Do you want to work as a social worker?

People do have different images on different professions, as they have on different people. This afternoon, when my boyfriend and I had luch with two friends, we talked about different professions in the United States. “Lawyer is really a dreamed job.” “So is doctor.” “You know, the parents of one of my friends forced her to marry someone whose job is doctor.”

When it comes to my future occupation, they show a totally different attitude. I do not mean that they have bias, but, as they think, social work is not a pleasant one compared with engineer, doctor, lawyer and so on. It is regarded as a low income profession dealing with people in low class.

Before I came to the United States, a friend of mine tried to persuade me not to study social work because he thought the working environment is bad. He believed that if I studied social work, I would work among drugger, prostitute, psychopath, people with HIV etc. Well, I have to say he is just partly right. It is true that some social workers have to deal with people in that group, but not all of them work in the same situation. For example, I am going to work as a direct practicer working with children and families. And this is a different working environment. Also, some other students may have a chance to work in Immigration and Naturalization Service. That is another different working place, too. So, I believe people who have a negative attitude towards social work do not know this profession as a whole.

Other people around me think that this job is hard but worth doing. It is meaningful because social workers can help people in need. For example, students whose concentration is mental health are able to treat children with autism. Students whose concentration is child welfare can improve the welfare system for children. Students whose concentration is gerontology will ameliorate the situation for older people. However, it is also a hard job because there are too many obstacles ahead. Take students working in the field of social welfare for example, assuming that these students find out a very good way to improve the welfare system, but no one supports them due to some reasons, what could they do?

Although not all of the people have positive attitude towards social work as a 

profession, I will still insist on what I believe and do what I think it is right to do.