Best & Worst Things About This Career
As reported by people currently doing the job
"The best part of this job is when a teenager trusts you enough to open up and share his or her world with you. This is when you can teach students the life skills they need. The worst part is when you fail to make a connection. Some kids will not let you in no matter what you do to gain their trust. This is when you truly get in touch with "powerlessness". Unfortunately this is a part of the reality of being a school social worker and it never gets any easier."
School : BA, Psychology, SUNY-Albany MSW, Social Work, SUNY-Albany
Career: School Social Worker, currently based in New York.
"I like doing home visits very much. I can learn so much about our students when I go to their homes. I like linking families with resources that are a real help to them. I like being consistently involved over time with a struggling family and seeing it overcome huge problems of substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness and mental illness. I do not like working with belligerent parents who think I should mind my own business and not care about their child's education. I intensely dislike going to court with parents over truant students."
School : BA, Georgia State University MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MSW, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Career: Social Worker, currently based in North Carolina.;
Tips for Succeeding in This Career
Helpful Info From Insiders
"It is important to have a genuine interest in helping people. You simply must like kids. Being a good listener is crucial. Although this may sound obvious, listening is a skill which needs to be developed and practiced. If you're an empathetic person, you already have one of the most important skills necessary to be a good social worker. Lastly, good boundaries are critical. Do not get so caught up in the lives of the people you are working with that you lose yourself."
School : BA, Psychology, SUNY-Albany MSW, Social Work, SUNY-Albany
Career: School Social Worker, currently based in New York.
"If you are interested in working as a social worker in any capacity, volunteer in your community at agencies that help people, such as domestic violence shelters, homeless soup kitchens, or groups that work with people in prison. Social work is a wide-open field that can satisfy your interest in helping people. If you are interested specifically in school social work, volunteer with after-school or tutoring programs. Offer to mentor a student in your community. A woman can offer to co-lead groups for girls; a man can serve as a mentor or work with groups as well. Schools have many fewer men involved than women and would welcome a male volunteer."
School : BA, Georgia State University MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill MSW, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Career: Social Worker, currently based in North Carolina.;
