Is Social Work for Me?

There are no predefined qualities required to become a good social worker; however, like most jobs, you should be committed and passionate about your choice of career. Some of the most popular qualities of a good social worker include:

• Empathetic - To be empathetic is to have the ability to understand another person's feelings.
• Non-judgmental - It is important that social workers communicate a non-judgmental attitude towards other people. Acceptance of others, despite individual differences and a belief in the importance of equality and dignity of every human being. However, keep in mind that you are not expected to agree with all the values, beliefs and behaviours of other people.
• Ability to keep matters confidential - Often, in social work, you deal with sensitive issues and information that must be kept private and confidential.
• Analytical - This means that you are able to separate issues and other factors to study or examine them, draw conclusions, or solve problems.
• Communication and listening skills - Interpersonal skills are necessary in the social work profession and it is a good start in developing other skills social work specific skills such as; confrontation, support, limit setting, self-disclosure and others to your interviewing skills.
• Team player - In social work, there are many opportunities for you to work with other professionals in various disciplines to develop and implement the best possible solution or plan to address an issue or a situation. Besides, collaboration is key to the advancement of the social profession and the practices and services we provide.
• Committed - Social work is a profession committed to making a difference and bettering peoples' lives and the society in which they live. Therefore, it is important that you are committed to social justice and have a strong desire to make a difference.
• Knowledgeable - As a social worker you need to be knowledgeable about various society, community and individual issues as well as the theories and application of these theories to make a difference. Your knowledge should also extend outside of just social work's realm. It is important and useful when developing programs or policies that you are aware of other disciplines' efforts and practices.