, and long-term care.

If medical and public health social work interests you, then you may provide individuals, families, or vulnerable populations with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, or AIDS. You may also advise family caregivers, counsel patients, and help plan for patients’ needs after discharge.
You may prefer social work planning and policymaking, where you could develop programs to address such issues as child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, poverty, and violence. You may also research and analyse policies, programs and identify social problems and suggest legislative and other solutions, raise funds or write grants to support these programs.

Personality that best fit this career

You will need to have emotional maturity, keen analytical abilities and be able to view other people's issues and experiences objectively and with a non-judgmental attitude. Your good organisational and communication skills and ability to work either independently or as part of a team are essential. You will also need to have a strong sense and commitment to social justice and a natural care for others.

Best thing about this career

The work is personally satisfying and engenders much community respect. It is also a versatile career and one that can grow with you. Never-ending change and difference in people and circumstances make every day a new learning experience. You will know that you are part of a profession working towards making a positive difference.

Worst thing about this career

Although highly rewarding, some areas of work can be emotionally draining. If you don't pay attention to your own well-being, working alongside people in distress can take its toll. In some fields, understaffing and large caseloads add to the pressure in agencies.