How to Start a Career in Social Work in Adelaide?

ByAsia Pacific Group

Many people across the world are going through tough times. Some cope, and others do not. Such people need help and guidance to get back to their everyday life. This is where a social worker comes in. Working as a social worker in Adelaide is a zestful career option for people who believe in enhancing the human behaviour of the ones struggling to win a battle in their lives.  

Who is a Social Worker?

Social workers are people who feel happy helping others in need and empowering them. A social worker’s job focuses on helping and changing the lives of people, groups, or communities who are suffering from various problems. They work towards understanding human behaviour and bringing them out of its bad phase.

A social worker’s profession involves helping societies and individuals with their growth and development needs. These needs can be basic or complex; thus, the workers are committed to managing and solving all kinds of needs in the best way possible.

What a social worker will do depends on his specialization. He could be helping assemble counselling sessions, providing people with necessary social services, or analyzing human behaviour and treating the problem.

What are the different Levels of Social Work?

There are three levels of practicing social work. However, the job roles and responsibilities are different for all three levels. Depending upon the clients and their needs, the following is a list of the levels of social work:

  • Micro Social Work: this is the first level of practicing social work where the worker can contact individuals and families directly. The worker finds out their problems and specific needs (if any) and provides the required treatment to them.
  • Mezzo Social Work: the mezzo level is the next type of level that involves practicing social work that focuses on treating people in groups instead of one-on-one consultation. This level usually helps in situations like social justice and social initiatives. Social justice is covered on a small scale, including prisons, communities, schools, and hospitals.
  • Macro Social Work: this is the third and last level of social work, which involves the practicing of policy-making, advocacy, and administration. It also focuses on arranging campaigns where social workers can deal people with social issues on a large scale.

What are the steps for becoming a Social Worker in Adelaide?

Be sure to work as a Social Worker

Working as a social worker is a huge responsibility as you deal with humans daily and trigger their weak points to turn them into strong ones. It is a sensitive yet promising career option. You must do your research about the job roles and responsibilities involved in this profession and then make up your mind about the same. See if it is the best fit for your long-term plans and goals. If you are comfortable helping people with their problems in social life and can see yourself excelling in this career, you can think of taking it up as a job. Find out what specializations you can do to expand your career opportunities in this field.

Complete your Undergraduate Program

A Bachelor’s degree in any stream is significant and an essential requirement to get a job. Likewise, you need to complete your undergraduate program in social work or in any similar stream to be eligible for applying for the social worker job. Bachelor’s degree in social work, abbreviates as BSW. It helps you to build a foundation of understanding the subject. Various courses, such as social services, human behaviour, social welfare, etc, are available. Sharp your skills in these areas and start your career as a social worker.

Study Master’s in Social Work for a higher job role

You must opt for a master’s in social work for higher job roles. Specializing in social work or any similar field will help you develop certain skills within your interest area and apply for specific licensure and higher positions.

Apply for a license to practice.

You must complete a master’s degree in social work to be eligible to work as a licensed social worker. If you have specialization in a particular area in your Bachelor’s in social work, you can apply for a social worker license. However, not all jobs in the social work profession require obtaining a license; it makes you more professional and credible, especially when you are working for a job that requires direct interaction with the clients.

Commence your Career as a Social Worker

Now that you have completed your study and got the license, you can commence your career in this field. Look for an appropriate job and start practicing. Ensure the job you are looking for fits best with your skills and specialization that you have done. You can work in any of these places as a social worker –

  • School
  • Hospital
  • Care Home
  • Government Agency

The Final Thought

As a social worker, you must have enlisted skills –

  • Strong communication with your clients and observation skills.
  • Problem-solving skills.
  • Empathy towards all your clients.

You will be taught these skills and concepts during your graduation. Learning about social work, social justice, and mental health are some of the essential concepts in this field. During your career, you will also get familiar with children’s laws, social welfare, etc. Therefore, you must ace in all these areas to be better for your clients. After all, helping in need is helping indeed.

You can explore opportunities to work as a social worker in Adelaide with the Asia Pacific Group. We have helped thousand people achieve their dreams; therefore, we will be happier to do the same for you. Send us a quote, and our team will assist you.