I was in mere shock when speaking to a prospective student at the USC School of Social Work Open House who wants to enter the field of social work after being an optometrist for some years. As a student host at the event, I engaged with many prospective students and inquired about their interest in social work. To my surprise, one student looked at me with an expression of uncertainty and doubt, and stated in a timid tone of voice, "I'm afraid that I won't be a good candidate since I have no experience doing social work, or psychology, or sociology...I am an optometrist. After picking my jaw up from the ground, with true sincerity, I inquired about what motivated her to change professions. In just a few words, I sensed passion in her response. She exclaimed her desire to work with challenged youth. In particular, she stated that she is serious about working in schools so that she can be active in reducing barriers that exist in school environments, communites, and homes.
There was no need for me to stress that she would be taking a HUGE cut in salary. Instead, I spent my time best by encouraging her not to settle for feelings of doubt, but to live through her passion instead. I enlightened her on the importance of doing so when writing her personal statement.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for this applicant!
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