1. What exactly do you do?
- What field is your job in?
Social Services - What is your job title?
Social Service Worker - Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for (size and general description of what type of organization it is)
i work for child protective services. it is with the county & i deal with child abusers, etc. we have several offices which contain about 1,000 people.
- How long have you been employed in this position?
5 years - How many hours do you work a week on average?
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
40 - Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
i am a social worker who goes & assesses houses for kids to live in. i make sure that there is water, food, the toilet flushes and that the child has an adequate amount of shelter
- What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
43000 - What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
435000 - Please list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation, sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
medical, dental, vacation, sick leave, 401k - Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
I feel like I work hard for the salary that I receive, so I am probably under-compensated.
2. Work environment!
- Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Yes, sometimes I am required to make home visits to assess client's homes. I enjoy meeting new people and collborating.
- Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes - Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes - Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it
This job requires me to constantly be asking my supervisor & co-workers questions about the tasks that I am performing. I enjoy learning more about the process.
- Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
- 1 Income
- 8 Work Environment - co-workers
- 3 Work Environment - supervisors
- 6 Benefits
- 4 Hours
- 5 Level of responsibility
- 7 The actual "work" you do at your job
- 2 Job Title
3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours?
- If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
I would recommend that the person start working in this field at an early age. Meaning, they should get an internship with the county when they are in college. This opens more doors. Also, it also helps if you know people in this field. Networking will help you a lot.
- What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social skills, organization skills, technical skills)
I think that a person needs to have an actual desire to help children because if you don't, then you won't perform well on the job. This job is very stressful, so you have to make sure that you love what you do.
- Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, you need a BA in psychology,sociology or social work - What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
I would tell them that this is a hard job and you have to be willing to work really hard. This job is very stressful but it is also very rewarding.
4. How did you get your J-O-B
- How did you find your current job? (e.g. newspaper, internet, referral, etc.)
I found it on the internet. - What was the application process for your job? (e.g. submitted resume, paper application, electronic application, all, etc.)
I submitted a resume online. And then, I had to take a test to make sure that I had the right qualifications. - Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail? (e.g., number of interviews, who you interviewed with, group interview, individual interview, etc.)
Yes, the interview process consisted of two people asking me questions about social services. They, then judged me on how well I answered those 6 questions. I only had one interview, thank god! - If you can remember, what questions were you asked at your interview?
No, I can't remember now because it was about 10 months ago. - Is this the job / field you planned to work in?
Yes - If your job is in a different field from your original plan how did you get here? Explain (Plan can be from high school/college/post college/personal plan)
This job is in the same field that I originally wanted to work in.
5. Background: Are you qualified?
- Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Before I actually started the job, there was a 3 month training. In all honesty, it was not beneficial because it basically taught us about things that were common knowledge. But I did get paid for those 3 months of training, so I'm not complaining. - Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain
Yes, I still get a lot of on-the-job training which is very helpful because it makes me better at what I do. - Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain
Definitely, without having a background in sociology, I would have been at a disadvantage because all of the things I deal with at work are directly related to what I learned in college. - If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare you for your job?
6. The Future and Beyond (FINAL SECTION)
- If someone were to observe you at work, what would he or she say is "fun" about your job?
What is fun, is how I am able to travel to different places & meet new people. I love taking the company car & travelling to someone's house to do an assessment. It is one of the most fun things. - What is (are) the most fulfilling aspect(s) and least fulfilling aspect(s) of your current employment? (e.g. fiscal, spiritual, type of work, hours, commute, compensation, etc.)
most fulfilling-meeting new people, doing my job for the safety of the kids, the people I work with & knowing that what I do makes a difference. least fulfilling-low salary, cliques at work, some of the "big shots" are morons - Is your current employment part of your career plan? Why or why not?
Yes, because I plan on possibly continuing my education, so that I can be a therapist & this job will look good on my resume if I decide to do so. - What are your current career goals? (Can be broad or specific)
To stay in the "helping profession" and make a difference by becoming a therapist. I enjoy giving people advice so I would love to do that. - Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Nope, I pretty much said it all.
7. A Day in the Life Of...
- 7 am - 8 am
I get to work at 7:00am. I checked my e-mail messages. There was nothing interesting about checking the company e-mail because I basically get irrelevant junk mail that just bores me. So, I check my phone messages but the one message I received was a wrong number, so I delete it. - 8 am - 9 am
My supervisor arrives at 8am, and I had an important call from a client. The client tells me that she would like to re-schedule the home assessment but doesn't give me a legitimate reason as to why. Then, after my prompting her, she says that she is no longer interested in adopting her sister's son because he is a "pest". The client starts getting mad at me because she says that I am making her feel guilty which I am not but she interprets my understanding for anger. - 9 am - 10 am
I staff the call with my supervisor because I like to let her know every single important thing that happens. She tells me to close the case, so I do. She also tells me to call the social worker on that case, so I can explain the situation which I do. The social worker on the case does not seem surprised because she describes the potential caregiver as having an anger problem so it is nothing unusual. - 10 am - 11 am
I start checking the live scan log, so that I can close some of my referrals. Still no results for any of my clients. My phone starts ringing like crazy. several of my potential caregivers have called and are asking what is taking so long to certify their home. I explain the situation but they are getting annoyed, as am i by all those phone calls... - 11 am - 12 am
we have a meeting where the 2 supervisor's talk about what they expect from us. they want us to dress more professionally, no jeans. they also want all of us to attend all of the meetings. they also want us to ask more questions, if we don't understand something. just found out that we will be getting a new supervisor. not too happy because i really like my sup. she is tough but still treats me like a human being which i really like. we are having a going away lunch for her on the 19th. - 12 am - 1 pm
- 1 pm - 2 pm
i go to perris for a home assessment. when i arrive, the caregiver happily greets me. i explain the orientation packet with the title 22 procedures. she asks me about what i look for when i certify a house & i tell her that i make sure that there are no safety hazards for the child. - 2 pm - 3 pm
i start checking her house. the rooms are big & clean. the fridge is well stocked w/food. the smoke detectors work. the water is warm. the toilets flush and the home is free from hazard. i go to the backyard and see a dead dog's carcus rotting. Oh oh. I can't certify the house & ask her about the dog. - 3 pm - 4 pm
I start checking the live scan log, so that I can close some of my referrals. Still no results for any of my clients. My phone starts ringing like crazy. several of my potential caregivers have called and are asking what is taking so long to certify their home. I explain the situation but they are getting annoyed, as am i by all those phone calls... - 4 pm - 5 pm
i come back to the office & tell my sup what i saw. i explained that there was no way in hell that i would certify that house & she agreed. we staffed it with the regional manager who agreed that i should not be approving the placement of a young child in a home that has a mentally ill woman. i start writing a denial letter regarding why i cannot certify the house. - 5 pm - 6 pm
work finished at 5:30pm, so I am on my way home. i drive on the freeway and it takes me 30 minutes to get home. - 6 pm - 7 pm
- 7 pm - 8 pm
- 8 pm - 9 pm
- 9 pm - 10 pm
- 10 pm - 11 pm
- 11 pm - 12 pm