Running Head: SELF AND CAREER

Myself and Career Paper

By: Colleen Santos ID #: 6697213 For: Rogers Mainland Preparing For College Conestoga College December 6, 2013

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Part 1 Introduction I feel that becoming a Child and Youth Worker would best suit me for my career. I have felt this way for a long time, and Im very serious as to pursuing it. I have a lot of experience with children, and I absolutely love them. I understand what they are trying to say, even when it doesnt come out very clear. I also worked in a day care with children, and I get along with them very well. Children seem to feel comfortable with me, and that makes me more confident as to becoming a social worker for children. Personal Skills, Values, and Interests I have experienced many social workers through-out my childhood, most which were scary to me and made me want to hide instead of expressing my emotions. I would take what I experienced into consideration to be able to make the best environment possible for the child. Knowing from experience how to incorporate fun activities into session work, I feel will also give me a head start. I know how to ask a child for example to draw a picture of what their day was like, or what they were feeling that particular day. Things like pictures or games would help the child stay entertained but also freely expressing what they feel without always using speech. Another reason I feel like this role best suits me is because I am a very good listener. I focus on what that person is saying to me as best I can, I let them express any feelings they might want to share, and Im not a judgmental person. I give advice out to the best of my ability, and most times people find that extremely helpful. I feel that being a youth worker opposed to just a social worker because, I feel like I would be more comfortable myself with children and their problems. Lifestyle The lifestyle I would like to obtain when I am in the field consist of; my salary, the way I would be able to live, and my security along with my families in the future. My salary is important to me but not the most important. Having money is something you need to have in order to live and to support yourself and a family. In saying that, I dont need a huge salary to be able to live happy. Social workers dont make a lot of money, but as long as Im making a positive impact in the community I live in, or making a difference to someone I would be able to accept the money difference.

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Another life style subject that is important to me is maintaining a normal life outside of my job. I wouldnt want a job that makes me feel like I am a different person. I would like to be able to spend time with my family and not have everything based on my career, because my family comes first. Having my job and my personal life kept separate, is exactly what I would need to make a true decision on my career choice. I also would not want my family being involved with any of my work, or clients because that would put me and them in a bad position. The safety of my family is also a huge component to my choice on the career I would like to approach. As a helper, we are put into a lot of positions when we have to make hard discussions, such as deciding that said children should be removed from a house hold and from their parents care. We, as the decision makers are the ones to put the blame on by the parents and possibly the children themselves. In knowing that I could potentially be to blame, my number one concern is that my family is never put in the same category as me, when dealing with my career. Qualifications In order to obtain this career for my long term professional status, I have to be qualified enough. This goes past having a good heart, and intentions to help everyone. Huge amounts of education are required to be a part of this field. A post-secondary education is mandatory in order to be considered for any part of the social work environment. This education consists of education at the undergrad or grad level, with theoretical and practical courses. The Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is the normally the minimum requirement to obtain in order to be considered for this profession. In order to receive the BSW, a completion of four years in the undergraduate program is required. After completing all of these requirements, furthering the educational process towards a career in social work, would be achieving a masters degree (MSW). My goal is to complete all of these courses, due to the fact that having a MSW would give me a better reassurance to become a part of the social working field. (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2013) Day to Day Activities I would need to be able to be a voice for the people who are not being heard anywhere else, and for the people who are dealing with the feeling of being broken, to be able to help them

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put themselves back together. On a daily basis Child and Youth Workers help the community by identifying what children are in need for assistance with their safety and protection. By avoiding family interference as much as possible, except for when the childs wellbeing is at risk of harm. Counselling is one of the biggest parts of being a youth worker, and in order to be successful in this field, keeping the childs wellbeing and interests as first priority is a must. Helping them create a success plan in order to keep them looking forward and positive for their future. Letting the child get all their frustrations and hopes and dreams out, without judgments or interruptions is very important. Also as a social worker, referring clients to any help from community recourses that may be necessary is all a part of the job. (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2013) Positive Aspects There are many positive aspects when entering this field. Being able to have a child confine in you, with the reassurance of them feeling safe around you, would let you know youre making the difference. Being able to help someone who may not be able to help themselves, and knowing youre making a positive impact, not only on society but in someones life. Another positive aspect to this career would have to be that I would get to work with children. I have the biggest passion for children, because I see them as something that has so much joy, and even through the hardest of times, they always seem so beautiful. Negative Aspects There are negative aspects to this career path as well, but they dont come close to the positives. One of the difficulties I know I will struggle with will be letting go of a child. After you have helped a child by counselling them for so long, eventually the need for the assistance you were providing them may come to an end. I see that as a negative because, you form a bond with these children and watch their growth. Having to part with that, and not knowing how they form as adults later on in life, would be difficult. Another difficulty would be facing the fact that, there isnt a way to help everybody that comes to you for help. I would struggle with this because the whole reason I want to be a helper is to be able to help. Not being able to make a positive impact on someones life will be a major let down.

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Career Advancement Entering the field of child and youth worker also opens the door for other opportunities as well. In furthering my education, there is a possibility of moving up from social worker to become a supervisor, manager or executive director of a social service agency or department. Also there is a possibility of furthering my career into the teaching aspect of social work. Guiding students into the pathway, and helping them decide if social work is the right place of work for them. (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2013) Part 2 Education The main course I have been looking to get accepted into after I have completed Human Service Foundations would be Social Services at Conestoga. Social Services seems to be an excellent choice for me, due to my points above about my career choice because it would bring me right into the field of social working, which I believe is connected to child and youth. The experiences and characteristics I listed above would come into good use in the Social Services program. In order to obtain a position in this course, I would need to demonstrate a great amount of maturity, determination, reliability, good communication skills, and leadership qualities. I would also need many hours of related volunteer work, to be considered for this course. Another mandatory skill needed to be accepted for this program would be computer literacy, to complete assignments to the best of my ability. Before being accepted I would need to complete health and safety requirements for the placement section of this course. In order to complete these requirements and be able to take part in the placement, I would need to complete a police check and criminal screening, to make sure I have no unpardoned criminal acts on my record. Criminal offences arent permitted, unless authorized otherwise after meeting with the program chair. Academically needed is a high school diploma (or a mature student status), a grade 12 English college or university level, or a Conestoga Preparatory communications class. (Conestoga College, 2013) There is an overall calculated grade averaged out, that reflects the average of the submitted marks of the required subjects for this course. In addition to the final overall

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calculated grade, is 10 extra marks added to any OAC, U, U/C, or post-secondary courses at an academic strength level used in the final calculation. If a minimum grade of a 70% average was achieved within the year of the application process, the applicant becomes eligible to start this process. This requires the applicants to attend information sessions, where they have to complete program questionnaires, in order to view the applicants understanding and skill level of the social service program. Also a current resume and a volunteer reference form are required when in the process of the application. Lastly, after determining the applicants English background, a formula is calculated based on the academic strength you provide proof off, combined with the score showed on the questionnaire. (Conestoga College, 2013) If I am not prepared enough to meet the requirements for the social services course, I will be trying to be accepted into the Protection/Security and Investigations program. I feel that this course will be beneficial, because it gives me a backup plan to engage in, until I can meet full requirements for social services. It will also give me a background of humanities and social sciences, before I proceed into social services. In order to eligible for this course, an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, or a mature student status is required. In the subject of English, a compulsory mark of college or university level, or a Conestoga Preparatory Communications class is needed. A fair amount of opportunities in this field of work require students to be of legal driving age, along with physical, health and visual standards meeting the standards. Also, a clear Vulnerable Sector on their Police check is a mandatory requirement in order to be considered for the community safety sector. In addition to meeting physical expectations, a high level of physical fitness is required when in this field. If these requirements are not meant, the applicant wont be able to practice in this course to the best of their ability, and will have a problem achieving this career choice in the future. (Conestoga College, 2013) The process of the admission for this program is very similar to the social services program. After receiving the applicants academic grades, an average is calculated in order to find the total average for all the required subjects. If a required subject has more than one grade, the highest mark will be used on the application. Added to each advanced level mark, from OAC, U, U/C courses and any post-secondary courses are automatically added to the calculation when finding the overall academic strength level of the applicant. Also important to the

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applicant process, is the English background check. These requirements are curial to the admission selection process, because the school has to be able to determine how along you are in your progress with career building, and determination towards success. (Conestoga College, 2013) Conclusion In conclusion, I feel that Social Services is the best route for me personally. Having this career would meet all the expectations I have for what kind of job I want in my future. I feel that I have the expected requirements in order to be an addition to the field of youth and child workers. I am a very good listener, and I feel that children will be comfortable enough to speak to me about their problems, and I will be a help to them. In order to benefit from the negative aspects and challenges in this career, I will be trying harder to achieve better with the positive aspects. Helping children to learn to deal with their emotions, and to help them sort through any family problems they may be dealing with in a beneficial way, over powers any negatives or doubts I have about this career. If I dont receive the amount of needed hours to meet the criteria to be considered for social services, I will be taking a detour into the Protection and Investigation course, until I can meet the social worker criteria better. This course will be good for my future educational status, because every certificate/diploma I receive will be an additional benefit for my career challenges.

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References . (2013). Protection/Security and Investigation. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fulltime/0002.jsp.

. (2013). Social Service Worker . In undefined. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://www.conestogac.on.ca/fulltime/0009.jsp#PO-AR.

. (2013). What is Social Work. In Canadian Assossiations of Social Workers. Retrieved December 4,2013, from http://www.casw-acts.ca/en/what-social-work.