Of all the issues that pertain to professionalism, none is more important than the issue of the “ goodness of fit” between one’s personal beliefs, characteristics, motivations, and ambitions and the nature of social work practice. At some point, you must honestly address the following questions: “ Am I personally suited for this profession? Are my beliefs, motives, attributes, and characteristics compatible with those needed by social workers? Am I capable of putting aside my own personal beliefs when they conflict with the values and ethics of the profession, and my service obligations as a social worker? Am I ready for the challenges and sacrifices that social work entails?”
Social Work
Summary Assessment of My Motivation, Readiness, and Suitability for the Profession of Social Work
Social work is a profession that denotes incredible responsibility to individuals, community, and colleagues. As a personal passion, social work is a calling. Yet it takes more than interest in helping others to establish a professional foundation based on respect and hard work. My overall readiness for being a professional social worker depends on factors like adequate training in primary areas of specialization, awareness of target populations or populations of interest, understanding of sociological theories and forces, and knowledge of multiple modalities and interventions. When I ask myself whether I am suitable for the profession, I first look at my underlying beliefs, motivations, attributes, and characteristics. I need to be honest when addressing potential biases, such as those imparted by race, religion, social class, gender, and upbringing. Likewise, I need to ask myself how willing I am to set aside personal beliefs in the interests of providing the best possible services to my clients and to the community. My ethical foundation depends on knowledgeable selflessness, applied through a dedication to social work.
My career plans begin with working closely with my community of indigenous people. I entered the profession because of the need for more social workers who understand the unique needs of indigenous people, and for social workers who can frame indigenous concerns from a culturally sensitive perspective. With knowledge of my community at the forefront, I can provide individual, family, and community interventions that retain the core values of the society. Throughout my career, I intend to remain focused on providing services primarily to underserved and underprivileged members of the community. I envision myself being of especial service to indigenous women and working with domestic abuse cases to help reduce the incidence of domestic violence overall. My cultural background, and my personal experience with domestic violence makes me a compassionate listener who understands the causes and effects of abuse.
My client preferences include members of the indigenous community, but I also would like to expand my locus to include all underserved communities as well. I prefer to work with women, but understand that women locate themselves within a broader family and community system. Therefore, a systems approach will help me to better assist my clients. I like working from a private office, where I can provide a safe and anonymous set of services using referrals to group or institutional therapies when necessary. However, if I do work in an institution, I intend to follow all of the rules and regulations therein to ensure ethical and consistent practice.
Because I have personally experienced issues such as domestic abuse and violence within my community, I am well suited to addressing these issues from a culturally sensitive standpoint. My decision to follow a career in social work stems from my personal experiences, and from a determination and drives to serve others. Our community had a social worker who was overburdened with casework, but who had a compassionate approach toward our issues. I hope to be of assistance in the same way, but hope that more people are attracted to the profession and can work with native populations.
The most challenging aspect of social work is akin to what I witnessed as a child and adolescent: that of being overburdened and under-served with regards to resources. A lack of funding and facilities impedes social work in communities that are poor or disenfranchised. Political, economic, and social disempowerment are therefore the primary challenges to being effective as a social worker in an indigenous community. However, the rewards of social work in my community are too great to ignore. The rewards are helping each individual who seeks our assistance. It is likely that the entire community ultimately benefits, because of the corresponding shifts in social norms, behaviors, and values.
If I had the opportunity to ask two or three questions of an established social worker, I would ask the best way to juggle high amounts of work, and how to effectively prioritize without denying service to anyone. I would also ask the best approaches to acquiring funding, and whether or not it is ethical to obtain extra funding from private or faith-based resources.
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