Looking for social work jobs and want to advance your career in the field? Then you are exactly right here! If you are professionally active in the fields of social pedagogy and social work, you fulfill a proverbial "job with a purpose", as you make it easier for everyone in our society to live together and you actively or passively help people to overcome challenges in their lives.
Whether in youth welfare, care for the disabled and elderly, work with refugees, social management or in charitable companies and addiction counseling centers.
In this article, I would like to introduce you to some career prospects in social work that you may not yet know about. You'll find out how you can develop your career, as well as what jobs might be waiting for you after graduation. Let's go!
Here you can find a short overview in advance:
- Curative education nurse:in
- Social informatics:in
- Psychosocial:r Process Companion:in
- Street worker:in
- Leader:in a shelter for refugees
- Environmental educa:on
- Addiction Counselor
- Advisor:in for education, profession and employment
- Social pedagog:in
- Head:in Inclusion
Social work: definitions, fields and popular professions
Before we move on to the actual jobs, I would first like to briefly introduce you to the definition as well as the basic, professional opportunities in the field of social work. This knowledge serves as an important Basis for finding the profession that best suits you and your wishes and dreams.
What is social work?
Social work is a subject area that arose from the combination of social pedagogy and social work. The social work serves to prevent and solve social problems - and promotes social justice, self-determination of people, and cohesion in our society.
What are the areas and tasks in social work?
Maybe you're wondering what you can do after graduating with a degree in social work? Fortunately, the professional subject areas in social work are Extremely diverse. Here I'll tell you some of them:
- Offender Assistance
- Child Protection
- Adolescent Psychiatry
- Social planning
- Addiction counseling
- Curative Education
- Employment agency
- Emergency service
- Health Aid
- Combating Racism
- Integration work
- Poverty reduction
- Advancement of Women
- Help for the elderly
- Debt counseling
- Refugee work
Does social work have a future?
The work with people is one of the professional subject areas with the greatest future prospects. Even today, people willing to help are desperately sought in youth welfare offices and socio-educational institutions. The increasing potential for social conflicts and crises makes it even easier to find a fulfilling job in social work.
10 Jobs: What are the careers in social work?
There are plenty of topics in social work that you can specialize in. As you can see, social work is a very broad field that can offer you Very much room for professional development offers.
"It is ever true that he who does nothing for others, does nothing for himself."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (more at Good Deeds Quotes)
Now, as promised, I would like to provide you with at least a few of the many concrete professional and further training opportunities with which you can actively help other people or lay the foundation for their help. Some of them you will not know yet, guaranteed!
1. curative education nurse:in
In the curative care you facilitate the everyday life of people with physical, mental or emotional disabilities. You support them in difficult life situations and help them to master their way of life increasingly independently.
With a graduated Education or training (about 2-3 years with a final state examination), you can become a curative education nurse. Important for this are positive traits such as empathy and some conflict resolution skills.
Tip: Many people are suddenly dependent on help from one day to the next. The goal, of course, is to cope with everyday life under one's own steam. As a person affected, for example, how to manage the Making life easier in a wheelchair you can learn in the linked blog article.
2. social informatics:in
In social informatics you develop suitable methods and solutions for IT operations in social organizations - and combine your technical and social skills, so to speak, to help people.
Through a Study you can specialize in this sub-discipline of social work and lay the foundation for becoming a responsible leader who plans and coordinates projects, measures and concepts.
Particularly well suited is for example the dual master "Digitization in Social Work" at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW). You can complete the individual course of study flexibly alongside your work and thus actively promote the overdue digitization of the social sector.
As part of your dual master's degree program, you will remain in your job without interruptions, benefit from practical content, and be able to use the Apply theory so directly in practice. The dual master's program is characterized by its high degree of flexibility and individuality, which allows you to continue your education in a way that fits your professional goals.
3. psychosocial:r process companion:in
Victims of crimes, such as human trafficking, sexual abuse, or other traumatic experiences, face before, during and after a court case under great mental stress. As a psychosocial process facilitator, your introductory skills and open manner provide stability and calm to those affected so that they can cope with this pressure situation.
The prerequisite for the recognized Education or training is usually a previous degree - for example, social work, social pedagogy or psychology.
4. street worker:in
As a social worker or street worker, you are in the middle of things instead of "just" being there. You are on the streets and mainly work directly with homeless people, prostitutes or drug addicts to make life easier for them in the socialized world. Accordingly, you support them, for example, in filling out forms and go with them to housing associations, doctors, sports clubs or authorities.
The basic prerequisite for employment as a street worker or social worker is, as a rule, the following Bachelor study Social work. A background in psychology, education or social sciences can also open a door for you. In order to take on leading tasks in the social sector later on, a degree in social work can help you. Master study, as well as the Verbeamtung or possible further training.
5. leader:in a shelter for refugees
A refugee shelter is a stationary facility for people who (e.g. because of political persecution or due to climate change (Environmental Refugees)) had to flee from their home country. As a leader:in you are Responsible for the management of the respective accommodationYou take responsibility for budget and personnel, ensure smooth and goal-oriented work processes and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
If you have a previous degree in social work (or equivalent), as well as an strong leadership and communication skills you are very well suited for this position.
6. environmental pedagog:in
The topics of social work, sustainability and the environment can also go hand in hand! In the as environmental pedagog:in you promote above all the Environmental Education of children and adolescents. Your planning, preparation, and execution of projects and offerings will enhance their understanding of nature and Environmental awareness very specifically.
The prerequisite for this social profession is usually considered to be the Study of environmental sciences or even social work in combination with a scientific specialization.
Tip: Are you looking for specific job postings? Then be sure to take a look at the sustainable job portal from CareElite for social jobs!
7. addiction counselor:in
As an addiction counselor or addiction therapist, you work directly with people who are addicted and whose addiction makes it difficult or impossible for them to cope with their daily lives - prominent examples include the Alcohol or gambling addiction.
In addiction counseling, your job is to help those affected by addiction Provide advice and assistance at all stages of the rehabilitation process. For example, you arrange a place for them in an addiction clinic and get them "back on track" in the event of possible setbacks. In addition, you are still available to them as a contact person after the successful therapy.
Anyone who wants to work in addiction counseling should usually have the Degree in social work, educational science, or psychology as well as have successfully completed advanced training in addiction therapy.
Good to know: Besides alcohol, games and cigarettes, more and more people are now addicted to their cell phones. How you can get a Successfully fight smartphone addictionYou can learn more about this in the linked blog article.
8. advisor:in for education, profession and employment
As a consultant:in for education, career and employment you make it easier for people to (re)enter the world of work. You plan qualification measures, answer target-oriented questions about career choices, benefit entitlements or funding opportunities and, above all, help those who find themselves in difficult life situations.
To become a counselor:in for education, career and employment, the eponymous, dual bachelor studies at the employment agency Basic requirement. Strong social skills and strong communication skills are also important character traits that you should have for this social profession.
9. social pedagog:in
As a social pedagogue (similar to a social worker), you will mostly work with children, adolescents, and families where Behavioral problems, parenting issues or school problems are the order of the day. Among other things, you perform family Education and counseling work and take care of the allocation of kindergarten places, for example.
After the Social work studies all doors to the world of social pedagogy are open to you. Your career opportunities will increase immensely if you are emphatic, patient and communicative. It also helps if you have already gained professional experience in the social sector during your studies.
10. head:in inclusion
In the course of your career, however, you may no longer work directly with people in need, but instead, for example, manage a social institution that helps these same people.
As a "Leader:in Inclusion Support" you carry Responsibility for the team of your organization and the respective, smooth workflows. In addition, as Manager:in, you constantly develop the support concepts of your work and keep an eye on the available facility budget at all times.
But the basic requirement for this job is again the Social work studies or the completion of a comparable course of study. Also any further training or additional qualifications in the Social Management can increase your job opportunities and give your career wings.
Social work is work for the heart!
That people act in solidarity and stand up for each other is the The basis of peaceful coexistence. Those who are socially engaged in their own daily work and make a strong contribution to others not only achieve something for others, but ultimately also for themselves. Social work is work from the heart and for the heart - and can be achieved both in direct exchange With people or in the background for people be performed.
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of it for another."
Charles Dickens (more at Helpfulness Quotes)
I really hope that this article has given you some additional inspiration for your career in the field of social work. Finally, I would like to give you additional blog posts for you that could help you to act even more socially in your professional and private life:
- Good deeds in everyday life
- Fighting racism - What everyone can do!
- Vegan for human rights
- Organize CleanUps
Do you have any questions, other jobs, or even social work experiences you'd like to share? Then feel free to write me a comment.
Stay fair and socially engaged,
PS: Bullying is also a societal-social problem. Signs, types and consequences of child bullyingand suitable countermeasures for parents and child, I present to you now in the linked blog post.
