Social work and Counseling - Essay Example

Social Work & Counselling Job The aim of a social worker is to help others improve their lives. The people that social workers help come from a range of backgrounds and have a variety of problems, which means that no two days are the same with this job (BLS, 2010). Social workers could help the homeless, teenage mothers, students struggling with school, adopted children, those suffering from a disability or a number of other people. Social workers use their own resources and the resources of others to help improve the lives of these people.

For example, the social worker may help a homeless person find proper housing and send them to a counsellor to help them overcome any emotional problems. They could also contact the family of the homeless person to see if there is a solution this way.The social worker must complete a four year college degree (BLS, 2010). Many social workers feel that they need extra training, as there is a lot of competition for jobs (BLS, 2009), and thus many stay on at college to earn a doctorate. In college, those who wish to become social workers generally focus on social studies, psychology and sociology classes.

After college, a social worker must get a license to practise, which is necessary to protect the clients who are often in very vulnerable positions. Counsellors have a very similar job in that their aim is to help those who are in an unfortunate position. The main job of the counsellor is to listen to their client and to allow them to extrapolate their feelings (BLS, 2009). Many people have problems that are improved by this simple act of talking. The counsellor can then use their training and knowledge to offer advice or put the patient in contact with someone who may be able to help.

Counsellors have to complete a four year college degree and usually focus on the social sciences, and many counsellors complete post-graduate courses to help them become fully qualified.Work Schedule & PayIn May 2008, the average wage for a social worker was $43,120. The job is generally 9-5 for 5 days a week, although some social workers are expected to be on call and some may work weekends (BLS, 2010). Vacation schedule is generally generous and many jobs now include insurance premiums. The average wage of a counsellor is $35,25, although it can vary between states (BLS, 2009).

The benefits and working hours are very similar to that of social workers, in line with the fact that they both share a number of characteristics.Challenges & RewardsThere are a number of challenges and rewards for both social work and counselling, many of which are similar between the two jobs. The major reward comes when the help you have provided is the help that finally improves someone’s life. This could be encouraging a client to quit drinking, or finding a homeless person a warm, safe home (BLS, 2009).

A counsellor might feel rewarded by getting through to someone and making them open up so they can deal with their problems (BLS, 2010). There can be other rewards too, like setting up private practise or working for a clinic that provides a specific service that is of particular interest to the counsellor or social worker. There are associated challenges too. Social workers and counsellors often work with people who are very depressed, and in some cases the client may cause harm to themselves or others.

This obviously has an impact on the personal life of these workers, especially if the social worker was very attached to the individual. Additionally, when the social worker or counsellor cannot find a solution to the client’s problems, the worker may feel depressed and like they are not capable of doing their work. Of course, many times the social worker or counsellor will achieve what they have set out to do, and it is this reward that keeps people interested in the job.Works CitedBLS. "Counselors." U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .BLS. "Social Worker." U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS, 19 Mar. 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. .