Opinion | Career in Social Work! (Part-2)

Service at the Time of War and Crises: Disasters can be natural or man-made. Natural disasters may include some calamities like floods, earthquakes, drought etc. On the other hand war, bombardments and industrial accidents or fire may be termed as man-made. In the case of these tragedies, various social organizations are always there to help in search and rescue operations. Besides helping in rescue operations these also help in providing food and Medicare facilities at the site of action. Social workers help voluntarily to set up relief camps and organize community kitchens in case of some calamities and help in recreation also.

The Work of a Professional Social Worker: The social service sector is all about special individuals who believe in themselves to truly make a difference in society and bring about some social and cultural reforms for the betterment. A social worker must possess passion, leadership and the ability to think out-of-the-box to face challenges and come up with bold and innovative ideas to fight back challenges. Apart from these a social worker has to be ready to work in the time of crisis and calamities without fearing for their own life. Above all, these qualities must be balanced by compassion, empathy and a willingness to make a positive change to the community. If someone wants a profession that is truly rewarding and meaningful, with a feeling of doing something really important and respectful, then the social sector has ample career opportunities.
A career in social services can give you an important role in another person’s life. One has a direct interaction with people and their grievances.  Social service workers empower people who use social services, assisting them to make informed choices which will improve their lives. They make difficult decisions and at times enforce the law. Also sometimes there is a need for some protest or demonstration. A social worker should always be ready to fight for the right cause. An important task of a social worker is to prevent problems from getting worse and find an outright solution at the right time without much delay or hassle.
The task of a social worker is manifold and they generally help out people in need with their professional approach towards problem-solving. They deal with problems related to a social sphere that includes families, children, the crime against woman and child, those with mental disability and other people seeking help. Work includes a mixture of counselling, discussion, problem-solving and some strict steps if needed.
There are many different jobs within social services that require a range of professional and personal skills. One can choose to work in social care, early education, and child care or as a social worker. Individuals can work with a variety of people in the private, local authority or voluntary sector. This includes children and families, older adults, people with mental health problems, youth services, criminal justice services etc.
Qualifications for Professional Social Work
Some people with no formal training have engaged in the field of social help, however, these days complexities of the problem are rising along with various legal hassles and policies. These days it has become important for social workers to have some normal levels of literacy and education to give them enough knowledge and confidence to understand the problem well and act accordingly keeping in mind various constitutional ways of dealing with the problem.
The education of social workers begins with a Bachelor’s degree (BA, BSc, BSSW, BSW, etc.) or a diploma in Social Work. There are various requirements that a candidate needs to fill in before entering into the social sector these days. These requirements may vary from region to region and type of social sector one chooses to enter in. Some countries offer Postgraduate degrees in Social Work, like master’s (such as MSW, MSS, MA, MSc, MRes, MPhil etc.) or doctoral studies (such as PhD and DSW (Doctor of Social Work)). More and more graduates of social work continue to do post-doctoral studies. Some argue that social work education is a lifelong process and one continues to learn as he works in the related field.
A number of countries and jurisdictions require registration or licensure of people working as social workers, and there are mandated qualifications that the workers need to fulfil before entering into the field of social work. In some places, a professional association sets academic requirements for admission to membership. The success of these professional bodies’ efforts is demonstrated in that these same requirements are recognized by employers as necessary for employment. Without a particular education level, it becomes really hard for a person to distinguish between the right and wrong and may sometimes take into account some unconstitutional means to get the work done. Hence it is important to possess certain educational levels. Also, it is important for those entering into medical work or medical help to have prior experience of working in camps and at the time of some emergency.
Rewards of Entering Social Sector: Though the rewards that one receives serving mankind are far more than big pay-checks, still a feeling of doing something for the community and mankind overpowers all the other joys of the world. The respect that one gets is priceless. No one can buy the tremendous amount of happiness and satisfaction that one achieves working for the community. Job satisfaction comes from helping people in distress and working for a cause towards human betterment. The profession of social work was not very paying, but these days one can get some good remunerations and recognition for some hones and quality work in the field of social development. (Ends)
– The writer can be reached at vkmalout@gmail.com