Entry Level Qualification 

Class 12

Career Fields 

Humanities, Liberals Arts & Social Science

For Specially Abled 

,

Career Entrance Exam 

No Entrance Exam

About Career 

1. Social Work is a discipline that enables you to aid individuals, groups or communities suffering from social deprivation and enhance their individual or collective well-being by using various skills, knowledge and resources. It is a broad field which is interdisciplinary and has specializations like child & family social work, clinical, gerontology, school, labour welfare etc.

2. A social worker is someone who wants to help families, individuals, labors, groups, and communities by providing them social services and assistance. As a social worker, you are expected to provide your services to different sectors of the society, and also, act as a bridge between the government, NGOs and your clients or the community you are working in. You have to help afflicted people to get benefits from the government as well as get legal justice in domestic cases like a child or spousal abuse.

3. Social workers can also start or work in for-profit social enterprise. These enterprises work on social cause, but they are making profit. Due to their similarity to both corporate organizations and non-profit organizations, they are adapted to inherit positives from both. Like non-for profits, they work on social causes. However, like corporate, they have better ways of raising capital. Thus, they are not dependent on fundraising most of the times.

Key Roles And Responsibilities:

Every social worker has to learn these basic tasks which include:

1. Researching on different ways in which the general life of a client could be made better.

2. Providing counsel, advice or help to people who are going through challenging phases like unemployment or family problems.

3. Assisting individuals by connecting them with the community.

4. Advocating for the resources required to improve the lives of people.

5. Navigating different programmers by the government or NGOs so that it could be utilized by specific groups of people.

6. Collaborating with other professionals so as to evaluate a patient’s medical or physical condition so that the needs of a client can be assessed

7. Referring client, patient, or family to community resources so that they can be assisted in their recovery process through services like legal aid, financial assistance, education, and job placements.

8. Investigating cases of child abuse or neglect and taking authoritative action for protection where necessary.

9. Identifying the different environmental impediments that hinder patient or client progress through surveys and review of client records.

10. Organizing support groups or counseling family members so as to assist them in understanding or dealing with a patient or a client.

11. Monitoring, developing and evaluating client progress as per measurable goals in treatment or care plan.

Career Entry Pathway 

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies - UG (Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with specialisation in Rural Development)

Once you’ve completed Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies, you can pursue Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies. You can then pursue Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with specialisation in Rural Development.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies - UG (Bachelor of Social Work) - PG (Master of Social Work/Master of Arts in Social Work/or similar courses

Once you’ve completed Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies, you can pursue Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies. You can then pursue Bachelor of Social Work. Then, you can move on to postgraduate degrees like Master of Social Work/Master of Arts in Social Work (Children & Families)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Children & Families)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Criminology & Justice)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Dalit & Tribal Studies and Action)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Disability Studies & Action)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Mental Health)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Public Health)/Master of Arts in Social Work (Women-Centred Practice).

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies - UG (Bachelor in any field) - PG (Master of Social Work).

Once you’ve completed Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies, you can pursue Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies. You can then pursue Bachelor’s in any field. Then, you can move on to postgraduate degrees like Master of Social Work where you gain a specialization and have more advanced skills to deal with different sectors like mental, education and health fields.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies - UG (Bachelor in any field) - Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work

Once you’ve completed Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies, you can pursue Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies. You can then pursue Bachelor’s in any field. Then you have to get a Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work which delivers the knowledge of the development of social work and how to utilize it in the practical field. A post-graduate diploma makes you eligible for jobs in NGOs, Human right cells, correctional facilities, etc.

Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies - Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies - UG (Bachelor of Social Work) - PG (Master of Social Work) -Ph.D In Social Work

Once you’ve completed Class 10 all subjects as per scheme of studies, you can pursue Class 11-12 with any subject as per scheme of studies. You can then pursue Bachelor of Social Work. Then, you can move on to postgraduate degrees like Master of Social Work and choose your specialization. After that, you can go for a doctoral degree so that you can be tested regarding your critical thinking, ability to handle practical work and also your potential for research purposes.

Required Qualification & Competencies 

1. Undergraduate Studies After School:

It is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree to become a successful Social Worker. A Bachelor of Social Work/Bachelor of Arts in Social Work with specialization in Rural Development will give you an entry-level job and engage you in specialized fields like Social Work, Education Studies and Social Work and Rural Development (Social Work), You may also do a graduation in any subject and then do a Master degree in Social Work.

2. Post Graduate studies:

For a specialized knowledge of Social Work, you can opt for a Master degree in various fields such as: Social Work/Social Work (Children & Families)/Social Work (Criminology & Justice)/Social Work (Dalit & Tribal Studies and Action)/Social Work (Disability Studies & Action)/Social Work (Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship)/ Social Work (Mental Health)/Social Work (Public Health)/Social Work (Women-Centred Practice).

3. Doctoral Studies:

You can do a Ph.D. in a specialized field of Social Work such as Children & Families, Criminology & Justice, Dalit & Tribal Studies and Action, Disability Studies & Action, Livelihoods, and Social Entrepreneurship, Mental Health, Public Health, Women-Centered Practice, etc.

​​​​​​​Competencies Required

Occupational Interests:

1. Social: Social Occupations require individuals to communicate, work and teach in social settings. It involves helping others or providing service to others.

2. Enterprising: Enterprising occupations means that they can frequently start or lead a project. They are generally risk-takers and make many decisions.

Personality Traits

1. Must be concerned about others

2. Must be flexible or adaptable to changes

3. Must be reliable and dependable

4. Must be honest and ethical

Skills:

1. Critical thinking skills

2. Must be able to convey information properly

3. Must be aware of social perceptions as to how one reacts to a specific response.

4. Should be an active listener and understand points clearly.

5. Must be able to make appropriate judgments or decisions

Abilities:

1. Ability to sense a problem if something is wrong or will go wrong

2. Ability to apply general rules to a problem and deduce logical answers

3. Ability to handle and deal with different ideas at the same time.

Career - Job Opportunities & Profiles 

There are several areas in which social workers are necessary. Some of the sectors which require social workers are:

1. NGOs

2. Correctional Homes

3. Education Centers

4. Residential Care Organizations

5. Mental Health Clinic

6. Hospitals

7. Settlement Homes

8. Community Development Corporations

9. Corporate Social Responsibility departments of various medium to large scale companies such as Infosys, AV Biral Group of Companies, Tata Trust, etc.

Some of the NGOs which employ social workers are:

1. GOONJ

2. Smile Foundation

3. Helpage India

4. Care India

Some of the entry-level positions of a graduate (Bachelor’s degree) in Social work are:

1. Project Assistant

2. Funding Associate

3. Executive Volunteer Engagement

4. Development Executive

Some of the entry-level job positions of a postgraduate (Master’s degree) in Social work are:

1. Project Associate

2. Assistant Development Manager

3. Project Executive

4. Assistant Manager - Volunteer Engagement


​​​​​​​Specialisation Tracks In This Career

1. Child and Family Social Worker

Child and family social worker tries to ensure that the children of all ages are secure and safe within the family unit. You might have to be a therapist of individual children or entire families. As aa child and family social worker, you have to work in communities as family is a unit of a community. You might work in various setting and might be called by hospitals or other institutions for help.

2. Geriatric Social Worker

Geriatric social work focuses on the welfare of the aging population. You have to provide different kinds of services for the older section of the society, which may include therapy and counseling. As a Geriatric Social Worker, you can be employed by activities director in a nursing home or a community center.

3. Medical and Public Health Social Worker

Medical and public health social workers tend to work in public health sectors and try to help in improving the general quality of life of different patients. You may have to work in nursing homes, hospitals or health agencies, and assist in advocating patient’s rights, or securing the necessary care needed by the patient. You might have to deal with the family too and look after their emotional wellbeing as well.

4. School Social Worker

School social workers generally act as a link between students, families, teachers and administration. You have to look into specific areas of school work which includes crisis intervention, truancy, health and sexual education, and other aspects so as to bring a general health back into the school.

5. Clinical Social Worker

Clinical social workers generally provide counseling services and treatment plans to different sectors of individuals. You need an advanced degree like Masters to be a clinical social worker which will make you eligible to serve in substance abuse centres, juvenile abuse centres, prisons and mental health centres.

6. Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurship refers to doing business for a social cause. In this case, as a social worker, you may combine commerce and social issues so as to improve the lives of people by developing a revenue model and using it to further your cause. Government grants can be an important source of funding for such organizations.

7. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Professional

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Professionals work in various social service focused roles in different medium to large scale corporate organizations such as Tata Steel, Reliance Industries Limited, AV Birla Group of Companies, TCS, and Infosys. Many corporate organizations spend money to address social issues related to healthcare, education, employment, gender discrimination, hunger, and so on. The force behind this kind of spending is a desire to contribute to social and economic development of a community or the country as a whole. Apart from own will, corporate organizations are also mandated under Indian Company Laws to spend a certain percentage of their profits on social activities. CSR Professionals work with various corporate organizations to plan and implement various projects which aim to make various groups of people, communities, or even a country as a whole solve a social problem or address a social issue effectively.

Career Growth

A social worker has to work as an assistant alongside an experienced social worker. This will help you with formal training in the field of social work. Generally, you can advance from this level and enter into advanced social services in professional NGOs. It is also possible for social workers to enter into managerial roles so as to work on policies and developmental issues. Finally, a premium organization like UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, and other international organization require professional social workers to go for development programming in developing countries.

Salary Offered  

The salary of a social worker may start off as modest, going up to Rs.12,000 - 15,000 per month. However, a mid-level salary can go up to Rs.20,000 - 80,000 or more per month. If you have gathered enough experience as a social worker and can work hard for long hours, then you can also get a senior level salary of about Rs.40,000 - 2,50,000 per month or more.

Monthly Earnings In Indian Rupee 

1. Entry level: 0 - 2 years of work experience

2. Junior Level: From 1 to 12 years of work experience

3. Mid Level: From 5 to 20+ years of work experience

4. Senior Level: From 10 to 25+ years of work experience (there could be exceptions in some high-end technical, financial, engineering, creative, management, sports, and other careers; also in the near future, people will reach these levels much faster in many careers and in some careers, these levels will have no meaning as those careers will be completely tech skill driven such as even now, there is almost no level in a Cyber Security Expert’s job)

Famous Personalities 

Not Available

Work Activities 

As a social worker, you have to work in different sections of society with different individuals and try to help them to achieve a better standard of living. There are certain core skills that the social worker should master:

1. Coaching and developing: Identifying training and professional development needs of others; coaching and training them to develop skills to perform tasks and improve performance.

2. Creative thinking: Developing new ideas, concepts, innovative solutions to problems, newer ways of getting things done, designing products and services, creating work of art and craft, etc.

3. Assisting and caring for people: Assisting people in availing of services; taking care of people in different situations; offering help and services to others.

4. Developing and maintaining inter-personal relationships: Developing professional relationships with co-workers and others outside organizations and maintaining good relationships.

5. Getting Information and learning: Observing, hearing, reading, using computers, or otherwise obtaining information and learning from it.