Social work has always appealed to me because of my wish to positively influence the lives of people I meet especially those that are disadvantaged positively and to try to get them into a situation superior than where they were initially. Since studying social work, will help me understand what to do to understand and tackle oppression and subordination. As exhibited especially through gender, class, religion, ethnicity, age, race sexual orientation and (dis)ability, I chose Social Work as my major. Studying Social Work will also help me to grow an appreciation of how society constructs different realities for different people and to understand our different ideologies and values contribute towards social problems and the responses that are used. Studying social work will also help me to become an agent of change and to participate critically in changing society for the better.
My desire to reside in a world where social justice, good human relationships and dignity for all persons has also influenced my decision to apply for this program. As it would help me to be an active part of the movement to live in a world with the values that I stand for and to be an advocate for these values to be implemented in society.
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Personal strengths and challenges
I am empathetic, and I have always been able to identify with other people’s situations even if they are not directly connected to me. To help other people, one must have at least some degree of empathy. I believe that Social Workers need to be empathetic to help them relate with other people’s problems and to be able to provide some assistance objectively. I am also persuasive with good communication skills, good listening skills, ability to resolve conflicts and a high level of responsibility. One cannot help others without listening, understanding what their problems are, and then effectively communicating to them what steps they would like to take to try to help.
Communication and listening skills are values, and I believe that are essential for a career in social work. I am also self-aware that enables me to evaluate my performances objectively and allows me to take valid criticism. In helping others, one must be ready to assess their performance and to receive feedback from the people they are helping. Criticism, as well as praise, should be used by people to improve and not seen as being unappreciated. I am very organized, and I believe this is also important for any social worker.
I am very easily disturbed by other people’s suffering whether it is from oppression, war, hunger or discrimination. I am very easily drawn into trying to help despite the fact that I know I cannot help everyone on the planet. This sometimes causes me a lot of stress because I feel like I have failed all the people that I have not been able to help. This is a weakness because even social workers cannot help everyone they come across. However, I can use the services of a counselor every time I feel stressed, and I am sure this will help me to be effective as a social worker.
Life experiences and their integration with career choice
A person I knew once lost everything they had due to bankruptcy and had to survive on donations. Though I could not help much because I was a child, the experience stuck in my mind. Growing up in America, I have seen the suffering of very many people especially the poor and the homeless. In recent times, poverty and inequality have risen so much that cities like Detroit have collapsed and have even been forced to turn off water, a basic need, for its residents. The plight of military veterans is also an area I identify with especially in light of the many conflicts that America is engaged in currently. I have also been touched by the many shootings and killings of young black men by police in different parts of the country. As someone who believes that society should be free of prejudice based on race, this disturbs me, and I would want to be an advocate. To ensure that such injustices do not occur anymore and that those who survive them are well taken care of. These and many other inequalities have spurred me to become a social worker and try to alleviate the pain that many people in society today are going through.
Strategies for self-care and stress management to use while in the BSW Program and as a professional social worker
To ensure that I take care of myself, I will avoid taking up more work and clients than I can comfortably handle. This will allow me to avoid getting fatigue and burnout and ensure that I am effective at what I do. I will also ensure than I see a counselor regularly to ensure that the stress and rigors of being a social worker do not get to me and cause any damage.
I will also exercise, eat well and ensure I try to live a healthy lifestyle so that I can effectively help those who need my help. If I am not feeling healthy, rested, well nourished and peaceful, I will not be able to help other people have the same feelings. I owe it to my clients to be well so that I can help them to overcome their situations, feel better about themselves and to achieve peace of mind.
