"Oh you're just going to take people's kids away". I can't tell you how many times I've head that. Being a social work major is so much more than that! Here are 10 of the top misconceptions that people have of social work majors!
1. The only job that social workers do is taking children away....
I actually don't get this. Obviously there are more jobs that social workers can have. People say this all the time though, whenever I say that I'm a social work major one of the first responses is "oh you're gonna be one of those people that takes kids away from their families". But social workers are so much more! We work with substance abuse, mental health, children, hospice, bereavement, in hospitals, and so many other settings. We're not just "the ones that take your kids away".
2. We are going to be poor and never have any money....
Obviously social workers aren't going to be making the "big bucks" and we aren't going to be taking the fancy trips to Cancun or living in the big lavish house, but we for sure aren't going to be poor either. Social workers make a decent living, and many times it is more than people expect. So surprise! We can join you for dinner or at the movies once in a while! We aren't poor!
3. We are all crazy because we picked this career....
I've had people ask me if I'm emotionally unstable because I'm going into social work, and my answer is always a little bit. You have to be a little bit crazy to want to be a social worker and do some of the work the we do. But when it comes to being actually "crazy" of course not. We do a lot to make sure that we are taken care of emotionally and mentally so that we can take care of our clients.
4. We are uneducated and our schooling wasn't that hard....
As a senior in a social work program right now, all I can say to this is HAHAHA. Between a 400 hour internship and classes, you can tell me that I'm uneducated and my major was easy but I beg to differ. Classes to Social Work Research Methods, Writing for Social Work, and Building Effective Helping Skills are just a few of the classes that I got the joy of taking. We are definitely prepared for our field and have put our time in.
5. That we're all Democrats
Even though social work could be looked at as a more liberal job, there are tons of conservative social workers in the field as well. As a future conservative social worker I know it will be a harder road but its not impossible.
Social workers are so much more than just these 5 misconceptions. We do our job because we love it, not for the money or because we think we're some type of superhero. We want to be some small part of the change that is happening in the lives of others. We want to be able to facilitate change and social justice and be able to advocate for those without a voice. So the next time you meet someone that says "Oh I'm a social worker", think about these things first and not about the misconceptions. I guarantee you, they'll appreciate it!
