So hi, I’m going to college.
I’m considering a career in social work. People are interesting to me, and, with a major in social work, i take alot of psych classes and such.
No, i don’t want to be a shrink. Too much schooling, too much medication.
Being a social worker allows you, In my state, to become a therapist. Which is eventually what i want to do.
So, from the wise and varied folks at bullshido;
Good career choice (in terms of t3h ca$H?)?
I have family that are in that particular line of work. It doesn’t pay extremely well, but the benefits are good. The big problem is dealing with all the insurance and pharmaceutical slime, as well as directors that care more about throughput than actually helping people.
In terms of cold hard cash? Not the greatest. In terms of prestige? Also not the greatest. But if it interests you then go for it. As Cassius points out, though, it’s not always about ‘people’ per se. Sometimes administrators and funding and bureaucracy get in the way of all that helping people stuff.
Perhaps you might consider psychology. Lots of schooling, but they don’t dispense meds (those are psychiatrists) and they get to work with people. Also, more mad cash and prestige.
Don’t worry about considering a career right now. You’ll change your mind often enough.
The money doesn’t matter. Enjoying what you do for a living is one of the most imortant things in life (unless you can figure out a way to live without working).
Think about it; after working, sleeping, and banging fat chicks, there ain’t much time left in the day.
Besides, I think you’d be good at it.
So, no army for you?
Make sure you choose something you can be good at AND enjoy doing. One without the other is a nightmare…
I thought you were joining the Air Force? Social work is not bad, but the money sucks. Yeah, you can get a degree in social work or psychology and then get a license to counsel. The only problem with that is that you have to get a job after that. Most people hiring want you to have at least a masters for you to get any money. Social workers with a BS degree are a dime a dozen.
I have a BS in Psychology. It is only good for the paper it was wrote on. You HAVE to get a masters or PhD to do anything in the field.
But like Munacra said, you will change your mind eventually. If you are serious about social work, start volunteering…you can do that without any degree.
agree with above. you should be really dedicated to helping people and unfortunately it is often a thankless job from both the people you help and the especially the entities you are fighting against (pharm companies, insurance companies, etc.). you should also realize that your resolve will be constantly tested as humanity’s worse will reveal itself time and time again (stories of rape, misfortune and suffering that rivals most 3rd world countries).
however, if you get a master’s degreee. you will ALWAYS have a job and I think social workers are amongst the unsung heroes in the health care field.
if you decide to become that type of person, hats off to you. good luck to you in college
I’m not joining the Air Force, Due to my recruiter being flaky, i decided to pursue college, rather then sit on my ass and wait for a phone call ;P. In 5 years, i’ll re-examine the issue, as i still want to join.
Social Work has always interested me, but more of the counseling side of things. A bachelor’s in Social Work is pretty much useless, but after i earn my BS, i’ll enter Wayne State’s Accelerated MSW program. I’ll get my master’s in 10 months (provided I can, you know, pass. Which i should)
As for employment, my particular college offers job placement, with a 98.2% success rate. I also have a lot of contacts in the field, both counselors, and others.
Besides, therapists in michigan make upwards of $90 bucks an hour. It seems like a sweet gig, i get to help people, and make loads of cash!
Economic, engineer or lawyer. in that order;)
No seriously:P good luck
If you want to do something similar but less common and possibly more interesting, why don’t you become a disease investigator like me? Go and get a degree in public health.
Yep, looks good on paper. Question your sources very hard. 98.2% placement is really good. What is the average pay of those entry level jobs? How much does a license cost in your state? What type of counseling are you looking at, substance abuse, family, ocupational, ?
SAC don’t make any money. Family make lots of money, but most family members don’t want counseling from young, single, males.
If you are still into the Air Force, have you looked into ROTC?
Interesting. This is what my wife does. She is an Epidemiologist. Masters in public health. Good money in this field.
[quote=diesel_tke;2111463]Yep, looks good on paper. Question your sources very hard. 98.2% placement is really good. What is the average pay of those entry level jobs? How much does a license cost in your state? What type of counseling are you looking at, substance abuse, family, ocupational, ?
SAC don’t make any money. Family make lots of money, but most family members don’t want counseling from young, single, males.
If you are still into the Air Force, have you looked into ROTC?[/quote]
Yeah, the therapy route wouldn’t be viable until i was a bit more, “seasoned”. I was hoping to get a nice school gig till then, which my school counselors would help me get.
As for the jobs, I don’t know. Its certainly better then being unemployed, which is the new thing in Michigan : /
Can you elaborate on this?
My school doesn’t offer Public Health degrees, but it could be something to look into, later.
[quote=3moose1;2111574]
Can you elaborate on this?
My school doesn’t offer Public Health degrees, but it could be something to look into, later.[/quote]
It is possible to become an infectious disease investigator who works for a county. It’s like being a private eye but your cases actually matter (eg. tuberculosis outbreak) instead of being asinine like someone wants evidence for a divorce.
You can get a masters degree in Public Health from Tulane University, which is one of the foremost public health schools in the United States.
My degree is actually in international public health, but as someone pointed out earlier there are always job openings for epidemiologists, and it’s possible to get a masters in epidemiology.
Ah, but i’m going to Baker College.
Moosey, whatever happened to you joining the military? Or is that after you get your degrees?
There are many schools that offer that MPH, though.
My recruiter would not return my phone calls. I decided to be proactive about my life, and go to college. In 5 years, if i want to join the Military, the military will still be there 
I’m going to do some research into it, and then, if it interests me, explore my options. Thank you for your help
Moose,
Good benefits and stable employment are what you can expect out of social work on the $ scale. This is with a BA. The real $ don’t start until you’ve earned you masters.
I remember calling my wife’s BA in Sociology a BS degree (we were dating and she was still in school). Pissed her off at the time. She never went beyond the BA and has worked with handicapped kids for the past 15 years.
Do you enjoy the aspect of working in this field or is it just the money?