Personal Narrative: My Social Work Career

When I first received this assignment, I perceived it as just another requirement for this class but, as I began researching social work as a career path and interviewed my internship supervisor, I soon saw the value of this project. Given that my career path is unique and fairly modern, I was unable to locate an interviewee who could provide me with the specific information about this specialized field, but I was, however, able to interview Pat. Even though Pat is a clinical psychologist who works with at-risk youth instead of military youth, I do aspire to be a youth program coordinator, so she was the perfect choice. Thanks to the positive relationship that I have with her, this interview went much smoother than I ever could have expected.

In fact, it was more of a conversation than an actual interview, which made it more comfortable for me to ask the questions that I would not have ordinarily asked her and I learned more about her as both a professional and as a person. If it was not for this assignment, I do not believe I would have learned as much as I have about the process of becoming a youth program coordinator and what responsibilities someone in this position has, so that was much appreciated.
Prior to this assignment, I never thought to ask a professional for a firsthand account about what education they received or experiences they had that led to their current position because I thought it was too intrusive and inappropriate. However, Pat’s engagement in the conversation and willingness to answer any question that I asked was what made me feel at ease as the interview progressed. Based upon this experience, I now feel slightly more comfortable approaching a potential employer and asking them how they were able to ascertain their position and what types of experiences they have had, so that I can get a better understanding of what I need to accomplish before I can reach that coveted point in my career. I am, however, uncomfortable making the generalization that all professionals are willing to answer these types of questions from potential employees because I knew Pat prior to this, so she may have felt more at ease answering questions from me than someone she doesn't know.
Aside from the benefits of interviewing a professional that I know, there were also some drawbacks. The relationship that I have with Pat made it easier for me to interject when she was speaking and most of the time it was with snide remarks. From working under Pat for an entire semester, I learned that she can be sarcastic and easily amused when she wants to, so this has become a normal for me when interacting with her. However, if I was in an interview and I did this, it could be a fatal mistake that could cost me the job because that is a sure sign of disrespect. Another area that I struggled with during the interview is my inability to sustain attention for long periods of time. Throughout the interview I had to both ask the questions and record her answers, which made it hard for me to fully grasp all of what she was communicating to me. At times, I had to ask her the same question twice to ensure that I was writing down the correct information. Given the ease at which I can be distracted, it may become a problem if I am interviewing in a noisy environment with a lot of commotion because I will be more focused on what is going on outside of the interview and miss the questions that are being asked of me. Other than these to areas, I believe that the interview went well and I am truly appreciative of the opportunity that I had to learn more about Pat as a person and a professional, instead of simply my supervisor.
Ultimately, I have learned a lot about my desired career as a youth program coordinator, but I wish that I could have learned more about this position in the context of the military.

Unfortunately, given that this is an uncommon field, I still do not know who to reach out to, to obtain this information. In fact, when I was researching this type of position, there were limited details provided on the subject. I was unable to find specifics about job openings, what the monetary compensation generally is, how many of these specialists actually practice on military bases or who would be a good person to interview. I never expected that investigating a career as a military social worker was going to be as difficult as it was. I am thankful, however, that I was at least able to learn more about what a youth program coordinator does and what education is needed. I was shocked to learn about the administrative duties that Pat is responsible for on a daily basis. For instance, I never considered she must manage the budget for the entire bureau and needs to attend monthly advisory board meetings even though she absolutely despises going to them. While I am not looking forward to these types of duties, I am excited to work with the children and see how I can guide them through the challenges that come along with being a child of a member of the United States Armed

Forces.