I have seen a lot of discussion on the internet about social workers, especially in the United States, having a hard time finding social work jobs. Exceptionally vulnerable people include: new graduates because of lack of experience, older workers because of age discrimination, workers who have had several jobs in a short amount of time, and those with gaps on their resume. It also may take you longer to find a job if you are trying to break into a new area of social work since you have to prove to potential employers you have what it takes to do the job.
Then there are the overqualified social workers in support roles since that is the only position they can get in their area, or which fits their schedule if they have a family.
Pay ranges significantly between non-profits and more government controlled agencies. You may be unemployed because all you see are low paying social work jobs and you want to hold out for a job that will put you in a better position to support yourself. I don't blame you, as long as you have the money to tide yourself over. I have seen many interesting and rewarding social work jobs advertised, however when I looked at the salary I couldn't believe it. Some start as low as $9 and don't go up much further from there! I would love to be altruistic and take the job, however, I like many other people I know have bills to pay! To me this underscores how little social workers are valued by some agencies or how low their funding is that they have to pay their considerably educated employees close to minimum wage.
The only advice I can give to someone who is unemployed is this:
- See if you qualify for unemployment insurance
- Do not quit your current job unless you have substantial savings or have another job lined up!
- Go in person to agencies that you are interested in to introduce yourself, making it known you would like to work there
- Network with other social workers to see if there are any openings at their agency or any other openings they know about
- Take part time or casual work in the field if you are desperate and continue to look for full time work in the meantime
- Try not to get too down on yourself if it's taking longer than you thought
Finally, all of us will be in this position at one point or another. We will feel like we are at a cross roads with not many options. Listen to your heart and use every connection you have. Eventually the situation has to get better.
Hi. I'm a 50 year old unemployed social worker with my LMSW. I worked with kids in a governmental agency for over 20 years when my program's funding got cut. I never dreamed it would be this hard to find work; it's going on two years. I'm finding I am under qualified when an agency wants a clinical social worker with their LCSW. I am not bilingual and I do not have experience in nursing homes or hospitals. I am also over qualified for positions that only require a BA degree. I never dreamed I'd be in this position after being so successful. My expertise is in working with adolescents and children, but the money is gone in this area. I wish I had known this could happen when I chose my major.
ReplyDeleteFresh 20-something Bachelor's social work grad here. Unemployed for 4 months, fortunately have parents to live with. I am never telling any social work grad the lie that this is a profession that is in-demand of workers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, having worked in nonprofits for a long time, most of the time it is the nonprofit's fault. They overpay their senior employees and underpay the new ones while expanding in an unsustainable way. Think about it. Nonprofits are businesses that just use their money for charity. So really the low wages are just poor planning on their part. Nonprofits do not face the same level of auditing as other companies, and I have seen first hand the way they abuse their budgets. Sometimes it's taxpayer dollar, other times it's sponsor money. So my point is... before we blame big government for lack of funding, look at social work agencies and whether or not their investment policies are truly in line with social work mantras. Are agencies client first, or management first?