Im a 11th grader and have been thinking about my future lately. I'm really interested in psychology and want to become a social worker, but I'm torn between social work and being a firefighter.

L'esha,

Thanks for posting this question; it's definitely something to consider as you pursue various career ideas over the next few years. I'll do my best to provide a few items for your search.

A career in social work is undoubtedly a worthwhile pursuit, simply because you're working and walking hand-in-hand with people who have great needs. Being in the moment with them and helping them succeed in some rough circumstances is incredibly rewarding. However, social work is often a very draining line of work. For one, the emotional toll it takes on your body and your spirit is quite moderate, simply because you're so closely involved with people as they work out of bad situations. Secondly, the salary for most social workers is commonly poor, especially considering the amount of work they put into their days. With low wages and a great potential for stress, I would encourage you to think very carefully about pursuing this line of work in the future.

As for being a firefighter, this isn't something with which I have a great deal of knowledge, so I'll offer what I can. Again, the physical demands are something to consider because you're exposed to heat, smoke and some hard working conditions as you battle fires and help those in great crisis situations. However, I also understand the salary for a full-time firefighter can be fairly good, although I'm not entire sure about health benefits, so I'd encourage you to look further into this via https://www.onetonline.org/.

Best of luck!

Matt

Ask the local fire dept. if you can ride with them, for a shift. The actual fighting of fires, is minimal. It’s mostly ambulance, or citizen assist. Listen to the scanner. Http://broadcastify.com/ You will be able to find the city and state you are interested in working in. Leave it on while you sleep. This will give you and idea of what it’s really like. Getting woken up from a sound sleep, when you are already tired. Strengthen your legs and abs. I did this almost ever day. Find a fire academy at a local community college. Don’t wait for any department to send you to an academy. Before you take any firefighter test, make sure you can run for miles without getting tired. Like cross country or triathlete. If you can find a local department to volunteer with, that’s even better. You’re already fighting fires before you apply. Any more questions, please ask me directly if you wish.