Guest Profile:

George Brieloff

Current Role: Truancy Officer for Ann Arbor Public Schools

Previous Experience: Probation Officer at Juvenile Court, Supervisor at Juvenile Detention Center, Foster Care Officer

Education: Masters in Social Work at Eastern Michigan University

Things to keep in mind for people who want to work as a social worker:

You work with people to help them sustain themselves in the community

Need to work with a variety of people (parents, kids, grandparents) to understand their full story and how they can be assisted

You have to take care of yourself and have your home life in order as a social worker in order to provide the best care to the people you are working with and for

Your network is a focal point of everything that is done in social work

Dealing with office and city politics is a big factor (and point of frustration) in social work

Rapid Fire-Round:

What George wanted to be when he was a kid: Pilot

Best resource for career-related information: The school of social work at the local universities

What helps George when he has a bad day at work: Going to the gym

George’s favorite experience from his job thus far: Satisfaction of people recognizing the efforts he has put forth

Best part of George’s work day today: He was on summer vacation, so just hanging out!

Advice:

Talk to a lot of people to learn about a variety of career options

Listen to other people and hear what they are saying

Why should someone want to be a social worker

Social work is a calling and is not for everyone. It is not something that can be learned, the instincts are either within you or not. If you want to work with people, this is a great field