My Business Degree Qualifies Me as a Social Worker!
Posted by davidmcnab 8 years, 7 months ago to Business
Last year, I finished a Bachelor of Business Studies degree, majoring in Entrepreneurship and Small Business - something which has given me skills and perspectives to work my way "off the tools" as a software developer.
Anyway, a couple of days ago, it occurred to me that this new degree is actually a prime qualification for me to succeed as a highly effective social worker. I am equipped to go into the field, assess people in poverty, audit their skills, interests and capabilities, teach them business and economics, provide them a framework for developing and managing their own business, and project-manage them into bootstrapping themselves into prosperity.
But - do you think any agency would actually hire me in this role? No way, they only hire the soppy wet nurses, enabling and encouraging victim consciousness and keeping people stuck in a rut of humiliating dependency.
Anyway, a couple of days ago, it occurred to me that this new degree is actually a prime qualification for me to succeed as a highly effective social worker. I am equipped to go into the field, assess people in poverty, audit their skills, interests and capabilities, teach them business and economics, provide them a framework for developing and managing their own business, and project-manage them into bootstrapping themselves into prosperity.
But - do you think any agency would actually hire me in this role? No way, they only hire the soppy wet nurses, enabling and encouraging victim consciousness and keeping people stuck in a rut of humiliating dependency.
An entrepreneur is the best kind of social worker.
I think they would hire you, but then they would have fixed processes in place that prevent you from executing. You'd come up with an idea to donate an insignificant part of their budget to buy kits for a local hackerspace that you would use to teach people to create UIs on Beaglebone on Raspberry Pi or how to remove and replace parts on a PCB, and the agency would say it the idea has to works its way up through the management silo and will require more hours of writing grants and reports than it would take to do the class. They would give you $10 gas cards or transit cards, though, to hand out monthly to poor people who say they're looking for a job. You'd quit in disgust.
I can give no odds on how long you'd have to accomplish your intentions.
I do support the concept of some kind of social safety net, because for society it can make good economic sense compared to the alternative which would involve a lot more expense through crime , but I believe the system needs to incentivise effort and initiative, and punish laziness and apathy.
As to the business education, of course I do not know the specifics of your school, but very often the words are good, but in practice the schools redirect efforts into wrong, or dead, ends. For example, teaching people in poverty how to run a business (in America; I can't and don't speak for conditions in other countries, which very well are likely to be different). The greatest handicap that these people have is their poverty mentality. Getting them to reliably show up to work would be an accomplishment. Taking responsibility for their actions, instead of blaming the world, may very well be an impossible task. Altering their mentality to be self-motivated and to take risks - don't waste your time. It is just too bad that too many schools do not present reality, but leave graduates with an unrealistic, rosy picture of the world. And the result - people with degrees end up as waiters and live in their parents' basements. My advice - don't try to help the world; help yourself, and the world will benefit.
do what "social workers" do, these days. . you are
qualified to teach people -- maybe kids, if the teachers'
union would get out of the way -- to succeed in a new
life of entrepreneurship. . Go For It and grab all of
the bucks you can get! -- john
.
I think people know what their skills are already, and just need to find a job where they can do what the boss needs- so he pays them.
Not rocket science.
The rules are very catch 22 and so are the preferences if you speak a foreign language it helps as those just arriving get priority.
Anyway that might be a niche for you
and you don't have to deal with all the sob sister crap. (do brothers ever sob)
So, the industry obviously prefers the first as it creates more government jobs and enhances their importance.
What you are suggesting is altruism in the better sense of the word. Try starting as a part-time personal venture, aim for private clients or perhaps their parents. Later you can try the usual agencies as a contractor.
Hey, what you want to do for others, do for yourself first!