Officially 5 years old!

My first day at work in 2006, how size and fashion has changed....

The past week actually marked the day that I have officially completed 5 years as a social worker! I remember like how it was yesterday that I remarked to one of my colleagues (who then had completed 5 years), "Wow! How did you manage to stay so long in Social Work?!", in a blunt and non-empathic manner. How time has flown, and now I am 5 years old in the agency (and my colleague is now 10 years!! Bwahahah).

Indeed, it has been an extreme rollercoaster ride of sorts, with various periods of highs intertwined with the really bad lows. It has not been an easy ride, and there were some points in the journey that I contemplated packing it all in and giving up. I have grown not only professionally but more importantly personally in how I view relationships and philosophies in our contemporary world today. I have grown to appreciate our lot in life, and more importantly the ability to empathise with the difficulties and pain of those less fortunate.

I learnt to face my own past traumas of a semi-troubled past by repeatedly reliving them vicarously through the experiences of my own clients, which enabled me to process all these unresolved emotions and thoughts. I now find myself at somewhat more at peace with myself and who I am. 

How have I managed to "survive" these 5 years? 

I attribute it to the following reasons.

1. Having passion for the job

Yes, as cliched as it sounds, this job is indeed a calling. There have been days where things have been really challenging, and yet, its the change you see in the clients who work with you that ignite the flames of passion. It lies not in their gratitude, but in the knowledge that you have made a tiny bit of difference in their lives. As much as I sometimes tell people about the opportunity costs lost, should I have made a tiny change in decision making at various courses of my life, deep down I know there is probably no other place I'd rather be other than working with people and the community.

Being passionate means that you don't need to dichotomise work and play. They are interrelated and intertwined. 

 

2. Having competent and supportive supervisors.

I've had my share of the not so good supervisory experiences, and count myself blessed to have great ones as well. Supervisory support was not only essential for transition but also to keep me going and motivated, where I can have the feeling that there is someone "looking out" for me when I need support for cases. One cannot underestimate the importance of a supervisory relationship in worker transition and retention. 

 

3. Being in constant flux of learning

Everyday is a new day: Learning comes not only from supervisors, but also your peers and even your supervisees. I find myself more motivated as I learn new things from courses attended. One thing being in this profession has taught me is the value of suspending your judgement first and listening to one's point of view, before pushing forth your own agenda and views. 

 

4. Having awesome colleagues.

Yeps, as much as I don't admit it as much, its having a team of great like minded colleagues who make the workplace fun. I've had the initial close knit group we had, going through a period of transition and mass exodus in the agency, and the big family we have now. It is evident that having a team that not only works hard together, but yet find snippets of time for enjoyment, is crucial towards creating a supportive atmosphere. 

 

5. Having my own social worker assigned to me

This is one very important thing that has kept me going through the years.  I assigned my case to her even before I decided to make social work my only major in University. She has been a sounding board to my fears, anxieties and worries over the years, and creates a collaborative atmosphere so that we can discuss the goals and work on a possible action plan to resolve the challenges that face me. She works well with an emotion focused approach, and can understand my underlying issues, and identify my primary needs and urges when it comes to matters of work. Although I am unable to tell her about the cases I work with due to confidentiality, she is able to address my confusions and dissonances by the simple act of being present. 

She is extremely accessible, not only because of the role of Voluntary Social Worker she plays, but also because of the very fact that she is my wife. 

=)

 

 

 

Comments

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I understand this post is a few years old, which means you're now 7, 8 years into your social work career? May I ask you something - have you ever felt burn-out, considering the nature of your job? At which point in your career (into what number of years) did you feel such, if you did? What do you do to prevent burn-out? Am I right to say it is very real? Thanks for sharing... :)