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As social workers, helping people who are in tough situations can be rewarding, but it can also be a challenging profession and not for everyone. Weighing the pros and cons of being a social worker and having a firm understanding of what the job entails is important before deciding to pursue a career in social work.

Social services jobs exist . Schools, child welfare agencies and medical facilities all social work professionals.

• Schools: Social workers at schools help to identify and address issues that may be affecting a student’s education, such as troubles at home and substance use.
• Hospitals: Most healthcare social workers are employed by hospitals. Workers in these clinical roles perform tasks like screening patients, helping families make post-discharge arrangements, and helping patients understand potentially difficult medical treatments and procedures.
• Private practices: Becoming a social worker in private practices helps children and adults by providing therapy, crisis intervention and other mental health support.
• Community centers: Community social workers provide advocacy by developing programs and seeking funding for support.
• Nursing homes: Those employed at nursing homes perform a variety of tasks related to the well-being of a facility’s residents. They review conditions to ensure they meet state and federal guidelines, as well as support and advocate for residents and their families.

Employment in social work can be rewarding and fulfilling personally and professionally. It can be hard and emotional, but it does carry several benefits.

Positions for social workers are , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s roughly 63,800 openings each year.

BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2022-2032 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to ��ɫ��Ƶ students or graduates.

Because social work jobs encompass several fields, the . Some jobs require visiting patients in person or meeting with colleagues in the field, so travel is involved. Some roles take place at a school or in an office. 

Depending on the setting, responsibilities can change quite a bit. One workday can look substantially different from the day before, which is great for workers who enjoy variety. It sometimes requires clerical work in the office, meeting with clients, attending meetings and more.

Social workers have countless opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. As they offer support to struggling individuals and families, this can be rewarding. Seeing the results of positive changes in their clients’ situations can make hard social work worth it.

While social work can have many rewarding and beneficial aspects, it also carries some negatives. Due to the innate stresses associated with social work,  as people leave to pursue other careers. 

This is why it’s important to have realistic expectations and know whether you can handle some of the more difficult aspects of social work. Some of the most prominent drawbacks include:

Social work practice involves helping people through hard times. Confronting these issues day after day, directly with the people suffering, can take its toll. For a family social worker or a substance abuse social worker, for example, it can be hard to distance oneself from these challenging situations.

Some aspects of becoming a social worker . For instance, clients can be unpredictable; they might verbally or physically assault a social worker. In risky situations, a law enforcement escort can be requested, but dangerous conditions can still arise quickly and with little notice.

Since social workers may need to work around clients’ schedules, and sometimes drive significant distances, workdays can be long and irregular. Occasionally, they may be called upon to respond to emergencies, which can happen at any time of day or night. Additionally, excessive work hours can contribute to burnout and may even lead to several .

Clients may be uncooperative, rude and even aggressive to social workers. Pride or embarrassment might cause resistance to any kind of help. This makes it vital for social workers to harbor understanding, patience and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to recognize a dangerous situation. Conflict de-escalation skills may be necessary to help avoid incidents.