A career in social work might be the key to your happiness

If you have been putting off completing a social work course, even though you have always known that giving back is written in the stars for you, then we have some news for you…

In 2017, a huge US survey aimed to find the country’s happiest jobs and during their studies found one, stand out commonality. Dr Tom W. Smith, the author of the study, stated “the most satisfying jobs are mostly professions, especially those involving caring for, teaching, protecting others and creative pursuits.’

Finding happiness is a collectively recognized desire and it makes sense that our working life will play a pivotal role in the scheme of things. After all, a lot of us spend most of our time at work. This concept has sparked countless studies into the connection between happy people and their jobs and whether these two are intrinsically entwined. Turns out that to an extent, yes, the work we do plays a significant part in our overall feelings of fulfilment and happiness. Some of the jobs that were deemed the most satisfying were education administrators, firefighters, office supervisors and special education teachers. It quickly becomes clear that giving back to others, especially as a profession, is connected to greater feelings of happiness. This is called “helper’s high”.

Doing good work transcends into your personal life

Aristotle wrote that finding fulfilment and happiness is acquired by “loving rather than in being loved”. In particular, volunteer work has been shown to be directly correlated with greater happiness and tapering levels of depression. More so, another study has revealed that helping others at work positively affects your personal life.

The function of social work is helping people through times of crisis or social mishaps. Social workers actively work to help alleviate community’s deprivation and fill societal scarcities with positive influence, such as providing support to those who have nothing or no one. It is a sector that is utterly devoted to the betterment of society and the lives of others.

What’s your purpose?

During their conversations with our students, our Course and Career Advisers always want to know what it is that drives people to pursue social work courses. Most of the responses they receive are littered with sentiments like ‘I want to make a difference’ or ‘I want to help other people.’ It almost always stems from a desire to fulfil a greater purpose in life.

It’s no surprise now that so many people pursue social work, especially considering the positive implications it has on their wellbeing beyond the workplace. The results of these studies even go as far to show that if by the end of the workday, you feel that your work has made a difference in other’s lives, you will feel more positively by bedtime.

It’s not always fun and games…

It’s important to highlight that although social work is one of the most rewarding and satisfying careers, social workers also face tough circumstances and environments. Which is why those employed in this field are usually resilient, assertive and self-assured. Social work courses help train workers to efficiently tackle confronting situations head-on, both efficiently and effectively without jeopardising their wellbeing. To see the range of social work courses available to you, click here.

Whether you are on the pursuit of happiness or you have been on the fence about taking the plunge into a new career, we can help you figure out how to best progress with your future. Click here for a free phone consultation about all the options available to you and remember, no one controls your happiness but yourself.