| I've been a social worker for more than ten | | | | If, on the other hand, your answers included |
| years. During that time, I've worked in the | | | | themes of wanting to help people, or at least |
| emergency room of a major trauma center, a | | | | a specific group of people, or wanting to |
| skilled nursing facility specializing in the | | | | make your corner of the world a better place, |
| care of people with Alzheimer's and most | | | | you are probably on the right track with a |
| recently a hospice. I love my job and even if | | | | community service job. |
| I get frustrated at times, no amount of money | | | | |
| could persuade me to quit social work. | | | | #3. What are the working hours I'm available |
| | | | for? |
| Just because I love my community service job, | | | | |
| however, does not mean that community service | | | | Full-time social workers most often work a 40 |
| is the right career choice for everyone. If | | | | hour week, however, there may be a need to |
| you are considering a career in community | | | | work evenings or weekends to meet with |
| service, ask yourself the following | | | | clients or handle emergencies. In voluntary |
| questions: | | | | nonprofit environments, part-time work is |
| | | | most standard. While most time is spent in a |
| #1. What kind of training and background do I | | | | facility or office, they may be required to |
| have? | | | | travel locally to visit clients, meet with |
| | | | service providers or attend meetings. |
| Social work is a profession for those with a | | | | |
| strong desire to help improve people's lives. | | | | #4. Can I handle taboo subjects? |
| Many community service workers have degrees | | | | |
| in social work, counseling, psychology, | | | | If you are a community service worker, you |
| nursing, or another related field. | | | | will have to deal with issues that make the |
| | | | majority of citizens uncomfortable. For |
| But don't despair if you have only a high | | | | instance, nurses and social workers were |
| school diploma or a GED. You may be able to | | | | holding the hands of dying AIDS patients |
| enter the field as an assistant or a | | | | years before the president of the United |
| "designee." Many nursing facilities, for | | | | States could bring himself to say the word |
| instance, can not afford to hire social | | | | AIDS. |
| workers so they train a person with savvy and | | | | |
| people skills to act as the "social service | | | | As a community service worker, you will |
| designee." Although not a trained social | | | | routinely be encountering issues such as |
| worker, this person takes on most of the work | | | | death, mental illness, child abuse, domestic |
| social workers do in a facility such as | | | | violence, and substance abuse. You will also |
| admissions, applications for financial | | | | have to work with people from all sorts of |
| assistance, and discharge planning. | | | | different backgrounds and lifestyles. Would |
| | | | you be comfortable with a client of a |
| #2. What do I want from a job? | | | | different race? Religion? Sexual orientation? |
| | | | |
| If your answers included themes like money, | | | | If you have or are willing to seek out the |
| power, and prestige, you would be wise to | | | | proper training, want a job that will allow |
| give community service work a second thought. | | | | you to make a real difference in the world, |
| Although you can make a solid salary as a | | | | and are able to handle difficult subjects and |
| community service worker, you will not get | | | | differences, you would probably make an ideal |
| rich, nor will you find yourself being | | | | community services worker. Best of luck with |
| interviewed by Oprah or Dave Letterman. | | | | your career! |
| | | | |