I am a social work major, and it is a requirement here to complete a 500-hour internship. I was placed at a residential facility where children who come from neglectful or abusive homes are placed to either return home (after individual and family therapy), or be put on the adoption registry. This experience changed my life forever, and helped internally confirm my decision to be a social work major.
Social workers help to initiate change throughout the world. They take initiative and exert effort into bettering the word. Throughout placement, I learned that I can actually make a difference. This placement changed my life for good. Placement showed me to appreciate what I have, to pray for others, and to always remember somebody has it worse. My life goal is to help others who are less fortunate than I am. Others who may not be as blessed.
The average pay sucks, but below are the reasons to become a social worker -- more specifically aimed at those social work professions dealing with children.
Never repetitive.
I learned throughout my internship that, as a social worker, you do not get bored often; there is something different happening every day you go to work.
You get to fight for social justice.
As a social worker, you may get the opportunity to fight for social justice, often seen in a court setting. As with my internship, I was able to help fight for (alongside the case manager) children in the home, who were mistreated in the past by their family members. We were able to recommend different things to the judge to advocate for the victims in our facility.
Teaches you true appreciation.
You see a lot of messed up stuff being a social worker. You see dysfunctional, broken children and families. You learn that even on your worst days your life is not that bad. An eight-year-old in the facility I was placed in, would kill for that awful day I am complaining about on social media. You learn to appreciate your own life because somebody always has it worse; you've seen it.
You can actually save lives.
In some instances, depending on the specific career you go into, you can save a life. You can advocate to the judge, and pull a child from a certain abusive home where death was the only possible outcome if you did not intervene. This may not be the same type of life-saving procedure a doctor may perform; but you can save/better a child's life.
You make a difference.
You are the change. You help others. Often, you put others before yourself even. As a social worker, you now can change lives, you make a difference. You can better anyone's life, especially clients you interact with. You can show children hope, a healthy relationship, a good life.
