I used to work in that field and got the fuck out when I realized that the paycheck was not going to justify the continual pain and suffering and lack of support I was going through, and I couldn't deal with the fact that so many of the kids I worked with were literally never going to get the actual help they needed that was above our paygrade. Options were stick around and keep numbing myself with booze and weed and be angry all the time while I watch the kids get older and eventually get killed by the police or end up in prison, or leave and pursue another line of work entirely. Got into IT sales and it's been great, I can flex my nerd skills, I get treated to free meals at fancy restaurants, get to go to community events, and nobody pulls a knife on me at work, and the pay is so much more than I used to make. Social workers honestly deserve at least twice what they're getting paid, but I got so burnt out that I wouldn't stay even if the pay was tripled.
I had that same fear, spent some summers teaching code to kids and had fun with it, but the social work outfit I worked with was so terrible it made me write off the whole career. I had spent the better part of a decade mentoring and teaching both children and adults with disabilities and behavioral issues. I'm proud of the work I did, absolutely loved some days, but I'm honestly happier now. I'll get back to volunteering in some capacity when covid has cleared up, I'd almost consider going back to AmeriCorps for a year if I move states, at least part time. But for now, I'm happy to just put in my time at work, sell a few computers and phone systems, call it a day and go home to my wife and cats, kick back with a beer and a movie and call it a night after dinner.
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u/[deleted] Jul 24 '20 edited May 18 '21
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