Thinking of social Work first brings to mind some of the celebrities like Mother Teresa and Medha Patkar. Today, many young people are coming up to do something for others, for it gives great satisfaction that cannot be equalled by high wages.

  Today it is more than the work of the idle and is becoming professionalised to some degree. Salaries rose with open hearted flow of funds from the government and foreign agencies. In India, a social worker can start with a salary of about Rs. 5,000 per month, which may rise depending on the organisation.

Openings

  Social Workers get openings as Counsellors in the centres for rehabilitation for drug addicts, orphaned children and people with disabilites. There are opportunities in health care, community service, adoption, environmental protection, culture and so on.

  The social sector consists of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and those serving several sections of the society. NGOs are engaged in research and publishing while others are active in solving the working classes' problems.

  Working in an NGO may in fact be quite profitable. There are additional benefits in the form of trips abroad for seminars and conferences.

  Openings in the governmental sector are mainly in the community development projects pertaining to health, rural development and tribal welfare etc.

  Journalists, Graphic Designers and Desktop Publishing experts can also do their part as many NGOs are engaged in publishing welfare matters. Teachers can also join in by lending a helping hand in educating the poor children. Those who have M.Phil and Ph.D. can also find jobs in this field as, much research is conducted by the NGOs. International funding agencies from Canada, Sweden and many other countries have their offices in India and require professionals for their offices.

  There are two distinct branches in the social sector. If you have a genuine concern for doing something for the society, look for small setups in villages. The problem is that these small NGOs do not have much funding. Moreover, working there involves hardships. It requires a truly motivated person to go and stay in a village though it gives greater satisfaction.

  The second option is to work for the high profile NGOs. They publish articles and hold seminars on wildlife conservation, environmental pollution, child labour and AIDS awareness.

Courtesy : Deepika Education