In every moment of our lives, we make a choice. A choice that is based and anchored on our beliefs, wants, desires, goals and dreams. A preference that would make us happy and contented and a pick that could both/either nourish our body and/or soul. One of the most critical days of my life is when I craft a decision and choose the path that I yearn to travel and to walk on. My mind and my heart conspire, insisting upon me that I need to follow them, thus, I decide to become a social worker in order to touch lives and to make a difference.
Social Work is the profession wherein an agent called social worker helps individuals, groups or communities to improve and enhance or restore their capability for social functioning and making societal situations and conditions favorable to that objective (“Definition of Social Work”). Moreover, it encourages social change, problem solving in human relationships and liberation and empowerment of people to improve well-being. It also uses human behavior theories and social systems and gets involved at the times where people interact with their environment (“The Definition of Social Work”).
It is also concerned with the interactions amidst people and institutions of society that endeavor to affect and influence the ability of people to achieve and complete life tasks, comprehend and realize aspirations and values and lighten distress. The interactions that transpire between people and social institutions revolve in the context of the larger societal good (“Definition of Social Work”).
Given the aforementioned definitions of the profession, I made up my mind to become an agent for the people: a social worker. I choose to become one because there comes a moment in my life when I realize that I am driven more to people and to commit and give service to a people-oriented work. I strongly grasp within me an advocacy of service to the human race especially for my fellowmen. Furthermore, I know that my decision is right; hence several reasons could be hauled from my choice.
First, I, myself is an advocate. I want to do something that would definitely alleviate people’s lives and current situations. I join organizations seeking and promoting for advocacy campaigns with regards to the poor, children’s rights and environmental awareness. I desire to bestow help as much as I could because it gives satisfaction within me. It definitely makes me happy.
Second, social work’s nature of job captures my interest. The tasks and responsibilities are very much diverse. They are not just confined in a four-corner room—office. Moreover, there are fieldworks wherein I would be given a chance to immerse with the people of the community. I often look forward into it because I know I would understand them better if I get to be involved in their haven.
Third, I desire to have multiple roles and social work has given that to me. I did not dream of becoming a CEO and detain myself inside the office, dealing with complex investments and businesses. I want something that would nourish all the area of disciplines in my life. Social work has provided me a number of choices with regards to roles and responsibilities. Through it (social work), I could be an enabler, a researcher, a broker, an advocate, an initiator, a mediator, an activist, an educator, a negotiator, a coordinator, a group facilitator and a speaker. And those mentioned roles need an interaction with the people, which definitely motivated me.
Fourth, I am aware that people are the most fundamental units in a society therefore I want to extend help to improve people’s lives. I desire to aid them function the best way they could in their environment, solve personal and family dilemmas and deal with their relationships so that every individual in the community would work well and cooperate with the society.
Lastly, I want to nourish my soul more than I desire to nourish my body. For me, people are my true wealth and not money. I know I exist in this world in order to bestow commitment to public and social services. Furthermore, I realize that the nature of duties of social work is juxtaposed with psychology, another field that interests me because it is also concerned with humanity.
Social work is indeed the right profession for those people who love people, who desire to help the needy, and who yearn to help improve their fellowmen’s lives. There are still other reasons why I choose to become a social worker. And those rationales are anchored on the very nature of work and on my advocacy.
Social workers work with organizations that hold objectives and goals of social service, assistance to enhance the social and psychological functioning of families and their children, health-related support, and community-based aid. Given that, I knew I would often see clients who face and suffer a social dilemma such as unemployment, inadequate housing, disability and substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs or life-threatening illness. It would always be an honor for me to touch other people’s lives, facilitate and help them solve their problems, listen to them, comfort them and lend them a hand the best way I can.
As a social worker, I would work hard and be devoted to the major purposes of social work in order to become an efficient one: I would improve and enhance problem-solving, coping and progression capabilities of people. And I would encourage and support the useful and humane operation of the institutions and organizations that give people with resources and services.
Basically, I chose to become a social worker because of the nature of job which is people-oriented, the diversity of the responsibilities and the variety of roles. Furthermore, they have also been strengthened by my desire to help and my commitment to social and public service, as well as my strong grasp of advocacy campaigns concerning people’s welfare.
Works Cited
- “Definition of Social Work.” 2008. Wright State University: Department of Social Work.
- “The Definition of Social Work.” 2009. Boulder Therapist.com.