teaching social work or councilling?

[Mumoftwox]

I'm doing a general degree in integrated health and social care I'm in year 3 so need to make a decsision soon about what I want to choose I could do my 4th year in primary education social work or can change to councilling. I have heard alot of negatives towards teaching and social work does anyone have any advice? thanks

[Lilyofthefields]

I want to better myself do you mind me asking what you mean by this (if not access to higher qualified jobs)? We're of a similar age and I too am looking at a career change.

[PlasticBaby]

I could point out all the reasons everyone else has said.

But honestly. If you've got to year 3 of such a wide ranging degree, and you still have no idea. Well. That's on you.

[NovemberWitch]

The people you should be asking this question of are your tutors and the careers advice service at your college or university. They have a much clearer idea of your strengths and your ongoing health issues.
You may find the nitpicking annoying, but if you are not mentally and physically robust, you are unlikely to thrive in any of the professions you have listed.
Social work and teaching involve constant scrutiny, criticism and nitpicking by a wide range of people. It’s one of the reasons staff burnout is high. That and the need for endless, meticulous and accurate paperwork

[Wearenotyourkind]

"I went for this degree thinking there would be more options, but in reality its actually much more complicated"

I can't understand this. Surely when you decide to do a degree, you have a fair idea of the benefit of it and the path you are aiming for? If you're not clear about what you will get from your degree, I suggest you discuss this with your tutor?

[IamHyouweegobshite]

@Lilyofthefields I'm a teaching assistant, pay is terrible. I love working with children, but my dd also needs me, so at the moment, teaching is out, I also need gcse in science. I can be a cover teacher, or work with a smaller group of children, like early help or a sen unit. Money isn't the main driver, teaching isn't well paid either, but it would be nice.
Currently, I'm a ta in the mornings, in the afternoons I do intervention groups, often I cover classes throughout both key stages, I love working with children, but feel that I could do more working with smaller groups or more challenging needs.

[mayalouisa]

I have been fortunate to have a career in both Social work and I currently work as a psychotherapist. Your degree is offering fantastic opportunities in professions that are person centred.

I have enjoyed both careers social work is challenging demanding with many highs and lows. It is a difficult profession and you are having to make difficult decisions.

Counselling offers you the opportunity to work with a range of people and problems and to engage in creative ways to help resolve issues. Teaching is also interesting challenging and very worthwhile.

[Lilyofthefields]

How do you see your degree helping with that if it’s not QTS? And how do you see it bettering you?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Weegobshite: I fully applaud people doing things for themselves, and certainly if you have minimal other qualifications or work experience then that’s of value in itself. It’s just that I think that these days universities sometimes overstate the career advantages that their individual courses bring. They are business after all, these days, and need bums on seats.

So someone will sit down, not knowing what to do with their life, looking for inspiration while flicking through a prospectus from their local university and see a course of interest and think “ooh, it says here I can do this, that or the other with this course.” And they don’t think further than that, so apply for it with the expectation that once they have that degree they can apply for better paid jobs etc. It just doesn’t work like that.

Whereas someone who has a specific career path in mind, will find out what specific degree it needs first, IF ANY, and get on THAT degree course. I think being very focussed when it comes to a career is really important. I don’t think this was quite the case 20 years ago. Degrees tended to open doors and I just don’t think you can assume that now.

[IamHyouweegobshite]

@Lilyofthefields because it will open more doors to me, allowing me to access more than what I would be able to do without my degree, I would be able to get a better wage too.
Getting a degree is purely a personal reason for me, abusive childhood, didn't do well at school, never had the opportunity to 'better myself'. I had a good, but boring job before kids, nearly 4x my current wage, but I always wanted to work with children. Since having children I have volunteered, qualified and got a position in school. I enjoy it, I enjoy learning. I was able to get on the degree course last year, it's hard work, but I feel for me, personally I will be bettering myself, from my childhood.

[Mummyshark2018]

Op, I couldn't care less about silly spelling/ grammatical mistakes on a parenting site. I have a phd (not bragging) but don't give the same care and attention on this like I would in rl. People who point that out are just being petty.

Sounds like your experience/ teaching is leaning more towards social work rather than teaching. Have you checked if you're eligible for any of the local authority social work schemes? What sort of work/ life balance do you want?

Well done for re-training! My dsis has taken the same route as you (with access course) and is going into her 3rd year if a social work degree and loves it! She also has 2dcs so is doable . Good luck!

[FabulouslyGlamorousFerret]

Eats, shoots and leaves! 🤣

I find it very hard to believe you are in the third year of a H&S care degree and haven't mastered the spelling of counselling. You would also have had 'could of, would of, should of' knocked out of you.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Fabulously I was looking at the children's version of that very book only this morning with DD2, 14.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Out of interest, Weegobshite, how are you doing your degree if you are working full time as a TA? Sorry I’m not nitpicking. I work in the education sector myself although not a qualified teacher (wrong degree choice ) so I always like to hear about people’s Plans and how they hope to achieve them especially at a later stage of life and fitting in with family Also interested to know whether you think any financial outlay will make up for future job satisfaction even if you expect that any career progression won’t necessarily mean a lot more money.

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

(And sorry to side track your thread slightly, Op!)

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Not make up for. I guess I meant “will the financial outlay be worth it for a minimal increase.”

Hmmm.... perhaps I should start my own thread on people in their mid 40s wanting to change career but who have already had funding for an unrelated degree 20 years ago! That’s quite niche!

[IamHyouweegobshite]

@curly no prob, I go to university once a week, I study throughout the week in the eves/weekends. It's a work based degree, so I need to do a variety of tasks at work too.
I have a student loan, which I don't have to start paying back until I earn over 25k, an nqt will get roughly £22-23k. I'm earning around 9k at the mo.

[Mumoftwox]

that's nice that you can't believe that am in my third year of my degree? I am proud of my self and couldn't give a s _ what you think lol. so in other words.. do one. wonder what you do as a job.. hope not working with people with an attitude like that lol

[MsJaneAusten]

Do you realise how rudely you’re coming across OP? I know it must be hurtful to read criticisms of your writing style, but all of the careers you’ve mentioned are likely to put you in contact with people who might criticise you, so you might need a thicker skin and more polite come backs!

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Best of luck, WeeGobshite! Sounds like it will be worth it for you!

Erm, OP, you will need to develop listening diplomatic and communication skills for all the career paths you have mentioned, not just a tough exterior!

[Wolfiefan]

Do one.
And you wonder why some of us think teaching or councilling [sic] aren’t suitable jobs for you?

[Lilyofthefields]

Thanks for sharing some of your story @IamHyouweegobshite

[TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross]

People who point that out are just being petty.

They are really not. There is a stark difference between slightly careless punctuation on a forum and glaring literacy errors such as those the OP makes. Posters are trying to point out that the OP's standard of literacy is not really what any of us would find acceptable in our children's teachers.

Be honest: if your DC came home saying that Miss Mumoftwo had said it was fine to write "would of" and "the teachers done an amazing job", and you realised that she was unable to teach them how to use full stops and commas, would you really all be so laissez faire about it? Really?

[IamHyouweegobshite]

@curly Thank you.

[TheFatberg]

Also some of us probably do work with people and know that it isn't just about blindly encouraging everyone and ignoring areas they can improve upon.

I'm sure you do write better in a formal setting but you make some mistakes that aren't just about typing fast or relaxing standards for an internet forum. Those may stop you getting job interviews or attaining a high grade on your degree.

[Thistly]

While I can see why teen times two idea of secondary pastoral work is attractive, I’m not sure it’s realistic.
The pastoral team in my dc school are senior teachers. So they have spent time teaching their subject, which they are degree qualified in before being promoted to working in the pastoral side of things because they are good at sorting interpersonal problems out. They also represent the school to the parents so school rely on them to be completely ‘on message’.

I think having a go at the op for her spelling, punctuation and grammar is an easy shortcut to criticising her for doing an open-ended course with no particular direction decided upon in advance. MN has a lot of people who only do things as part of a master plan. Pursuing an interest to see where it leads you can be looked down on.