Join free
Resources · Storytelling guide

How to tell your social work story

Facts tell people what social work is. Stories show them. Tell yours in about 300 words, safely, and in a way that moves people to act.

Share your story

Why stories work

Most Australians meet a social worker at one of the hardest moments of their lives, then never hear about the profession again. Social workers told researchers they feel misunderstood, poorly represented in the media and linked mostly with child protection and "red tape" (Long et al., 2026). One of the best ways to change that is for social workers to tell their own stories, in their own words.

A paper on community building and social change describes how sharing stories builds trust, passes on knowledge that's hard to put into words, and creates emotional connection. Those are the things that get people to act (Prasetyo, 2017). Stories also give people a voice. Asking someone for their story says "I'm listening", not "I'm interrogating". Stories often reveal things people wouldn't say if asked directly (Prasetyo, 2017).

Stories told by people whose experiences are often overlooked can also challenge assumptions others don't know they hold. Social justice education scholars describe storytelling as a powerful approach to transformative education, especially when people share their own experiences (Bae-Dimitriadis, 2024). That's exactly what a social worker's story can do for a profession that's often misunderstood.

The three-part structure

Self, us, now

Marshall Ganz, an organiser and scholar, is known for three stories that move people to act: a story of self, a story of us and a story of now (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2010, as cited in Prasetyo, 2017). You can use the same shape for your social work story.

  1. Story of self

    Why you do this work · about 100 words

    Tell us why you became a social worker, or the moment you knew you were in the right place. Make it personal and specific: one moment, one place, one feeling.

    Try starting with

    • "I knew I'd be a social worker when…"
    • "The first time I really understood what social work was…"
    • "My job title is ___, but I'm a social worker because…"

  2. Story of us

    What we share · about 100 words

    Connect your story to something bigger: the people you work with, other social workers, or your community. What do you all care about? What do you face together?

    Try starting with

    • "Every social worker I know…"
    • "The families I work with and I both want…"
    • "In a town like ours, social work means…"

  3. Story of now

    What needs to change · about 100 words

    Finish with why this matters today, and what readers can do. This turns a good story into a call to action.

    Try starting with

    • "Right now, what would make the biggest difference is…"
    • "If you're reading this, you could…"
    • "I'd love the public to understand that…"

Aim for about 300 words. The form takes 150 to 800.

A worked example

Different title. Still a social worker.

This example is fictional. It shows the structure, not a real person.

Support Coordinator. Also: Social Worker.

SelfMy badge says "Support Coordinator". I've never had "social worker" in my job title, but I knew I was one the day a young man's NDIS plan was cut and his mum rang me in tears. I didn't just fix the paperwork. I sat with them, worked out what really mattered to him, and helped them tell the review panel in their own words. That's social work.

UsThousands of us are doing social work under other titles: case managers, intake officers, practice leads. We share the same values and the same degree, and often the same isolation. We rarely get social work supervision, and our employers don't always know what we bring.

NowRight now, it's hard to count people like me, because we're hidden behind other job titles. If you're a social worker in a role with a different name, join Fair Go so we can be counted. If you employ us, put "social worker" in the position description. Different title. Still a social worker.

About 170 words. Aim for about 300.

Tips for a strong story

One moment beats a whole career

Pick one scene and tell it well.

Show, don't list

"I sat with them" says more than "I provide holistic support".

Use plain words

Write the way you'd explain it to a friend, not in case notes.

End with an ask

What should readers think, feel or do?

Be yourself

Your culture, language, region and path into social work are part of what makes your story matter.

Telling your story safely

A good story never costs anyone their privacy or safety.

Every story is reviewed before it's published. We may suggest changes to protect privacy. See our Interim Community Guidelines and story consent and moderation policy.

Before you submit, check

  • No one can be identified. Leave out names, places, dates and any combination of details that points to one person. Changing a name isn't always enough in a small town or specialist service.
  • You've checked your employer's media policy. If you're unsure, share anonymously.
  • It's your story to tell. Talk about your own experience. Don't speak for a community you're not part of.
  • You're comfortable with it being public. You can ask us to remove it at any time.

One story isn't the whole story

Writing on storytelling warns about "story traps". One is a story so compelling people stop questioning it. Another is a single point of view that doesn't connect with others (Prasetyo, 2017). That's why Fair Go collects many stories from every field, region and culture, and will show them alongside evidence from our Pulse surveys. Your story adds one voice to a bigger picture.

Ready?

Tell us what social work really looks like.

Share your story

Prefer to talk it through? You can record audio or video instead, or ask a Fair Go volunteer to help you write it down. Mention it in your story, or use the contact form.

References