Professional Goals and Explaining Social Work Profession (Essay Sample)

Social Work Profession
Name
Institution
Abstract
Setting professional goals is the key to success in any social work. The work is always wanting, and one must be ready to give in all their best at any cost, but with well-set goals all can be achieved quickly. Education is the number one professional goal in social work without which one cannot get a promotion or even start a private practice. A social worker must embrace ever-lasting change as they work with different populations and ages. Having a doctor of social work is the key to attaining one’s set professional goals as it leads to other avenues in social action. Work experience is vital in any social work as it shapes the ability for creativity and innovation. Collaborative practice is very essential in social work, and one must be in a position to interact freely with other professionals and the community for better results. Eradicate social isolation is the interest of the grand challenge of the American Academy of Social Work and social welfare, as it has become a potent killer.
Social Work Profession
In life, academic or professional goals are paramount for anyone who wishes to accomplish a certain task in their lives. For one to become a social worker, first and foremost, they must be ready to meet the daily challenges that arise both in the society and place of work. They are the benchmark of duties one is expected to tackle during the entire employment period. Social work career entails offering a variety of services to the society regardless of age, gender, or even their social class. It can be gratifying and significant, but can also be challenging and trying at times. Well set professional goals can enable a social worker to face these obstacles should they appear without any difficulty.
Professional goals
The most important professional goal in social work is education. One must always have the right current information about research and also keep on overhauling knowledge on such matters regarding their duties. Social work profession entails long-term devotion to current presuppositions and expansions in the domain. One has to be ready to upgrade their understanding of the expected duties so as to become an expert. Adverse knowledge in other disciplines like psychology can be helpful at times especially when dealing with a certain group of individuals such as those undergoing mental torture.
Another important career goal in social work is developing time-honored social change. It is important because majority become social workers to dedicate their lives to bring a positive change to the lives of others in the society. A social worker must be a little bit flexible to the daily changes that arise in the field such as personal beliefs and taboos and can help one in dealing with different people. Social work can mean working for charity organizations and offering direct kindness at times like providing food and clothing to the needy community. It can also mean volunteering to work for a social research institute to execute social plans in the area of interest.
Promotion is another professional goal in the social work just like in any other job. When one begin a social work, it is usually at a lower level, but soon rises the ladder as they gain experience and relevant knowledge. There are always available opportunities in the managerial and executive positions for qualified personnel in the social work in different situations. For that case, one might decide to go for necessary education and experience to be able to advance to the next level in their job.
Having gained enough experience as a social worker, one might decide to open a private practice. It is not always an easy task, but it opens avenues for evaluations and to offer direct services to the society without strict supervision from any direction. It is always a dream of many people while setting professional goals to set up their private practice, and it always achieved through further education by gaining at least a masters degree in social work. Going solo also enables one to offer services of the utmost value to the society without biases and prejudice.
Having a DSW (Doctor of social worker) enables one to be in a better position to achieve the professional goals as a social worker. Having a social work doctorate can be advantageous to one as it gives room for promotion to the higher rank official status. They may carry out research in areas of interest freely and find explanations to problems facing individuals in the society. The doctorate in social work enables one to sit down with other policy makers to shape up the economy and tackle the real problems that hinder social work.
The doctorate in social work can help people in achieving their professional goals in that it enables them in keeping their image professional. A well-groomed individual can fit in any workshop and even give their views without any fear of inferiority complex. Through that they can earn the trust of the clients and the society as a whole (Jayne, 2013). A doctorate in social work can help one in achieving education as a professional goal in that they will have a diverse knowledge in their areas of study and can carry out thorough research.
A doctorate in social work can also enable one to attain social change as a professional goal. A well informed social worker is in a better position to understand and embrace social change when it arises. It can enable one to achieve a professional goal in social work by becoming a private practitioner. Without a good resume, one is not in a position to go solo and can never be in a better position to prosper and do things their way and will always work under supervision. Promotions usually come to individuals with good academic records. So having a doctorate puts one in a better position for promotion thus fulfilling their ambitions.
Professional experience
Academic and professional experiences can help one shape the ability to demonstrate innovation and creativity in social work in some ways. Social workers at times are forced to make difficult decisions that can improve other people’s lives. They encounter a range of problems as they plan and carry out duties of care and support. They always assist people in dealing with poverty, isolation, ill health, poverty among other forms of discrimination. For that case, the career demands a high level of fidelity, open-mindedness and even flexible attitudes in social work.
Innovation and creativity
Social work creativity is directed to uplift the lives and conditions of individuals who are unfortunate in the society. People and their conditions are limitlessly unpredictable, so cannot be represented by a smooth technique. The creativity of any social work is always meant to understand and resolve the convoluted social problems that occur in severe and shocking circumstances. So having a professional knowledge in social work enables one to be a source of new ideas through imagination and formulation.
Social workers must always be creative thinkers as they often interact with people who have different problems and therefore need special attention. So creative thinking as fast as possible is vital for one to come up with relevant ideas and views. It is only possible to attain that through having an academic and professional experience. The workers always administer their duties on two levels, the first one being the efforts with persons and families and the other one is around solving and impacting social problems (Norman, 2005).
Communication
Communicating with the principal stakeholders must be carried out in a professional way. That means one must have a rich work experience in social work to have an easier task in performing the duties. The approach matters a lot, and consistency of the message throughout all levels is essential through the right department of communication. There must be an intermediary from each directorate in the social work system so as to be the contact point with the communication unit. There must be developed templates in the design and production of materials centrally by the communications department for uniformity of materials produced so as to speak one language before stakeholders.
When talking to the general public, various communication tools always come to play such as internet, radio, press releases, advertisements, and even press conferences. All these are possible with the right academic and professional experience. Communicating with the staff of the authority entails: carrying out regular staff meetings within and across the authority; regular weekly intra-departmental meeting with the executive team members. International organizations are engaged in media relations, joint participation groups, and newsletter. For that case, the communication department must be ready with information every time and has to be well presented in a professional way.
Team management
Leading and managing teams in social work requires professional experience. A team manager is responsible for the delivery of quality work and is the mediator between other staff and the higher authority. A good team manager must ensure individual supervision so as to be able to get the best out of every team player. Must always focus on direct work and be of practical example to others. A team leader must pay attention to the needs and...