If your mind often drifts towards the variety of problems that exist in society today -- poverty, lack of education, poor healthcare systems among others – a career in the non-profit sector might be ideal for you. Social workers are people who work towards solving such problems at the local, state and national levels.

As the name suggests, social workers do social work. They seek to improve the quality of life of an individual, group or community through various methods like psychotherapy, training, raising funds to improve infrastructure etc. The basic aim of social work is to help people who need assistance and empower them to solve their own problems. It is a multi – disciplinary field that requires knowledge about different topics like economics, science, management etc.

Social Workers take up tasks such as counseling, teaching, crisis intervention, research, fund raising, influencing government policy etc.  They work in bodies and organizations at the local, state and national levels. These organizations are often called Non – Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Some work with the Government as well to make sure that the right resources are being provided to people so as to facilitate their overall development.

There are significant employment opportunities in Corporate Social Responsibility Divisions of organizations these days. Government laws require large companies to spend 2 percent of their net profit on philanthropic activities. As a result, some of these companies are setting up their CSR divisions and some others are outsourcing their social spend to external CSR consulting organizations. Significant employment opportunities, therefore, are available for social workers in the corporate sector.

In a world that runs with money, social workers work on tasks that don’t generate money. Earlier, social work did not provide one with the opportunity to earn much money. This does not hold true anymore due to the growing realization to attract talent in the field and make programs effective. Even then, though social workers take home reasonable salaries, they are often paid less than what they would earn if they took up jobs in other sectors.

Road to becoming a Social Worker:

Though professionals from all fields can choose to work in the social sector, you may want to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work to understand the challenges and opportunities to contribute.  Following your Bachelor’s degree with a Master’s degree in Social Work can prove to be a great help. If you’re interested in research about Social Work, it is advisable that you complete a PhD.

During your schooling and college, it is important to keep gaining on – field experience. You can assist a Social Worker on a project. Or you can volunteer at an NGO. There are a lot of organizations that will take your experience into account apart from your education before hiring you.

Once you complete your education, you would normally join a NGO or a Governmental organization. This is where your actual work starts. Your responsibilities increase and you might have to take care of entire communities or villages. In this field, it is an invaluable skill to know as many regional languages as possible. This can help remove the possibilities of misunderstandings and provide a base for effective communication. You can also choose to start working on your own by forming your own NGO.

Types of Social Work:

Even though Social Work is a dynamic and vast field, most Social Workers are specialists in one type of social work or the other. Their specializations depend on their education, experience etc. Social Workers work in specific fields such as:

Poverty alleviation

Poverty alleviation efforts require developing vocational skills among people, encouraging industries to employ people, bringing attitudinal change among people.  

Education

Programs in education involve encouraging people to send their children to school, educating children where access to school is difficult, imparting among people an understanding of the value of education, and educating adults too.

Research and Policy Making
Many Social Workers are involved in the field of research. Their main job is to study society through statistics and personal experiences and come up with theories that can help improve the society as a whole. Government and Private Organizations use the advice of such Social Workers to help them formulate their policies. To be involved in this aspect of Social Work, it is advisable to have a PhD in Social Work or a related field.

Child and Family Welfare
Social Workers in this field focus on the development of children and families as a whole. They work towards assisting children and elderly people resolve their problems. They help find foster parents for children, and also help parents raise children with disabilities.

Medicinal and Public Health
This field consists of Social Workers who normally work with hospitals and clinics. They help patients deal with mental as well as physical struggles. They help patients who are chronically ill or dealing with fatal diseases. They also help patients with arranging funds for their treatment.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Social Workers in this field primarily focus on helping those people who are suffering from mental diseases and disorders as well as helping those people who suffer from substance abuse addiction. They help provide intensive care, counseling, therapy and medication to patients.

Community Development
Some Social Workers focus on helping whole communities develop. They work on the group as a whole as well as on individuals. Social Workers help establish a development structure that is self – sustaining for the community. They attempt to create an understanding within the community regarding what work has to be done and how it is to be done.

Care for the Elderly
Social Workers in this field focus on taking care of elderly people who are chronically ill or near the end of their lives. They help provide access to intensive care, counseling and treatment. Social Workers in this field often work in Old Age Homes.

Life of a Social Worker

Social Workers work for the joy of helping people improve their lives. Their jobs cannot be compared to any other. They do their job for little appreciation and constantly work in slums, villages etc. for low salaries.

As better systems and more qualified people enter the field working in the area is likely to become as professional as it is in other sectors. You are unlikely to be driven by your desire to help the needy alone but also by the drive to contribute to a professional organization where you are employed as well. 

To know more about what is it like to work in the Non Profit Sector, click here.