By Barkha Narang
What is Social Work?
Social work is an academic discipline of social sciences and humanities, where the main focus is to improve the social structure of the society and help the weak and underprivileged people of the community. Social workers work with individual, families and communities and deal with issues related to social empowerment like poverty, unemployment and education.
How Can You Build a Career in Social Work?
To start a career in social work, you will first have to pursue your Bachelor’s degree in social work followed by a Master’s degree. However, holding a Bachelor’s in social work is not a necessary condition and you can go for a Master’s in the field even if you have graduated in any other subject for your Bachelor’s.
Some Top Colleges for a Bachelor’s in Social Work:
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences
- Madras School of Social Work, Chennai
- Aligarh Muslim University
- Jamia Milia Islamia University, New Delhi
- Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College
Some Top Colleges for a Master’s in Social Work:
- Department of Social Work, University of Delhi
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Loyola College of Social Sciences, Chennai
- Faculty of Social Work, MS University of Baroda
- College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
Professional Opportunities in Social work
Gone are the days when social work was only considered a philanthropic activity. Nowadays, it has emerged as one of the most in-demand professions in India. The scope of social work is not limited to working in NGOs but it opens up various positions at administrative, management and policy planning positions in various government as well as private companies. The opportunities in various sectors can vary depending upon your specialization at the master’s level.
Field of Practice for Professional Social Workers:
· Addiction / Substance Abuse
· Child Welfare
· Clinical / Mental Health
· Correctional Institutions/ Prisons
· Child Protection Services
· Counseling & Therapy
· Consultancy Services
· Community Development
· Elderly Care
· Environment
· Family Welfare and Planning
· Human Resource Management
· Industrial Development
· Medical Social Work
· Mental Health
· Mental Retardation
· Management of Social Services
· Mother & Child Health
· Policy & Planning Services
· Poverty eradication
· People with Special Needs
· Rehabilitation of Offenders
· Rural & Urban Development
· Relationship Problems
· School Social Work
· Social Research & Program Evaluation Service
· Social Work Administration & Policy
· Social Work Education & Research
· Social development
· Working with People with Disabilities
· Youth Work
Social Worker Salary
As far is monetary aspect is concerned, a social worker can expect Rs 15,000-20,000 to start with and with experience can get high as Rs 50,000 per month depending upon the person concerned, the nature of project & organization he/she is working for. (Source: https://www.sarvgyan.com/courses/social-work)
Conclusion
Social work is not just about doing good deeds and helping the under-privileged. Over a period of time, it has evolved into a profession. Correctly, it is not a ‘conventional’ career. But with issues of disability, drug misuse, poverty, mental ill health, problems associated with ageing etc. rising constantly, social work has become a vital need of our society today.
Are you a fit for a career in social work? To know more take the psychometric test at Career Cures. For further queries write to us on careercures@gmail.com.
About the Author
Ms. Barkha Narang is a career planning expert & an experienced counselling psychologist. She is an alumnus of Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi where she completed her Bachleor’s degree in psychology and is a Master’s degree holder in counselling psychology from Amity University. A certified Global Career Counsellor by UCLA, Barkha has been successful in guiding numerous students to discover their true potential. She truly believes in the ideology of fair minded & unbiased career guidance for young minds. Having worked with eminent psychologists & top career counsellors across Delhi, she has now set out on her own journey of providing extensive career counselling services to students, graduates & professionals through her startup “Career Cures”.
Superb !
Thank you 🙂