Should You Take a Temporary Social Work Job?

Hi Readers,

Some of you might be currently working in a temporary social work job while others may be considering it.  I know of several social workers who have taken a temporary position - often to cover a maternity leave.  I myself have never had a temporary social work job but here are my thoughts on it based on the observations made from the experiences of my temp social work colleagues.

You may be new to the city, fresh out of school, burnt out in your current position, or recently laid off.  You need a job as soon as possible and the only job you could find or were offered is a temporary one.  Hmm, now the question becomes should you accept it or wait for a permanent position to come up?  Here are the pros and cons to accepting a temporary social work position which might help you to make your decision:

PROS

- You are not committed to remain at the job for a long period of time so if you don't like it you can leave when the term is over

- You get to try out different types of social work areas before settling on one

- If you end up in a toxic work environment you can feel better knowing you will not be there forever

- You get the opportunity to network with different colleagues, supervisors and managers and you can use those connections in the future

- If you don't like living in one place for too long it is easier to move around with a temporary position

- You get to test out the job and if you like it and prove to be good at it, your employer is more likely to consider you should a similar full time position come up 

CONS

- You don't have the security of a permanent income

- It could be hard saying goodbye to your clients and co-workers if you have good relationships with both

- It is harder to make long term plans if you don't know where you are going to be work-wise in the future

- You are concerned a lot of social work positions on your resume over a short period of time won't be attractive to future employers

- You loose out on the opportunity to move up in the organization which can only occur with time and experience

For myself, there were times I wish I had accepted temporary positions instead of permanent ones especially for some of the more stressful social work jobs I have had.  It would have made it easier to move on since the decision of leaving would have been out of my hands.  I wish employers would offer short listed candidates the opportunity to job shadow to see what the job is really about.  I think a lot of us would have second thoughts after a close examination of the work environment and duties.  However, some employers are betting on our naivete to fill high turnover high burnout positions.  But whatever route you go, just be sure to listen to your heart and weigh the pros and cons carefully.

As Always,

Patti

Career Planning and the Social Worker

Hi Readers,

I have been racking my brain over the few weeks about what my work options are.  I admit, in the last week work has calmed down more however the stress is still there.  I am trying my best to decrease my responsibilities on the weekends so at least I can have a couple of days to relax.  It is nice not to have a schedule, to sleep in and distract myself with some good t.v.  During the rest of my spare time I research different careers in the hope that there is something out there that can better meet my needs.  But it's not easy, especially with my social worker's critical eye.  I read between the lines and see heaping amounts of responsibility, or crazy work hours or a lot of travel.  Sigh.  Then I start all over again.

I look at my agency which has several offices in different cities and I wonder if there is a position in another office that might be a better fit.  I have even agreed to learn some new work tasks which could parlay into having the experience to do another job at my agency.  It's a job with very limited travel and regular hours.  However, I think it would be very challenging to finally get this job as it does not become available very often (like a couple times a decade!).

And then I had an idea yesterday which hit me like a bolt of lightening.  I don't know why I didn't seriously consider this before.  What about doing social work PART TIME?  In about five years I will be able to afford to do this and I know there are positions at my agency that are part-time.  It would allow me to have more time to pursue hobbies, volunteering and finally attain the elusive creature otherwise known as work life balance.  Less pressure, less stress, less anxiety.  It seems so appealing, especially if I can still have benefits as a part time worker.  I do feel some guilt since I don't have a family as I imagine the reasons why many women who work part time due so because of family obligations.  But I also know that keeping up with this hectic pace is insanity and I want to be able to enjoy my life more.  I don't want to wait until I retire before I get to do all the things I wanted to do in my life.

However, career planning for social workers can be tricky.  We always need to think a few steps ahead from where we are today to where we want to be tomorrow.  And things can change so quickly like our health or our family situation.  Our agencies also change and so do our job descriptions.  The things we wanted for ourselves may no longer suffice.  We may have reached our ultimate career goal and then find out we want something different.  My only recommendation is try and see your career in small blocks.  Imagine yourself where you want to be in the next year or five years.  Then when you reach that new phase imagine new goals for yourself.  And try to remember it is not one straight line up to the top.  You do not need to become a supervisor or manager if that does not fit with your values, personality or talents.  You can move up and then move back down.  Or you can move across to do something different.  There are many career options out there for us social workers and don't feel limited by other people's opinions of what your career path should look like.  Listen to your body, mind and heart.  I know I haven't taken a traditional career path, although whatever moves I make next I want them to be better-informed then the ones I made before.

As Always,

Patti

Supervisor Update Part 1

Hi Everyone,

I figured I would give you an update about my work situation.  The rest of the week has been equally stressful as it was earlier.  More crises came up at work which had to be dealt with.  I suppose that is one of  the hardest things I find about my work - the surprises.  I feel like I have everything under control and then another thing comes up and I have to jump into crisis mode.  It's terrible for my anxiety and I am starting to get physical symptoms too like chest pain.  My supervisor is not helping either.  The other day she said that basically my clients like her more than me.  Sigh.  That was the last thing I needed to hear at the end of a very long week.  What she doesn't understand is that I need to ensure my programs are following policy and I can't always be their best friend.  It is not that I am mean to them or unfair, I am just doing my job.  And not being in a front line position, I don't think my supervisor can understand that.  She then also gave me a dig about how much time I had spent at a program.  Another sigh.  I don't know if I intimidate her or she thinks I will eventually go after her job but that's not the case.  Maybe this is one of the drawbacks in working in a mostly female dominated field - the drama.

For the past several weeks I have been considering my options.  I have enough debt that I need to stay at this job for at least 3-5 years.  I wonder about transferring to another position within my agency after that but to be honest I am getting tired of dealing with the public and having a caseload.  Since I am an introvert I am wondering if I should look at something quieter and more suited to my character.  I believe I went into social work with the best intentions of wanting to help people but there are so many other things involved.  I would love for my world to be more concrete instead of constantly having to consult and interpret grey policies to do my job.  I suppose it's more independence I am after.  But I don't want to consider a large decrease in pay either.  I have looked at some online certificate programs that are quite different from social work - but I feel that eventually I will become unsatisfied with those jobs as well.

I am greatly inspired when I read stories of people leaving their cubicles to travel but I don't know if I am that adventurous.  I have done my best to limit my obligations - I have no husband or children but I do have my debts.  However, once they are paid I will have more freedom.  Of course, there is also the option of staying in my job and field.  New supervisors and management will come and then go.  The agency will change and so will my duties in the future.  I could travel more as a way of making up for my stress at work but I am afraid of becoming angry and bitter inside.  Maybe the key is getting out of an office environment or finding a job where I can work more on my own with a routine set of tasks since I seem to do better with routine.

My mother has suggested I speak to a career counselor about my options and I agree with her.  It is something I am going to pursue in the new year.  She asks me when I am going to stay in one job for a while and stop moving around.  To be honest I don't find that very fair.  Several of my co-workers have tried different social work jobs and there are others who I know who have left the field entirely.  It's a fine balance for me, I need to protect my health while also supporting myself.  I think a lot of people are in this boat and not just social workers.  Society puts a lot of demands on us - to be confident, successful, wealthy, expert multi-taskers.  And if we don't fit or reject the mould we are seen as social misfits and questioned by any and all.  But deep down I think a lot of us are just trying to find our place in this world and many through our jobs.  However, since I don't see my situation changing any time soon I have resolved this week that I am not going to let the drama and crises get to me since I won't be in this job forever.

As Always,

Patti

Supervision and the Social Worker

Hello Dear Readers,

As promised, I am updating more regularly now!

I am experiencing something at work which I would like to discuss.  For the most part I have a great supervisor.  We hang out sometimes outside of work, and she is usually readily available to go over questions or complex situations with me.  She is close in age to me and we have some common interests.  The problem I am having is that at home she texts me about work.  This in turn gets me anxious about work because I am not there to address the issues.  Another big problem is that when something goes wrong at work she makes me feel responsible for it, even when it is out of my control.  If a client wants our agency to do something for them and it does not necessarily follow policy she makes me feel like the bad guy for questioning it.  However if something was to go wrong I know I would get in trouble.  I work very hard for my clients and am very thorough in my process however my supervisor constantly points out flaws in my methods.  I always get my work done well but it never feels good enough.  It's like I am always doing something wrong and it eats at my self esteem and confidence.  It's like I will never be good enough at my job or have enough knowledge as she has.

Hmm, what is a social worker to do?  I feel like she is selling me out and siding with my clients when it is convenient to her.  It's times like this I want to run away screaming from my social work/office environment.  And when I say office environment I mean that I know this happens at many other work places.  It is not exclusive just to social workers.  In sucks knowing that your supervisor does not have your back - and that they do not care about your feelings.  And as my mother likes to say, your boss is not your friend.  This is one of the reasons why I cannot see myself in a management position.  This is because the higher up you go the more political your position becomes.  You become terrified the clients will complain if they don't get what they want.  And that is the problem with having such a public social work job - everyone is watching for your decisions but you can't make everyone happy.

As Always,

Patti

The Overly Stressed Social Worker

Hello Readers,

Sorry there is no picture with this blog post today but I just got a new computer and only realize now that I should have gotten a mouse!

One big reason as to why I have not been writing regularly is because of my very broken computer.  I kept it for as long as I could since it has a nostalgia factor for me.  You see my mother bought it for me when I first became a social worker which was during a time when I didn`t have much money.  It was an unbelievably generous gift on her part but I figure it`s time to move on since it is hard to type a blog on my cellphone.

Now I will give you all an update on my work situation.  It has been extremely busy and stressful lately.  Even though I do not have a traditional social work job any more I still have a caseload.  And several of the clients on my caseload are having difficulties - which I am even hearing about from the community.  Many of my clients are expecting me to make big decisions for them.  They are wanting me to be the bad guy to those they are accountable to.  And overall I am feeling trapped by grey policies which I am trying to interpret to the best of my abilities.  My supervisor is not being supportive and right now the expectations I have on me are pretty ridiculous.  I have a lot of paperwork due soon and I seriously question how it is all going to get done.  And the worst part is I feel like my superiors will be judging me on my performance which they will likely view as inadequate when I cannot meet these deadlines.  Ugh!  I try and explain to those around me that I have a lot of responsibility and accountability in my job but I don`t think they quite grasp it.

For many social work jobs the pressure that is put on us is considerable.  Our decisions, actions and inactions have far reaching consequences.  Lives are impacted by what we do - and it is often the safety and security of others that can be effected.  We have a lot of people looking at us - especially when there are problems.  And where I work I cannot escape my clients - I run into them all the time in the community.  Therefore I am always the social worker, even in my personal life.

I think my problem is I care deeply for my work.  I try and give it 110% everyday and I don`t like it when the odds get stacked against me backing me into a corner.  I hate how things become my fault when I have no control over these crises in the first place.  I suppose it is the amount of responsibility that is truly getting me down.

And whenever work becomes overly stressful and intimidating I begin to daydream about a different life.  Like most people I begin to wonder what it would be like if I was doing something else.  I wonder about a job where it wouldn`t be suggested to me I take anxiety medication in order to `cope` with it.  I dream about a job which is more concrete - where making decisions isn`t so hard because you have so many details and possibilities to consider.  I imagine a job that has regular hours and where my employers respect my home life balance.

Overall I think about how much social work has taken from me.  In general I feel exhausted after all I went through since becoming a social worker.  I don`t know if there is a magically right job for me.  But maybe social work just doesn`t match my personality no matter how hard I try and make it fit.  All I know is that I have a lot of searching that I need to do and it is going to take time.  I am wondering if this is the last social work job I will do.  And I am seriously considering about moving on from this field in the future i.e within the next five years or so.  Whatever I do next, I hope it is quieter.  And the amount of money I get paid will not be the priority.  I have learned that more money does not make you happier.

Anyway, I hope I did not depress you my dear readers with the update on my work situation.  Honestly, the rest of my life is going fantastic!  And I am very grateful for that as nothing is worse than having both your personal and professional life going awfully at the same time!

Also, now that I got my new computer you can be sure that I will be updating my blog more regularly!

As Always,

Patti

The Rejuvenated Social Worker

Hello To All My Dear Readers,

I am sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog.  But as you all well know, life can have a habit of getting in the way.

Many changes have happened in my life since I have last written.  I went through a break-up, I passed my one year anniversary in my new job (which I guess is no longer new!), there was a death in my extended family, I had surgery, I am going to be going home very soon to see my family and I will be downsizing and moving into a smaller place.

These have all been positive changes in my life.  And perhaps the greatest change has been that I am no longer on any prescription medication for my depression and anxiety.  It has almost been 3 months and I am feeling great!  I admit I am taking natural supplements and I doubt if my depression will ever truly go away but I am feeling healthier and more in touch with my emotions.  I finally reached a point where all the crises in my life that had led me to start taking the medications had finally passed.  It is true that I still have hard days but now when a situation arises that gets me anxious or upset I have to analyze my feelings and condition myself to not to take the actions of others personally.  It is not easy and if I was still in a front line social work position I know it would all be too much for me emotionally.

I don't know about some of you but at times I think back to my life and wonder what it would have been like if I decided not to go into social work.  Would I be happier?  Would I be in less debt?  Would I be living closer to my family?  Would I have had to make so many sacrifices?  I cannot say for sure, but I am certain that I know myself better now because of the experiences I had as a social worker - which brings me to the title of this post.  I am very near to turning 30.  It feels less of a big deal to me as it does to others who want to remind me of the milestone.  But a new chapter in my life is dawning.  I am making choices in life for myself and not for others.  I have decided I am going to dedicate less of my time to helping others as I am to discovering interests of mine which I have had little chance to pursue.  I am going to focus on the small  positive acts I can  achieve through work as being enough.  I do not have to be a social worker in my personal life through volunteering or trying to solve the problems of friends, family members or boyfriends.  I intend to live a normal, regular life while also being true to myself.  I am tired of buying into the myth that we are superheros meant to save everyone but ourselves.  I have decided that for once I am going to put myself first in my life.

But I know that for others it is not so easy.  Some of you are trying to raise children or take care of elderly parents.  Or you may be trapped between student debt and a mortgage.  You feel forced to remain in your current situation and you know if you think about how you are really feeling deep down you will begin to cry.  This reminds me of a comment I recently read on this blog.  All I can tell you is that if you are feeling trapped then you MUST start to take small steps to get yourself out of the bad situation.  Others may judge, criticise or laugh at your choices but you have to life your life.  This may mean keeping your intentions private from friends, co-workers or family members until after you have made your move but once you have made one positive decision for yourself it will get easier.

As Always,

Patti

Finances and the Social Worker

Most social workers will tell you that they aren't very good at math.  That's why they didn't become engineers, accountants and so on.

As social workers, we can be involved with finances through processing benefits for our clients, determining client's eligibility for financial programs, and making sure we are regularly getting paid!

Beyond that I would say most of us social workers are clueless when it comes to finances.  And we often spend so much time and energy helping our clients that we have little time at the end of the day to take a serious look at our own financial situation.  As long as the bills are getting paid we tend not to worry.

However, there are some financial traps that social workers experience which I would like to discuss.  The first is neglecting our own financial health.  Many of us are saddled with student loans, mortgages and car loans which eat up a big chunk of our salary.  And depending on the type of agency you work for such as non-profit or government run, it can have a big impact on our salary.  When taking our first jobs out of school, many of us have taken whatever social work jobs we could get.  If you are finding yourself in that situation - having an entry social work job then make sure you are paying off your debt even if it is just the minimum.  You want to develop good financial habits before you start making more money and have the potential for making more money mistakes.

Looking back when I first began as a social worker all I had was a student loan.  I was also renting a room that was quite cheap.  Finances were not a problem for me then, however once I got a vehicle (as it was required for my job) my payments every month started to increase.

I then moved around a bit, doing different social work jobs.  This meant I had to buy furniture and eventually sell some of it.  I moved from a two bedroom apartment to renting a two bedroom house to buying my own small home.  I enjoy the independence and the quiet of where I live, however there is a cost to every decision we make.  My salary has not increased very much from when I started as a social worker but my debts have, even though I got a smaller and more fuel efficient car in the last year.  Sometimes I long for the simpler days of when I was first living in that basement apartment, but I do not miss having roommates.

Another trap social workers can fall into is eating out all the time and buying yourself nice gifts as a "reward" for all your hard work.  I admit there has been several times I have done this - go out for dinner because I am just too tired to cook, and buying a new outfit or new pair of shoes almost every week as a form of "shopping therapy."  We do so much for others that it is nice to finally do something for ourselves.  However, if this is your way of life then you will find yourself constantly broke and wondering where all your money went.  I suggest creating a chart and keeping track of your expenses if you find yourself in this boat.  And remember, you can always treat yourself to a quiet evening with a good book - taken out from the library - as a reward for a hard day's work.

As social workers we are expected to have knowledge about a lot of different areas.  We learn about housing, the justice system, the school system and more.  We also need to make it a priority to learn about finances, not only so we can give good information to our clients, but also to ourselves to ensure we are keeping in good financial health.

As always,

Patti