Formerly from the finance sector, Embleton Lian made the switch into social service through the Career Conversion Programme and now works as a social worker with Lutheran Community Care Services (LCCS).

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Embracing change

While working in the finance sector, Embleton Lian often pondered about what exactly he was pursuing in his career and felt that he could take his skillset elsewhere into a job where he wouldn’t be working for the sake of working. “It’s important to find the right career that fits your passion, purpose and priorities in life. I wanted to be in a job where I could work with others and impact their lives. I came across this role through the Career Conversion Programme for Social Workers (CCP SW) and decided to give it a shot. It helped that I had previously volunteered with an organisation where I conducted weekly reading programmes for children,” he shares. Under the CCP SW – which is a place-and-train programme for mid-careerists – Embleton managed to complete his post-graduation diploma in social work while employed with LCCS. 

Growing as a social worker

“As a social worker at LCCS, I help students grow and develop their social emotional competencies through personal and group engagement. While research plays a big part in guiding my practice, I have realised that what works on one person may not work on another, and outcomes may not always be as expected. But that reminds me to continue exploring new ways of engaging and supporting my clients. The nature of the work is dynamic, keeping me on my toes and challenging me to grow,” reveals Embleton. He is grateful for the support of his colleagues with whom he communicates and collaborates with regularly. “Validations from my colleagues help me to be aware of the good things that I should keep doing while feedback helps me to improve my practice. I can also call upon them if I need a hand in my work and they are always happy to assist if they are available. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a particularly challenging event I had to organise to share about our programmes. My colleagues in various roles played a big part in making the event a success,” he adds. In addition, Embleton is thankful for his family and friends who check in on him and provide emotional support. 
 
Shaping an impactful career

“I think the impact that I have made on others is to create an environment where people feel safe to share their thoughts. I get to see my clients progress from being quiet to being more expressive. As I work with them, I grow alongside too,” claims Embleton. But as fulfilling as the work is, he believes that it’s important for social service professionals to set boundaries to be able to keep themselves going for the long run. Going forward, Embleton hopes to learn more about digitalisation and adapt his work to the evolving digital landscape. 


A role in social work is one of many in Social Service. To find out more, read about a career in social work..