March may have come and gone, but if there’s one thing we can take forward from National Social Work Month, it’s why social workers love the work they do. To help us remember why we chose this career, or to act as a guide for aspiring social workers, SocialWork.Career put together a list of the top reasons social workers love their jobs. We’ve decided to highlight some of our favorites.
What to Love About Social Work
There are countless reasons to love social work — SocialWork.Career has more than 25 reasons listed in multiple articles. But there are some common themes among these reasons that we want to point out.
Flexibility in the Workplace
While it may seem mundane compared to some of the other reasons to love social work, having options in the kind of work you do or who you work with can make a huge difference in terms of job satisfaction. Since social workers are trained to work with a variety of people from many backgrounds, there’s virtually no area where they can’t be an asset. Having choices in where you work can also be a great way to stay challenged, since there’s always a new horizon to be explored.
Improving the World
Social workers can be critical in shaping the world around them, by helping other people and acting as a voice for the voiceless. From helping people on an individual level, to standing for civil rights and equality in society, sometimes the difference between change and the status quo is a social worker. For many social workers, knowing the impact they have on others and the world they live in is the main attraction of the job, especially when they can work to support issues they’re passionate about.
Other Social Workers
Social workers tend to be dedicated, empathetic, and caring individuals — it comes with the territory. Many social workers find that a satisfying aspect of their careers is being around people who feel the same connection to others and call to serve as they do. It’s a lot more than having similar interests — it’s being around people who understand the profession and can push you to better yourself, personally and in your career.
Every job has its ups and downs, its pros and cons and social work is not an outlier in this regard. While everyone may have days where they wonder if they might have been better off choosing another career, for social workers especially, it’s important to remember the reasons why they love the work they do.