When to Leave the Field of Social Work

If you check message boards on the internet you will find plenty of disgruntled social workers.  Some have been in the field for a long time and are burnt out, while others are having a hard time finding a well-paying social work job that matches their education and heaping student loans.

There are some social workers who are tired of the paperwork and bureaucracy, the lack of time they can spend with their clients, the workplace bullying they are experiencing, and their lack of work/life balance whereby their personal relationships are starting to be affected.  Then there are social workers experiencing compassion fatigue or post traumatic stress disorder, others who fear their safety as they have been threatened or stalked, or just generally feel numb to the needs of others and have nothing left to give to their clients.  Some have realised they are in the wrong helping profession or they want to leave the helping profession altogether.  Career goals have changed along the way or personal values can no longer be silenced.  Either way, these social workers are at a crossroad.

I have met and talked to a few former social workers.  There are still many more who have moved on from working in child welfare and are all the more happier for it.  In many of these cases I still see the heart of a social worker that never goes away: they are still advocates and they still care about helping others.

I know for me, my identity is nearly completely wrapped up in being a social worker.  Even when I'm not at work I am talking to people about their problems, recommending assistance and so on.  It's funny, when people find out your a social worker there are a lot of them who want your opinion.  When I watch the news or am watching a tv show or movie, social issues leap out at me and I can't help but see the situation with a social worker's perspective.  It is devastating to me when I think about possibly leaving the social work field in the future as it will feel like I am losing a part of myself.

No job is perfect all the time.  Sometimes it can seem boring or uninteresting or the opposite: overwhelming and depressing.  Everyone goes through career slumps and many question if they made the right decision entering their field of choice.  Sometimes we make our choices when we are very young, uninformed or idealistic.  And then reality catches up with us.  I am sure many of you have met social workers who warn others not to enter this field.  I too have met social work hopefuls and I felt it was my duty to explain both the good and the bad.  But honestly, it is very difficult to explain the emotions you will experience when you are a social worker.

I have not been shy in admitting that there have been times that I have wondered if I should stay in the field of social work.  I love social work so much but I am not sure if it is the "idea" of social work that appeals to me more.

I don't doubt that social workers have giving and loving hearts.  Many would do anything in their power to help a person in need.  But sometimes there are other factors that get in the way and we just have to move on.

Here are some reasons why a social worker might leave the field:

• Lack of support from family, friends, colleagues and management whereby they are feeling isolated
• A change of personal circumstance such as an illness, injury, divorce, death etc. whereby the job becomes too difficult to continue to perform
• Unrelenting burnout that has not been fixed by changing agencies or positions within the field of social work
• Mental health or physical issues caused by the profession which cannot be remedied other than leaving the field entirely
• You have a new career goal that you have fully investigated and have decided that social work no longer matches your career goals

Every item in an of itself would be reason enough to leave social work.  However it is not recommended to make any drastic decisions in the moment when you are upset, angry, frustrated, or feeling burnt out.  Speak to friends and family members to get their advice and seek the help of a career counsellor who may help you to see the bigger picture.  If after a lot of soul searching you have decided to leave the field, try not to feel guilty and focus on all the people you helped during your career.  And remember, the skills you gained as a social worker will never really leave you.