There are normally two reactions when people find out I am a social work major:
The first reaction is pure confusion.
" Why do you want to be a social worker?"
"Why would you want to live off of $30,000 a year?"
"Why would you want to work with people that no one wants to work with?"
"Do you want to put yourself in danger?"
The second reaction is pure happiness. This comes, almost exclusively, from fellow social workers.
Honestly, us social work majors are absolutely TIRED of people trying to convince us to switch majors.
To be blatantly direct: most individuals have no idea what social workers even do.
Social workers are not baby stealers. Social workers work with disadvantaged groups in a variety of settings. This spans across homeless shelters, schools, nursing homes, disaster relief, etc. Social workers want to enhance social functioning and improve policies that affect at-risk individuals.
So, why do I want to be a social worker? I firmly believe social work is my calling. Yes, I understand social work is not the most appealing profession, especially if the goal is to become rich. However, alleviating peoples' suffering and improving social justice sounds pretty darn amazing to me. I have a passion for helping those in need, and I am obtaining the skills to do so. The same individuals complaining about the poor quality of life for the disadvantaged are the ones completely against becoming social workers. I am aware of the physical and emotional toll that being a social worker requires. This job isn't for everyone. In the end, you have to remind yourself why you started in the first place. My want to help others will always be higher than the want to quit.
Social workers are extremely underpaid. They are in the helping profession to see the outcome, not earn the income. These wonderful humans have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place, and that is something of great value. The work of social workers plays a vital role in maintaining a functional society. Our world would fall apart without them. In my opinion, it will be an honor to work in such a field. I aspire to impact society on a micro and macro level, and I know that as a social worker I will be able to obtain this goal.
Next time you think about putting an aspiring social worker down, remember that you may need them one day.
