How To Get Started With A Career In Social Care
The field of social care for adults is booming. As of right now, more than 1.5 million people work in the industry. Skills for Care estimates that an additional 500,000 jobs may be available in this field by the year 2030 due to the increasing demand for these services throughout England.
If you are ready to start a promising career working in the field of social care, try using these suggestions:
Explore The Various Career Paths That Are Available
There are a lot of different directions that you can take with a career in social care. Jobs in this field range from entry-level positions all the way up to administrative roles. Depending on where your interests lie, you could spend your time building customized assistive devices to help someone live a better life. Alternatively, you could create activities designed to keep people active and involved. If you prefer, you could also spend your time diagnosing problems and helping to determine effective treatment plans. With so many different types of roles available, there is sure to be one that is a good fit for your interests and your expertise.
Spend Time Volunteering In The Field
Before jumping into a career in social care, you may want to spend some time working as a volunteer. For instance, Ben Rosamond worked as a volunteer helping disabled young people before launching his career as a person-centered planning facilitator. His volunteer opportunities gave him the background that he needed to get hired by the Sunderland City Council.
After you identify the direction that you want to take with your career, try to find volunteer opportunities that are similar in nature. Most facilities that provide social care are open to the idea of working with volunteers – particularly if those volunteers are passionate about helping out. When you volunteer for these organizations, you can help with everything from working directly with patients to planning activities and events.
Identify areas where you have a lot of skill or expertise. Think about the things that you feel the most passionate about, as well. Then, spend some time thinking about how the skills that you already have could be used to help you get the career that you want.
Explore job postings online, looking for careers that are a good fit for your talents and your personality. When you find an opening that seems promising, check the job requirements so you can get a better idea of what is expected if you want to go into that particular career.
You may find that some of your everyday activities have already given you a solid background that you can draw on when working in these roles. For instance, if you are an athlete, working on a team may have helped you build your conflict-resolution skills. Try to figure out if any skills that you currently have could be put to use in a particular job or career.
You can use tools like Tradewind Social Care to help you identify which roles are a good fit for your skills, experience, and qualifications.
Working in the social care field requires you to be passionate about your job. Ultimately, you should really want to help the people that you work with if you enter this field. When applying for jobs, make sure to let potential employers know how dedicated you are to improving the lives of the people that you work with.
In many cases, employers look at the overall personality and dedication of potential employees when deciding whether or not to hire them. By highlighting your values on your resume, you can let employers know how dedicated you are to helping others live better, more fulfilling lives.
It is also important to demonstrate that you understand the important role that caring plays when working in this field. Find a way to show potential employers how passionate you are about caring for others and how committed you are to treating people with respect.
Stay Up-To-Date With What Is Happening In The Field Of Social Care
Follow along with new developments in the field of social care. Being able to show employers that you take an active interest in what is happening right now is a great way to set yourself apart from other job applicants.
For instance, consider familiarizing yourself with any legislation that affects the field of adult social care such as the Mental Capacity Act. Being able to show potential employers that you have an understanding of the legal aspects of social care and of current events that are happening in the industry is another way to showcase how passionate you are about the topic.