I have been able to practice in a few different areas. Press J to jump to the feed. social worker classes at a local community college or university may be an option, or consider starting a program in an area your passionate about. Get a verified writer to help you with Why I Want to Become a Social Worker. I teach a class for a local university and put all the money into an amazing 457b plan. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the financialindependence community, Continue browsing in r/financialindependence. But I believe FI as a goal is compatible because I still dream to serve others in a different capacity once FI. There are some bad days, and you can't save everyone....somethings terrible just happen. Is it okay to say I really don't know how I ended up here? I recovered and had a decent job in a lab, but I always loved the patient/provider connection. Geriatric social workers focus … Top reasons to become a social worker. Almost the exact same thing but I was a caregiver instead of a meals on wheels volunteer. When I would visit, she would tell me how scared and alone she felt. Or go into management at a charities. “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social … However I knew what I was getting into by choosing Social work. Yeah, seconding this although I'm not a social worker, I did 2 years of AmeriCorps where I was making <$20k/year. I was a Meals-on-Wheels volunteer for several years, and I really enjoyed visiting my clients. I decided to major in sociology because my mother did, and I saw her as successful. You can definitely do it. If you want to stay in the field, your best bet is consulting. I was working in residential psych with kids and teens for a long time, and I realized I wanted to do more than I could as line staff with my BA. They're the best! Piling on the medication doesn't change poverty, or remove someone from a domestic violence situation. I love going to work each day, even when the days are difficult. I do have more practical experience than many of my classmates, but the knowledge about theory, ethics, and policy work has been fascinating to pick up. Basically interacting with managers and finding providers for large companies. My first major in college was actually teaching but my mom was a teacher and with all the scary changes going on in education, talked me out of it. At its core, FI/RE is about maximizing your savings rate (through less spending and/or higher income) to achieve FI and have the freedom to RE as fast as possible. I found my way to medical social work in an Emergency Department, and I love it. I accidentally found myself in the field. I miss that type of work sometimes, except when it got bad, then it was awful. She had to rely on a neighbor for rides to the doctor - she couldn't just go wherever she wanted anymore. I work for the federal government in the healthcare side of Department of Veterans Affairs, making $70k, and you can bet I'm gunning for FI/RE (maybe more of a lean-FI/RE situation, but I think still doable). I knew I had made the right decision each time I started a new course in my MSW program. If you start with $0 of assets and $0 of debt, and you save 30% of your salary (partly pretax, probably in a 401k or 403b plan), then you can be FI in 28 years. Really appreciate it! Hi, LCSW here, graduated with my MSW in 2009. I came into the field totally backwards. During my first semester, I didn't mesh with the sociology faculty. I wouldn't be surprised if you could increase your income significantly if you thought about it. I too turned away from social work many times only to be directed back to the field. I loved how inclusive social work … It's a sacrifice but I would totally continue helping others after I achieve FI too! … She couldn't go out in her garden alone. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. The folllowing sample essay on Why Do You Want To Be A Social Worker Essay discusses it in detail, offering basic facts and pros and cons associated with it. This made me decide to come back to school to study social work. She had become very vulnerable, very suddenly, and like many older people she just didn't know where to start. If you manage to save 40% of your salary, then you'll only need 22 years, so you'd be done by 53. This is a question I get so many times, and for good reason. It's drastically different than what I was doing before, and I don't think I would have found my way to it without my SW field placements. Cookies help us deliver our Services. I have a social worker friend who's pretty close to FI, but she's done it through real estate investing. It also can take every cell in your body some days to not take things personally, whether it's dealing with a challenging client or family member, or having to work with a difficult colleague who may be trying to throw you under the bus. Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW, is one of the co-founders and the current President of “Black Men at Penn School of Social Work, Inc.” at the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and … And of course, once you're financially independent, you can always just keep working (there is no law that you have to stop when you are FI) or find a volunteering position where you can be very useful. But that's part of it. Gotcha. Everyone I have met taking a … And then she had a stroke. I was taking every civil service test I could to get out of my job. I was convinced. I hated it, coming from hard science I learned so much stuff that was unverified, untestable, or at the worst, just the words of an influential in the field (who hadn't practised in 30 years). The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet basic and complex needs of all people, with a particular focus on those who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty… I did one field placement in a hospital and that wasn't for me but I'm now a fully qualified (had to do extra quals) community corrections officer and 3 years later couldn't think of anything else I would rather be doing. I am pleased to say that I feel I made a great decision all those years ago. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I almost quit and went into nursing. We've had these degrees paid for either by the school districts we work for or the university I work for part time. The lessons you gain from a Master of … I chose to be a social worker because I want to empower people, battle social injustice and create a positive difference. We don’t get paid well for the amount of work … Her self-awareness didn’t surprise me—after all, she does possess a masters’ degree in social work, and she did cope in an incredibly stressful environment for a period of time—but I still found it refreshing. Social workers change people's lives. To me over the years you know yourself you can contribute better to your community if you … So I think it entirely depends on the kind of work you do and/or where you do it. We have earned a couple advanced degrees each which has dramatically increased our income. Strange!). I also learned the bevy of actual jobs in the field that we can do, there's a lot of room for personal choice. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I started looking to change my major. ), I know in my heart I couldn't handle a classroom full of kids. Many corporations are looking to improve their image and they will pay you good money to do it. We also find other ways to earn money (coaching, chaperoning, extra duties, department coordinator, teaching professional development to other teachers, running camps...). Teachers are more in the spotlight as targets even right now on every major media outlet). Plus, most teachers I know IRL seem generally unhappy these days with all the system changes and getting blamed for everything ( not that that doesn't happen to some of us but you KWIM. I didn't know how much I would learn, but I have actually found myself learning more each day. My reasons for wanting to become a Social worker are quite varied, the main one being to assist people in realising their potential and helping them reach their goals, and at this stage of my life I believe the … Similarly, other professions cannot simply assimilate the role of social workers in response to a lack of funding or scarce resources. I worked there for a year and loved the work, but hated the agency. You might be panicking, wondering how to answer, “Why do you want to work here?” You never want to answer this question with a blunt and thoughtless response like, “Well, the pay is good, and I need a job.” While this may be true, you … My wife and I are teachers only a couple years older than you. I did not regret it. We make difficult decisions during difficult situations. I'm finishing up my MSW now with a focus on program evaluation and development because I want to make programs that work. Her husband had died many years ago, and she felt very alone. So, if you are in that situation now, you'll be FI by 59. The earlier years are especially difficult. I also work for an amazing, well-known and respected program that is one of a kind as well as for one of the best employers in my area that most people are dying to get into. Those reasons are … What the heck you stole my why I got into social work story!! We allow research to be posted to this subreddit if your survey is targeted towards social workers (e.g. I feel like I have a strong sense of the admin part of my job, but I feel that additional clinical knowledge will help me be a more effective director. Typically to make the larger human service salaries you would need to go into administration/management, however with a Masters if you find the right spot you can pretty easily clear close to a six figure position. The shockingly simple math behind early retirement.