Could Social Care Be the Most Rewarding Career You’ll Ever Have?

All this month, Skills for Care alongside the social care sector have been #CelebratingSocialCare focusing on the amazing people who work in care. You can hear from some of the amazing people who already work in care on their website.

Here at Care & Support Jobs, we love to celebrate our sector - because we think it is the most rewarding career you'll ever have! And here's why...

Care work is important. That’s something universally understood. However, what’s not as well-known is how rewarding and fulfilling care work is. You might have heard it described that way, but what does that actually mean? We examine what that looks and feels like for people who work in social care.

The list of rewards is so long that we’re convinced it could be the most rewarding career you’ll ever have. A rewarding career sounds great, but we’re not just leaving it at that. We’ve also explored what it means to have a rewarding career and how that changes your day-to-day life.

The Benefits of a Rewarding Career

A rewarding career has a significant effect on your well-being, which then spills over into the success of other areas of your life. Job satisfaction can boost your mood, which makes you more productive in your personal life. That can come with an improvement in your mental and physical health.

Having a sense of purpose and fulfilment makes you feel like your efforts are worthwhile. On a day-to-day basis, it makes work feel less like a chore and more like something you look forward to. Getting rid of the Sunday blues and Monday morning dread helps you feel happier and more positive about your life. 

What Are the Rewards of Care Work?

Now that you know that having a rewarding job is a game-changer, you’re ready to look at how rewarding care work is. Many of these points will confirm what you might have heard about social care being fulfilling. However, the list also includes some emotional benefits that might surprise you. Let’s see what social care does.

Makes A Difference

Social care makes a difference, and who doesn’t want to feel like they’re part of that? Work involves effort. At the end of the day, it’s rewarding to know that your efforts contributed to something meaningful. 

This kind of work enables the people you support to be more independent and live better lives. With your support, their day gets better. It could mean someone can stay in their home or that their condition improves instead of deteriorating. Plus, it gives them companionship that enhances their well-being.

Allows You to See How You Improve Someone’s Quality of Life

With the points above, we’ve established that care work means you play a role in improving the quality of someone’s life. That’s incredibly rewarding. What’s even better about social care is that you often have regular contact with the people you support.

It means you get to see the impact of your efforts. The act of helping is great, but seeing the results is even better. You’ll see the ups and the downs. Overall, you’ll witness the long-term effect of that support and how it improves their life.

Means Feeling Appreciated

Seeing the difference you make is one of the rewards, but it’s not the only one. You also get to feel appreciated. You can bring a smile to the face of people you support as they’re pleased you’re around.

Not only that, but their friends and family will be grateful for your efforts. They’ll see the change in their loved one and be happy that you’re in their lives. This recognition amplifies the rewarding experience of making a difference.

Builds Strong Connections

Social care gives you the kinds of connections that bring meaning to your life. As we mentioned before, you get to see the results of your efforts. Supporting people means building a relationship with them, which is rewarding in itself.

Many other work roles leave us feeling disconnected. However, in care work, getting to know the people you support is part of your role. Taking that time means you can respond to their needs better, but it also has an impact on their and your well-being.

Enables You to Increase and Exercise Important Emotions 

Care work has its challenges. We don’t want to hide those. In fact, they can often play a role in the most rewarding parts. Needing to think on your feet, act consistently and take on responsibilities requires courage, which is an important attribute for life in general.

These roles also exercise and increase your empathy and compassion. As you deepen those, you’ll build strong relationships with the people you support. Their also useful attributes in your personal life and other relationships.

Empowers You to Discover Strengths

Courage, compassion and empathy are just some of the attributes that social care draws on. The more you work in this sector, the more you’ll discover other strengths that you didn’t know you had. Perhaps you’ll uncover what an excellent listener you are, or maybe you’ll meet people who appreciate your sense of humour.

You might discover how open-minded you are, and that you have a passion for learning. Many people in care work are proud of their ability to be calm under pressure. Others discover how much their patience and critical thinking help them in their roles. 

Inspires Self-Reflection

Social care brings you into contact with all kinds of people. They have different backgrounds and could be facing many types of challenging circumstances, especially in terms of their health. Interacting with the people you support provides new perspectives.

Stepping out of your usual circle and hearing from different generations is rewarding as it opens your eyes. Their stories and experiences will be food for thought that can help you develop your own understanding of yourself, how you feel about life and wider issues.

So, have we convinced you? We don't think we need to... you'll be able to see for yourself when you find your next role in social care. What are you waiting for?