If you think you would like a career in social work, you are not alone. As of May 2003, there are 158 Master of Social Work degree programs and 453 baccalaureate degree programs in the United States accredited or seeking accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). It appears that social work is a popular field of study. With this many students preparing for careers in social work one might think the job market is flooded with too many social workers looking for employment. Such, however, is not the case. Social work is a profession that offers employment opportunities in a wide variety of settings both public and private, where social workers perform a wide range of tasks using a myriad of skills.

The employment opportunities in the social work profession are numerous. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) defines social work as the "professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating social conditions favorable to that goal" (NASW, 1985). When working with people to enhance or restore social functioning, social workers are concerned with the interactions between people and their social environment. Those interactions might be enhanced or restored by using the following interventions:

Do You Have the Qualities Needed to Pursue A Career in Social Work?

Let's take a look at some of the qualities necessary for social work practice. Do you care about people? Social workers need to have the ability to be empathetic with others; to be able to understand the other person's feelings. This is not to say that one must feel as the other person feels. That is sympathy. Empathy is an understanding of another's feelings.

An important quality that a social worker must possess is a non-judgmental attitude. While social workers are not expected to agree with or approve of the values and behaviors of other people, it is imperative that social workers communicate a non-judgmental attitude toward others. Acceptance of others and a belief in the worth and dignity of every human being are values that the social work profession holds dear. They are values that are conveyed through non-judgmental behaviors.

In social work it is expected that the client's confidentiality will be safeguarded. Social workers must be able to respect a client's right to privacy. By respecting a person's privacy, the social worker affirms that person's worth and dignity. Protecting a client's confidentiality shows respect for that person and builds trust.

If your answer to this question is yes, then social work may be for you. Social workers employ problem-solving skills when working with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are challenged by the variety of problems presented to them by the client systems they serve. Problems vary by type and degree of severity. Social workers are challenged to creatively seek out and develop resources to assist with the different problems and client systems that they encounter in their social work experiences. Social workers are challenged to be advocates for those who are unable to advocate for themselves. Groups needing a social worker's advocacy include children, the aged, the disabled, minorities, and the poor.

Social workers make decisions every day. Some decisions are easy, such as deciding when to schedule appointments. Other decisions are difficult, such as whether to take an abused child into protective custody and place that child in a foster home. Social workers frequently make decisions that are considered to be ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas pose difficult and painful challenges to social workers. They involve deciding which ethics, among the ethics subscribed to by the social work profession, should take precedence in situations with clients. For example, clients may reveal information potentially threatening to someone else. Taking preventative action by revealing the information to law enforcement officials and to the person who is threatened involves revealing information that a client shared in confidence. The ethical dilemma involves making a choice between two ethics: preserving or protecting human life and confidentiality. What makes decision-making in ethical dilemmas like this one difficult is that there are no clear-cut guidelines available for their solutions. Can you make hard decisions like these and follow through with them? If your answer is yes, then social work may be the profession for you.

Do you get along well with others? Good communication and listening skills are needed by social workers. If you have good interpersonal skills you are in a position to further develop those skills for social work practice. You will add skills such as confrontation, support, limit setting, self-disclosure and others to your interviewing skills.

Good interpersonal skills make it easier for people to work cooperatively with others. In social work there are many opportunities for you to work with other professionals on interdisciplinary teams using a team approach. An interdisciplinary team consists of team members from different professions who are all involved in the client's treatment plan. It is common for medical, legal, educational and social work professionals to work together on interdisciplinary teams in an effort to develop and implement the best treatment approach for their clients or patients. If you enjoy working cooperatively with others, then social work might indeed be a good career choice for you.

If you do, then consider making an appointment with one of the seven social work faculty in the Bachelor of Social Work Program at JSU. Dee Barclift, Mark Fagan, Maureen Newton, James Powe, Donna Smith, Robyn Snider, or Kim Womack will be happy to discuss the social work curriculum with you and answer any questions that you might have about careers in social work. Click here to link to BSW Program Faculty for their addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses.

Johnson, Louise C. Social Work Practice: A Generalist Approach. (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1983)

National Association of Social Workers. (Washington, DC: National Association of Social Workers, 1985)

Pincus, Allen and Ann Minahan. Social Work Practice: Model and Method. (Staska, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers, 1973)

JSU BSW PROGRAM HOMEPAGE