2 answers
Hang
Student
Westminster, California
1
Question
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Should I be a social worker?
My social worker told me that I should be a social worker because working in the healthcare field is my passion. However, I am afraid that I will not make a great social worker because I am not good at communicating, controlling my past trauma, and fear that I might be too tough or controlling of the patients. Should I be a social worker? Should I reconsider a different career?
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2 answers
Rayan Bille
Caregiver
3
Answers
Beaverton, Oregon
Updated
Rayan’s Answer
Hello Hang! I really respect your honesty. It takes strength to admit your fears, and that already shows you care, which is a big part of being in this field.
To be real with you, I’ve had a lot of people tell me, “You’d make a great social worker,” but that only came after I started figuring out who I was and what I actually wanted. For a while, I thought I wanted to be a nurse — mostly because it seemed like the right path, or what others expected. But after going through a lot of stuff in my life, things shifted. My lived experiences made me realize that I wanted to help others in a deeper, more personal way — through social work.
I didn’t always have the skills, though. I had to build them over time — through self-reflection, journaling, checking in with myself, and learning how to communicate better. Growth like that doesn’t happen overnight. But the more you understand yourself, the more you can show up for others.
So if you’re unsure right now, that’s okay. You don’t need to have everything figured out today. What matters is being open to growing, learning, and checking in with your why. Social work is more than just having the perfect communication skills — it’s about having compassion, being present, and turning your experiences into something meaningful.
You’re allowed to take your time, and your journey is valid.
I hope this helps, good luck!
To be real with you, I’ve had a lot of people tell me, “You’d make a great social worker,” but that only came after I started figuring out who I was and what I actually wanted. For a while, I thought I wanted to be a nurse — mostly because it seemed like the right path, or what others expected. But after going through a lot of stuff in my life, things shifted. My lived experiences made me realize that I wanted to help others in a deeper, more personal way — through social work.
I didn’t always have the skills, though. I had to build them over time — through self-reflection, journaling, checking in with myself, and learning how to communicate better. Growth like that doesn’t happen overnight. But the more you understand yourself, the more you can show up for others.
So if you’re unsure right now, that’s okay. You don’t need to have everything figured out today. What matters is being open to growing, learning, and checking in with your why. Social work is more than just having the perfect communication skills — it’s about having compassion, being present, and turning your experiences into something meaningful.
You’re allowed to take your time, and your journey is valid.
I hope this helps, good luck!
Michelle M.
Actress
3284
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Hang !
This is a good question. A question that you ultimately will have to decide yourself after being well-informed. I don't know the context of why your social worker said that you should become a Social Worker, but it may just be that the field of work is actually stable and pays pretty well. There is also a wide range of niches to work in, too. These reasons, however, are not strong enough alone in determining who should be a Social Worker.
The college path as well as the career can be very demanding. Your insight on yourself is very important. You said that you are not good at communicating, controlling your past trauma, and fear that you might be too tough or controlling of the patients. I would go with your gut feeling on this because you will need a natural tendency towards superb communication skills, a clear and unbiased mindset with no specific triggers and the patience and tolerance of a saint. It's okay to look into other careers.
Read more about the educational path for Social Work. You would be doing therapeutic counseling and learning about mental illness. As a social worker, you will have a variety of clients with different backgrounds, usual and unusual disorders, clients that resist care plans, clients with psychotic features, etc. Unless you are fully passionate about this career and have an unyielding interest in human behavior, it may be an uncomfortable academic path and career.
Go to a colleges' website that offers a Bachelors Degree in social work and read the courses that you'd have to take. See what you think about those subjects and if you are interested enough to focus on them. It's 6 years in college for a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work.
Social Work is not exactly the health care field, rather it is in the mental health sphere. If you are "passionate" about health care, you can start exploring the medical health care field and maybe find something that you can really enjoy, adapt to and focus on. The internet is rich with resources about health care careers and you can find the information by doing a search online or by asking more questions here.
I hope this helps and I encourage you to do more exploring !
This is a good question. A question that you ultimately will have to decide yourself after being well-informed. I don't know the context of why your social worker said that you should become a Social Worker, but it may just be that the field of work is actually stable and pays pretty well. There is also a wide range of niches to work in, too. These reasons, however, are not strong enough alone in determining who should be a Social Worker.
The college path as well as the career can be very demanding. Your insight on yourself is very important. You said that you are not good at communicating, controlling your past trauma, and fear that you might be too tough or controlling of the patients. I would go with your gut feeling on this because you will need a natural tendency towards superb communication skills, a clear and unbiased mindset with no specific triggers and the patience and tolerance of a saint. It's okay to look into other careers.
Read more about the educational path for Social Work. You would be doing therapeutic counseling and learning about mental illness. As a social worker, you will have a variety of clients with different backgrounds, usual and unusual disorders, clients that resist care plans, clients with psychotic features, etc. Unless you are fully passionate about this career and have an unyielding interest in human behavior, it may be an uncomfortable academic path and career.
Go to a colleges' website that offers a Bachelors Degree in social work and read the courses that you'd have to take. See what you think about those subjects and if you are interested enough to focus on them. It's 6 years in college for a Bachelors and Masters in Social Work.
Social Work is not exactly the health care field, rather it is in the mental health sphere. If you are "passionate" about health care, you can start exploring the medical health care field and maybe find something that you can really enjoy, adapt to and focus on. The internet is rich with resources about health care careers and you can find the information by doing a search online or by asking more questions here.
I hope this helps and I encourage you to do more exploring !