Hello My Fellow Social Workers,
With a new year upon us, now is the perfect opportunity to look at ways we can enrich our lives. Some are making travel plans for the future while others are taking courses or volunteering. Yet there is another option that for many of us, will give us that needed break from our social work jobs - hobbies.
With a quick search on the internet you can get hundreds of hobby ideas online. Many can be done alone if you like solitary pursuits while others can be done in groups. They might take you outside of your community or there are those that can be done in the comfort of your own home. There is likely as many hobbies as there are types of personalities!
I admit, I wish I had more hobbies. I would say blogging is my primary hobby although I definitely have interests in other areas. Most days when I finish work I just like to come home and relax and hobbies usually get put to the back burner. And then my weekends are used to catch-up on errands or to visit with family and friends.
But having hobbies outside of work is healthy for your body and mind. And as my mother keeps telling me, I focus a lot on my work! But being a social worker carries so much responsibility and at times the work can feel crushing. Sometimes you just need quiet time to do nothing and relax. But if you find you have a little but of extra time outside of work I would seriously consider pursing a hobby. It can give you something interesting to talk about, provide you with additional skills (that do not relate to your job) and help you to meet interesting people you might never have had the opportunity to meet before. And the great thing about hobbies is they can be put on hold when need be and you can easily pick them up again when you are ready. And you don't have to stick with the same hobby forever, you can change it up based on your interests!
As Always,
Patti
Sunday, 12 January 2014
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
The Holidays and the Social Worker
Happy Holidays Readers,
I have not had anything too interesting to write about in the last month. Work has been evenly busy and my relationship with my supervisor has been alright. There are a lot of changes happening in the agency I work for and there is the potential for more openings to be coming up in the future. In anticipation of this I have been doing a lot of reflecting about where I am career-wise and where I want to be. In general I am not looking to take on more responsibility, more travel or more irregular hours. Undoubtedly I will be taking a pay-hit if I take another job at my agency since it very likely won't be a social work job. I am still firm in my belief that my current social work job will be the last one I have.
But alas, on to my blog post topic of the holidays. For most of us this is a restful time with a quieter caseload and days off provided by the agency we work for. It's a time when we get to reflect on ourselves, and our relationships with family and friends. With the New Year coming we are also thinking to the next year and what our personal and career goals will be. My resolution is not to make any resolutions since I don't want to set myself up to fail with unrealistic goals. I do however, vow to have a better year than the last one and to not repeat the mistakes I made previously.
So my advice then for you dear readers during this holiday season is to try and relax even though it may be hard since you are so used to going a mile a minute at work! Think about what gives meaning to you both at work and in your personal life and try to take small steps in that direction. You do not have to share your dreams with anyone and you don't even need to justify them to yourself. Dreams give us passion and this is definitely the right time of year to embrace in the possibilities!
As Always,
Patti
I have not had anything too interesting to write about in the last month. Work has been evenly busy and my relationship with my supervisor has been alright. There are a lot of changes happening in the agency I work for and there is the potential for more openings to be coming up in the future. In anticipation of this I have been doing a lot of reflecting about where I am career-wise and where I want to be. In general I am not looking to take on more responsibility, more travel or more irregular hours. Undoubtedly I will be taking a pay-hit if I take another job at my agency since it very likely won't be a social work job. I am still firm in my belief that my current social work job will be the last one I have.
But alas, on to my blog post topic of the holidays. For most of us this is a restful time with a quieter caseload and days off provided by the agency we work for. It's a time when we get to reflect on ourselves, and our relationships with family and friends. With the New Year coming we are also thinking to the next year and what our personal and career goals will be. My resolution is not to make any resolutions since I don't want to set myself up to fail with unrealistic goals. I do however, vow to have a better year than the last one and to not repeat the mistakes I made previously.
So my advice then for you dear readers during this holiday season is to try and relax even though it may be hard since you are so used to going a mile a minute at work! Think about what gives meaning to you both at work and in your personal life and try to take small steps in that direction. You do not have to share your dreams with anyone and you don't even need to justify them to yourself. Dreams give us passion and this is definitely the right time of year to embrace in the possibilities!
As Always,
Patti
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Boundaries and the Social Worker
Hello Readers,
I want to give a special mention to those Social Workers who are in the military as in Canada November 11 was Remembrance Day. These Social Workers face unique challenges that many of us will never experience. Often they are in the trenches (at least metaphorically) with the people they are trying to help. They too are missing their family members and friends on top of facing professional isolation. There is likely little separation between their work and personal lives when they are on duty and their own safety can be put at risk in work zones. Anyway, I wanted to let those Social Workers know we are thinking of them.
In regards to the topic of my post, this is something I have been working very hard on lately. Creating boundaries. Most of the time I feel this heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders - at work and at home. I worry about my career and if it is on track. I hope I am making the best decisions possible for my future and for my life today. And I am learning to say no when work cuts into my personal time, especially when it doesn't need to. Also, I feel like I am doing a better job at educating my supervisor about how long my job really takes to do because the time frames she gives me are often not realistic. For my personal life, I am now creating boundaries with my volunteering. The person I am supposed to be helping has been stringing me along and as much as my mother wants me to keep trying I am getting frustrated. I do not like chasing people when it's not related to work! Like many Social Workers I have been so good at giving thoughtful advice to others, and now I am beginning to realize I deserve the same amount of consideration for myself. I am learning what I can handle and what my boundaries are and I am now starting to put up a fight when both are being threatened.
As Always,
Patti
I want to give a special mention to those Social Workers who are in the military as in Canada November 11 was Remembrance Day. These Social Workers face unique challenges that many of us will never experience. Often they are in the trenches (at least metaphorically) with the people they are trying to help. They too are missing their family members and friends on top of facing professional isolation. There is likely little separation between their work and personal lives when they are on duty and their own safety can be put at risk in work zones. Anyway, I wanted to let those Social Workers know we are thinking of them.
In regards to the topic of my post, this is something I have been working very hard on lately. Creating boundaries. Most of the time I feel this heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders - at work and at home. I worry about my career and if it is on track. I hope I am making the best decisions possible for my future and for my life today. And I am learning to say no when work cuts into my personal time, especially when it doesn't need to. Also, I feel like I am doing a better job at educating my supervisor about how long my job really takes to do because the time frames she gives me are often not realistic. For my personal life, I am now creating boundaries with my volunteering. The person I am supposed to be helping has been stringing me along and as much as my mother wants me to keep trying I am getting frustrated. I do not like chasing people when it's not related to work! Like many Social Workers I have been so good at giving thoughtful advice to others, and now I am beginning to realize I deserve the same amount of consideration for myself. I am learning what I can handle and what my boundaries are and I am now starting to put up a fight when both are being threatened.
As Always,
Patti
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Should You Take a Temporary Social Work Job?
Hi Readers,
Some of you might be currently working in a temporary social work job while others may be considering it. I know of several social workers who have taken a temporary position - often to cover a maternity leave. I myself have never had a temporary social work job but here are my thoughts on it based on the observations made from the experiences of my temp social work colleagues.
You may be new to the city, fresh out of school, burnt out in your current position, or recently laid off. You need a job as soon as possible and the only job you could find or were offered is a temporary one. Hmm, now the question becomes should you accept it or wait for a permanent position to come up? Here are the pros and cons to accepting a temporary social work position which might help you to make your decision:
PROS
- You are not committed to remain at the job for a long period of time so if you don't like it you can leave when the term is over
Some of you might be currently working in a temporary social work job while others may be considering it. I know of several social workers who have taken a temporary position - often to cover a maternity leave. I myself have never had a temporary social work job but here are my thoughts on it based on the observations made from the experiences of my temp social work colleagues.
You may be new to the city, fresh out of school, burnt out in your current position, or recently laid off. You need a job as soon as possible and the only job you could find or were offered is a temporary one. Hmm, now the question becomes should you accept it or wait for a permanent position to come up? Here are the pros and cons to accepting a temporary social work position which might help you to make your decision:
PROS
- You are not committed to remain at the job for a long period of time so if you don't like it you can leave when the term is over
- You get to try out different types of social work areas before settling on one
- If you end up in a toxic work environment you can feel better knowing you will not be there forever
- You get the opportunity to network with different colleagues, supervisors and managers and you can use those connections in the future
- If you don't like living in one place for too long it is easier to move around with a temporary position
- You get to test out the job and if you like it and prove to be good at it, your employer is more likely to consider you should a similar full time position come up
CONS
- You don't have the security of a permanent income
- It could be hard saying goodbye to your clients and co-workers if you have good relationships with both
- It is harder to make long term plans if you don't know where you are going to be work-wise in the future
- You are concerned a lot of social work positions on your resume over a short period of time won't be attractive to future employers
- You loose out on the opportunity to move up in the organization which can only occur with time and experience
For myself, there were times I wish I had accepted temporary positions instead of permanent ones especially for some of the more stressful social work jobs I have had. It would have made it easier to move on since the decision of leaving would have been out of my hands. I wish employers would offer short listed candidates the opportunity to job shadow to see what the job is really about. I think a lot of us would have second thoughts after a close examination of the work environment and duties. However, some employers are betting on our naivete to fill high turnover high burnout positions. But whatever route you go, just be sure to listen to your heart and weigh the pros and cons carefully.
As Always,
Patti
Monday, 4 November 2013
Career Planning and the Social Worker
Hi Readers,
I have been racking my brain over the few weeks about what my work options are. I admit, in the last week work has calmed down more however the stress is still there. I am trying my best to decrease my responsibilities on the weekends so at least I can have a couple of days to relax. It is nice not to have a schedule, to sleep in and distract myself with some good t.v. During the rest of my spare time I research different careers in the hope that there is something out there that can better meet my needs. But it's not easy, especially with my social worker's critical eye. I read between the lines and see heaping amounts of responsibility, or crazy work hours or a lot of travel. Sigh. Then I start all over again.
I look at my agency which has several offices in different cities and I wonder if there is a position in another office that might be a better fit. I have even agreed to learn some new work tasks which could parlay into having the experience to do another job at my agency. It's a job with very limited travel and regular hours. However, I think it would be very challenging to finally get this job as it does not become available very often (like a couple times a decade!).
And then I had an idea yesterday which hit me like a bolt of lightening. I don't know why I didn't seriously consider this before. What about doing social work PART TIME? In about five years I will be able to afford to do this and I know there are positions at my agency that are part-time. It would allow me to have more time to pursue hobbies, volunteering and finally attain the elusive creature otherwise known as work life balance. Less pressure, less stress, less anxiety. It seems so appealing, especially if I can still have benefits as a part time worker. I do feel some guilt since I don't have a family as I imagine the reasons why many women who work part time due so because of family obligations. But I also know that keeping up with this hectic pace is insanity and I want to be able to enjoy my life more. I don't want to wait until I retire before I get to do all the things I wanted to do in my life.
However, career planning for social workers can be tricky. We always need to think a few steps ahead from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. And things can change so quickly like our health or our family situation. Our agencies also change and so do our job descriptions. The things we wanted for ourselves may no longer suffice. We may have reached our ultimate career goal and then find out we want something different. My only recommendation is try and see your career in small blocks. Imagine yourself where you want to be in the next year or five years. Then when you reach that new phase imagine new goals for yourself. And try to remember it is not one straight line up to the top. You do not need to become a supervisor or manager if that does not fit with your values, personality or talents. You can move up and then move back down. Or you can move across to do something different. There are many career options out there for us social workers and don't feel limited by other people's opinions of what your career path should look like. Listen to your body, mind and heart. I know I haven't taken a traditional career path, although whatever moves I make next I want them to be better-informed then the ones I made before.
As Always,
Patti
I have been racking my brain over the few weeks about what my work options are. I admit, in the last week work has calmed down more however the stress is still there. I am trying my best to decrease my responsibilities on the weekends so at least I can have a couple of days to relax. It is nice not to have a schedule, to sleep in and distract myself with some good t.v. During the rest of my spare time I research different careers in the hope that there is something out there that can better meet my needs. But it's not easy, especially with my social worker's critical eye. I read between the lines and see heaping amounts of responsibility, or crazy work hours or a lot of travel. Sigh. Then I start all over again.
I look at my agency which has several offices in different cities and I wonder if there is a position in another office that might be a better fit. I have even agreed to learn some new work tasks which could parlay into having the experience to do another job at my agency. It's a job with very limited travel and regular hours. However, I think it would be very challenging to finally get this job as it does not become available very often (like a couple times a decade!).
And then I had an idea yesterday which hit me like a bolt of lightening. I don't know why I didn't seriously consider this before. What about doing social work PART TIME? In about five years I will be able to afford to do this and I know there are positions at my agency that are part-time. It would allow me to have more time to pursue hobbies, volunteering and finally attain the elusive creature otherwise known as work life balance. Less pressure, less stress, less anxiety. It seems so appealing, especially if I can still have benefits as a part time worker. I do feel some guilt since I don't have a family as I imagine the reasons why many women who work part time due so because of family obligations. But I also know that keeping up with this hectic pace is insanity and I want to be able to enjoy my life more. I don't want to wait until I retire before I get to do all the things I wanted to do in my life.
However, career planning for social workers can be tricky. We always need to think a few steps ahead from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow. And things can change so quickly like our health or our family situation. Our agencies also change and so do our job descriptions. The things we wanted for ourselves may no longer suffice. We may have reached our ultimate career goal and then find out we want something different. My only recommendation is try and see your career in small blocks. Imagine yourself where you want to be in the next year or five years. Then when you reach that new phase imagine new goals for yourself. And try to remember it is not one straight line up to the top. You do not need to become a supervisor or manager if that does not fit with your values, personality or talents. You can move up and then move back down. Or you can move across to do something different. There are many career options out there for us social workers and don't feel limited by other people's opinions of what your career path should look like. Listen to your body, mind and heart. I know I haven't taken a traditional career path, although whatever moves I make next I want them to be better-informed then the ones I made before.
As Always,
Patti
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Supervisor Update Part 1
Hi Everyone,
I figured I would give you an update about my work situation. The rest of the week has been equally stressful as it was earlier. More crises came up at work which had to be dealt with. I suppose that is one of the hardest things I find about my work - the surprises. I feel like I have everything under control and then another thing comes up and I have to jump into crisis mode. It's terrible for my anxiety and I am starting to get physical symptoms too like chest pain. My supervisor is not helping either. The other day she said that basically my clients like her more than me. Sigh. That was the last thing I needed to hear at the end of a very long week. What she doesn't understand is that I need to ensure my programs are following policy and I can't always be their best friend. It is not that I am mean to them or unfair, I am just doing my job. And not being in a front line position, I don't think my supervisor can understand that. She then also gave me a dig about how much time I had spent at a program. Another sigh. I don't know if I intimidate her or she thinks I will eventually go after her job but that's not the case. Maybe this is one of the drawbacks in working in a mostly female dominated field - the drama.
For the past several weeks I have been considering my options. I have enough debt that I need to stay at this job for at least 3-5 years. I wonder about transferring to another position within my agency after that but to be honest I am getting tired of dealing with the public and having a caseload. Since I am an introvert I am wondering if I should look at something quieter and more suited to my character. I believe I went into social work with the best intentions of wanting to help people but there are so many other things involved. I would love for my world to be more concrete instead of constantly having to consult and interpret grey policies to do my job. I suppose it's more independence I am after. But I don't want to consider a large decrease in pay either. I have looked at some online certificate programs that are quite different from social work - but I feel that eventually I will become unsatisfied with those jobs as well.
I am greatly inspired when I read stories of people leaving their cubicles to travel but I don't know if I am that adventurous. I have done my best to limit my obligations - I have no husband or children but I do have my debts. However, once they are paid I will have more freedom. Of course, there is also the option of staying in my job and field. New supervisors and management will come and then go. The agency will change and so will my duties in the future. I could travel more as a way of making up for my stress at work but I am afraid of becoming angry and bitter inside. Maybe the key is getting out of an office environment or finding a job where I can work more on my own with a routine set of tasks since I seem to do better with routine.
My mother has suggested I speak to a career counselor about my options and I agree with her. It is something I am going to pursue in the new year. She asks me when I am going to stay in one job for a while and stop moving around. To be honest I don't find that very fair. Several of my co-workers have tried different social work jobs and there are others who I know who have left the field entirely. It's a fine balance for me, I need to protect my health while also supporting myself. I think a lot of people are in this boat and not just social workers. Society puts a lot of demands on us - to be confident, successful, wealthy, expert multi-taskers. And if we don't fit or reject the mould we are seen as social misfits and questioned by any and all. But deep down I think a lot of us are just trying to find our place in this world and many through our jobs. However, since I don't see my situation changing any time soon I have resolved this week that I am not going to let the drama and crises get to me since I won't be in this job forever.
As Always,
Patti
I figured I would give you an update about my work situation. The rest of the week has been equally stressful as it was earlier. More crises came up at work which had to be dealt with. I suppose that is one of the hardest things I find about my work - the surprises. I feel like I have everything under control and then another thing comes up and I have to jump into crisis mode. It's terrible for my anxiety and I am starting to get physical symptoms too like chest pain. My supervisor is not helping either. The other day she said that basically my clients like her more than me. Sigh. That was the last thing I needed to hear at the end of a very long week. What she doesn't understand is that I need to ensure my programs are following policy and I can't always be their best friend. It is not that I am mean to them or unfair, I am just doing my job. And not being in a front line position, I don't think my supervisor can understand that. She then also gave me a dig about how much time I had spent at a program. Another sigh. I don't know if I intimidate her or she thinks I will eventually go after her job but that's not the case. Maybe this is one of the drawbacks in working in a mostly female dominated field - the drama.
For the past several weeks I have been considering my options. I have enough debt that I need to stay at this job for at least 3-5 years. I wonder about transferring to another position within my agency after that but to be honest I am getting tired of dealing with the public and having a caseload. Since I am an introvert I am wondering if I should look at something quieter and more suited to my character. I believe I went into social work with the best intentions of wanting to help people but there are so many other things involved. I would love for my world to be more concrete instead of constantly having to consult and interpret grey policies to do my job. I suppose it's more independence I am after. But I don't want to consider a large decrease in pay either. I have looked at some online certificate programs that are quite different from social work - but I feel that eventually I will become unsatisfied with those jobs as well.
I am greatly inspired when I read stories of people leaving their cubicles to travel but I don't know if I am that adventurous. I have done my best to limit my obligations - I have no husband or children but I do have my debts. However, once they are paid I will have more freedom. Of course, there is also the option of staying in my job and field. New supervisors and management will come and then go. The agency will change and so will my duties in the future. I could travel more as a way of making up for my stress at work but I am afraid of becoming angry and bitter inside. Maybe the key is getting out of an office environment or finding a job where I can work more on my own with a routine set of tasks since I seem to do better with routine.
My mother has suggested I speak to a career counselor about my options and I agree with her. It is something I am going to pursue in the new year. She asks me when I am going to stay in one job for a while and stop moving around. To be honest I don't find that very fair. Several of my co-workers have tried different social work jobs and there are others who I know who have left the field entirely. It's a fine balance for me, I need to protect my health while also supporting myself. I think a lot of people are in this boat and not just social workers. Society puts a lot of demands on us - to be confident, successful, wealthy, expert multi-taskers. And if we don't fit or reject the mould we are seen as social misfits and questioned by any and all. But deep down I think a lot of us are just trying to find our place in this world and many through our jobs. However, since I don't see my situation changing any time soon I have resolved this week that I am not going to let the drama and crises get to me since I won't be in this job forever.
As Always,
Patti
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Supervision and the Social Worker
Hello Dear Readers,
As promised, I am updating more regularly now!
I am experiencing something at work which I would like to discuss. For the most part I have a great supervisor. We hang out sometimes outside of work, and she is usually readily available to go over questions or complex situations with me. She is close in age to me and we have some common interests. The problem I am having is that at home she texts me about work. This in turn gets me anxious about work because I am not there to address the issues. Another big problem is that when something goes wrong at work she makes me feel responsible for it, even when it is out of my control. If a client wants our agency to do something for them and it does not necessarily follow policy she makes me feel like the bad guy for questioning it. However if something was to go wrong I know I would get in trouble. I work very hard for my clients and am very thorough in my process however my supervisor constantly points out flaws in my methods. I always get my work done well but it never feels good enough. It's like I am always doing something wrong and it eats at my self esteem and confidence. It's like I will never be good enough at my job or have enough knowledge as she has.
Hmm, what is a social worker to do? I feel like she is selling me out and siding with my clients when it is convenient to her. It's times like this I want to run away screaming from my social work/office environment. And when I say office environment I mean that I know this happens at many other work places. It is not exclusive just to social workers. In sucks knowing that your supervisor does not have your back - and that they do not care about your feelings. And as my mother likes to say, your boss is not your friend. This is one of the reasons why I cannot see myself in a management position. This is because the higher up you go the more political your position becomes. You become terrified the clients will complain if they don't get what they want. And that is the problem with having such a public social work job - everyone is watching for your decisions but you can't make everyone happy.
As Always,
Patti
As promised, I am updating more regularly now!
I am experiencing something at work which I would like to discuss. For the most part I have a great supervisor. We hang out sometimes outside of work, and she is usually readily available to go over questions or complex situations with me. She is close in age to me and we have some common interests. The problem I am having is that at home she texts me about work. This in turn gets me anxious about work because I am not there to address the issues. Another big problem is that when something goes wrong at work she makes me feel responsible for it, even when it is out of my control. If a client wants our agency to do something for them and it does not necessarily follow policy she makes me feel like the bad guy for questioning it. However if something was to go wrong I know I would get in trouble. I work very hard for my clients and am very thorough in my process however my supervisor constantly points out flaws in my methods. I always get my work done well but it never feels good enough. It's like I am always doing something wrong and it eats at my self esteem and confidence. It's like I will never be good enough at my job or have enough knowledge as she has.
Hmm, what is a social worker to do? I feel like she is selling me out and siding with my clients when it is convenient to her. It's times like this I want to run away screaming from my social work/office environment. And when I say office environment I mean that I know this happens at many other work places. It is not exclusive just to social workers. In sucks knowing that your supervisor does not have your back - and that they do not care about your feelings. And as my mother likes to say, your boss is not your friend. This is one of the reasons why I cannot see myself in a management position. This is because the higher up you go the more political your position becomes. You become terrified the clients will complain if they don't get what they want. And that is the problem with having such a public social work job - everyone is watching for your decisions but you can't make everyone happy.
As Always,
Patti
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