Unsuccessful for social work....What now

KatieShopstoomuch

Hello all! This isn't really money saving but hopeing for some advice from you lovely people :j............I was really hopeing to get a place on the social work degree course this year but rec'd a rejection today I still have to hear back from one university but it's highly unlikely i'll get a place with 300+ people being interviewed and only 80 places. (Hate living in such a small country with just two universities!) I'm not sure what to do now, as a back up i'd applied to business management degree as business has always interested me, and i'd also applied to criminiology as i really enjoyed studying the subject at a lower level.


I have offers for both those subjects thankfully. But i'm unsure which to do...I'd enjoy criminology more but there doesn't seem to be many job prospects after graduation, I do like business but only have a limited knowledge of it so therefore i'm not really sure if i would enjoy it or if i would be able to cope with it. Or my 3rd option is to apply for social work again next year, with the chance of being rejected again :mad: Sooooo confused at the moment can anybody advise? Any input would be really appreciated :j

southoftheriver

Ask for feedback about why you were unsucessful. Don't do a course you're not sure about, that would be an expensive mistake. Perhaps do some more research into what criminology can lead to?

The_One_Who

I think you need to figure out what you want from a course, both during and after it. Doing something you are not sure about will be a mistake, and potentially result in you carrying on with something you are not happy with.

ibizalady

If you did Criminology, you could perhaps go on and do a Masters in SW??
It's a way in.

Oldernotwiser

If you think that business studies is a suitable back up for social work then I doubt that you're really cut out to be a social worker. If you've put them both on your UCAS form I can only guess what a muddle your personal statement must have been and I'm sure that this must be a contributory factor in your rejection.

bestpud

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you think that business studies is a suitable back up for social work then I doubt that you're really cut out to be a social worker. If you've put them both on your UCAS form I can only guess what a muddle your personal statement must have been and I'm sure that this must be a contributory factor in your rejection.

That was my thought too.

It's difficult to write a personal statement for two similar subjects so goodness only knows how you managed with subjects like that!

Do you have to go to uni this year, OP?

Could you perhaps take the year to get a job related to social care and then re-apply next year? By then you will either have a years experience to support your application, or you will know for sure this is not the career for you?

alwaysonthego_2

I got a place on a MA social work course for this Sept (not sure if I am defering due to promising funding for a research MA). There were 40 places and 300 candidates (small uni) and they phoned me an hour after the interview telling me i was successful and said I would make an excellent student. This is possibly because I have (or soon to be) a related degree, plenty of voluntary work experience working at the CAB and supporting Gypsy and traveller families and paid work as a care assistant. They said that I presented myself well during the interview.

KatieShopstoomuch

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you think that business studies is a suitable back up for social work then I doubt that you're really cut out to be a social worker. If you've put them both on your UCAS form I can only guess what a muddle your personal statement must have been and I'm sure that this must be a contributory factor in your rejection.

Doubtful, as i'd said my whole personal statement was based on social work and nothing else. Which is why i was shocked to be offered a place for either of them. A lot of people are rejected at this first stage, although i was asked to do a second personal statement and then interviewed. I was half expecting to be rejected as my interview wasn't very good, i gave OK answers although i didn't give solutions to scenarios and shook like a leaf the whole time

KatieShopstoomuch

ibizalady wrote: »

If you did Criminology, you could perhaps go on and do a Masters in SW??
It's a way in.

I had considered this as i'd like to eventually do probation work and here (NI) you have to be a qualified social worker but would prefer to do social work training then post graduate in criminology.....

alwaysonthego_2

KatieShopstoomuch wrote: »

Doubtful, as i'd said my whole personal statement was based on social work and nothing else. Which is why i was shocked to be offered a place for either of them. A lot of people are rejected at this first stage, although i was asked to do a second personal statement and then interviewed. I was half expecting to be rejected as my interview wasn't very good, i gave OK answers although i didn't give solutions to scenarios and shook like a leaf the whole time

Have you had relevant work experience?

Were you able to link your real life experience and skills to the questions?

KatieShopstoomuch

Again my personal statement was completely based on social work. I've had voluntary work with supporting parents who have permature babies, voluntary work with youths at the local YMCA and have just recently started at a blind society support group. I just know i messed up my interview. At the time my current tutor had explained the competition was severe for social work and to select other courses incase i was unsucessful which is why i had chosen the other two, i really do like the study of crime and deviance but i do really want to do social work I think i'll have to wait and apply again next year although the same thing could happen again.... I need to build my confidence in being interviewed i think as well. It's just the thought of life being on hold again for another year Thank you all for your replies