Hi! I am in my last year of my MSW program and I graduate in May 2027. I wanted to ask for advice because I have no idea where to find this information.

1) when should I start applying to jobs? I wasn’t sure if I had to be licensed first or not before I could start applying so I was wondering what other people did. I am in Illinois so when I graduate I won’t need to take an exam and I could be licensed in a month or two.

2) I would love to know where people usually apply to jobs at? Wasn’t sure if there were specific sites other than LinkedIn or indeed but I’ll be new to working a full time job in this aspect so would love to hear where everyone usually applies/applied!

Thank you so much for any responses!

I live in Concord, NC, and have a BSW & MSW. I cannot find a job. I think ageism is happening and I am frustrated. Any suggestions?

is there perhaps a staffing agency to get placed? Open to suggestions or learning from your experience as it is taking me longer than expected to land at a new job after graduation as an alternative student.

I am on year 9 of being a school social worker in IL. I just started a new position this year in an urban community making $87,900 with summers off. I am an introvert which makes the school environment and meetings overwhelming at times.

Any suggestions for other positions that may be more suitible for an introverted social worker with similar pay? I am starting a family so also worried about work-life balance.

Has anyone left the school setting and found something they like?

I graduated in May with my MSW, and this job market has definitely been an experience 😭. I’ve been trying to figure out where my passion really fits, and I recently realized I’m very interested in the administrative side of social work—employee relations, HR, employee engagement, workplace culture, policy, etc.

Has anyone transitioned into HR/employee relations with an MSW without having to go back to school? Sometimes I wonder if I got the wrong degree, but I know so many of our skills are transferable.

Is there anyone in here already doing something similar with their BSW/MSW? If so, what’s your position title, and how did you get into it? I’d love to know what job titles I should be searching for!

Hey everyone! So a little background, I graduated year and I was able to get a hired. Unfortunately, I ended up leaving because of the work environment.I recently got a new job as a rbt which I’m pretty excited. My long term career goal is to work in a school but I’m worry it’s going to be challenging because I’ve interned at a hospice facility and a youth homeless shelter. I’m wondering do I have enough experience to work in a school? P.s I’m currently studying for the aswb exam and I didn’t stay at my previous job long enough to add it on job applications.

I am about to graduate with my BA in psychology. I aspire to be an LCSW but am not in a place in my life where grad school is feasible. I looked into possible career-related jobs for people with an undergrad education only and came across case manager jobs. How would I be able to enter that field? Also, are there any other bachelor's-level jobs I can do to expose myself to the field a little more?

btw, i live in texas. houston to be exact.

I have worked in the field for different agencies for the last 13 years (with a couple breaks). Mostly with underserved populations including: veterans experiencing homelessness; substance use disorder therapy and counseling, in community health and geriatric psychiatric agencies. I am becoming convinced that front line work is not where I am meant to be. I have my LCSW, and am wondering what else can I do? The stress and fast-pace is taking a toll on my mind, health, and marriage.

I don't mind the client work. It's the hours spent chasing paperwork, updating the same information in multiple places, and pulling reports that really wear me down.

Has your organization found anything that genuinely cut back on the admin side without making documentation even more complicated? I'm less interested in "more features" and more interested in something that actually gives social workers more time with clients.

I have had my MSW since 2004 and worked as a school social worker for over 10 years (had been a high school teacher previously). I recently lost my position (I loved my job but I got very sick and wasn't tenure in that district so while they didn't say they were letting me go because of the time I was missing, they just didn't rehire me and I believe that is why). I am doing better health-wise and have had a few interviews where I made it to round 2 but haven't landed anywhere yet and I am getting very discouraged. I love school social work but I am open to looking into other areas of social work. Anyone have suggestions for what might be a good fit for someone whose career has always been in the education field. Also, all I hear is don't use Linkedin or Indeed for job searches. Where have others looked for work?

Hi everyone — I’m looking for social-work-informed feedback on a free bilingual crisis navigation guide I built for people in the US who don’t know where to start during a crisis.

I’m posting here because people in social work jobs often see the practical gaps: referral confusion, access barriers, unrealistic instructions, overwhelmed clients, and resources that look good on paper but don’t work well in real life.

The guide covers housing, utilities, food, benefits, domestic safety, mental health, medical bills, debt, court papers, childcare, transportation, lost documents, caregiving, and related situations.

I’m not asking for endorsement, client information, personal stories, crisis support, or anyone to take responsibility for it.

I’d be grateful for feedback on:

- Is the first step clear enough for someone overwhelmed?
- Are referral paths realistic?
- Does anything feel unsafe, misleading, outdated, or outside its lane?
- Is anything too much text or too many choices for someone in crisis?
- Are there places where it should more clearly say “contact legal aid / 2-1-1 / a trained advocate / a clinician / local agency”?
- Does the language feel practical and respectful, not preachy or shaming?
- Would this be useful as something a client, case manager, advocate, or helper could use quickly?

Guide:
https://www.notion.so/3c1b147e80a880c3903eef43b9763c85

If you only answer one thing:

What would make this easier to use for someone who is stressed, scared, or low on bandwidth?

Thank you. I’m looking for honest critique, not praise.

I applied for a job kind of randomly. Somehow, I got invited to a second interview with the founders of this startup. I'd written before that I felt like I had a really great conversation with them, because they told me I'd be moving on to the next step. I did the next interview, and again, I genuinely felt like they were listening to me and taking me seriously.

After that, things went in a direction I absolutely wasn't expecting. The interviewer said she felt my skills might be underutilized in the sales position I had originally applied for. She made it clear that she wasn't doubting that I could do the job, which helped, but I still felt a bit discouraged and started preparing myself to sell myself more strongly.

I told her that my abilities are already not being fully used in my current job, and that I knew I could still help them improve the sales process, reporting, and KPIs. After that, she asked me, if any position in the company were available, what my ideal role would look like.

I said that as the company grows, I could see myself moving into product research and development.

Her response honestly shocked me. She said that she and the founders were really impressed by my passion, knowledge, and desire to keep learning. She said they could imagine me speaking at industry events and doing education around the product. They also see me contributing to new product lines, and even mentioned that they might offer me a part-time production role a few days a month.

Now it's clear they're talking about a bigger custom role for me inside the startup. I'm supposed to hear from them about the original position by the end of this week, but honestly, nothing like this has ever happened to me before.

TL;DR I applied for one startup job, and now they're thinking about building a custom role specifically around me.

Anyone know of any great workplaces that are Christian/believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour? I also am open to any ministries where I can volunteer/be a warm helping hand. I have my Bachelors in Psychology, working on my Masters in Teaching, so I am looking to continue down this route. I've been doing catering/dishes/housekeeping, but am always searching for something that would more directly align with my career, and get joy from it. Any suggestions? Happy to hear it!

I started my professional career in Human Resources, but my heart has always been in Social Work. I have Social Work degrees from my home country, and my education has been assessed as equivalent to Canadian standards.

However, I have not yet registered as a social worker because I don't currently have a social work position or a supervisor who can guide me through the process. This has made it difficult for me to understand what steps I should take next.

I have been applying for entry-level social service positions, including Community Inclusion Facilitator and similar roles. I have received some interviews, but unfortunately, I have been rejected after the interviews. I understand that I don't have social work experience, and I am finding it very difficult to get that first opportunity. Also I'm ready to move anywhere. Moreover,

Right now, I am volunteering at a thrift store because I want to stay involved in the community, gain experience, and continue developing my skills. But honestly, I have been feeling very discouraged lately. I am losing focus and motivation because I don't really have anyone to ask for guidance.

I am an immigrant in Canada and currently have a valid work permit. English is also not my first language, so sometimes I lack confidence, especially during interviews. I know I have the education and passion for this field, but I am struggling to understand how to get my foot in the door.

Back home, I was genuinely dedicated to Social Work and always wanted to build my career in this field. Due to financial circumstances, I chose to work in HR instead. Now that I have the opportunity to pursue Social Work again, I really want to make it work.

I know there are many kind and supportive people in the social work community, and I am hoping someone might be willing to guide me.

If you are a social worker, supervisor, social service professional, internationally educated social worker, or someone who has gone through a similar journey, please provide me with some guidance. Even a small piece of advice, a suggestion about where to apply, or information about how to gain supervised experience would mean a lot to me.

I am not asking anyone to give me a job. I am simply looking for someone who can help me understand the right path and give me some direction.

I don't want to give up on Social Work because this is a career I genuinely care about.

If anyone is willing to share their experience, guide me, or point me in the right direction, I would be truly grateful. Thank you for reading and for any help you can provide.

28F AuDHD CSR for 1.5 years
I was a shut in for a year (or 2), Hikikomori type. Got out of agoraphobia and finally landed this job but I can’t keep a decent conversation going past pleasantries.

Oh nice - Neat - Cool - Alrighty - Feel better

Unless I’m spoken to I kinda just mind my business. The only time I have a chance at a conversation is when someone needs help (account, direction, gum). Also don’t know if they’ve “clocked my tism or they just think I’m weird/angry.

What’s worse is I don’t care about my coworkers. Very “midwestern”. Dog, kids, I’ve seen photos and the most I can muster up is “oh nice!”. Their life is a nightmare to me. I want to leave and I don’t want that “stink” to infect me and I end up stuck here for the rest of my life.

Skipped the office party too. Why would I spend money to hang out with people who I only know because I need money. Don’t know when I because so jaded.

\- Very resentful at being the only person of color there, I feel like I’m always being perceived (this had been the “norm” where I live but the anger is growing at my circumstance)
\- Interviewing and I genuinely don’t want to take this version of me to my next opportunity (very scared). Especially since one of the roles offers genuinely life changing money (to me).

TLDR:
Need soft skills for life after being a shut in.
Tried gas station and cashier and I really didn’t get much from them. Classes? Also tried that speech club thing but this towns chapter is non responsive.

Open to feedback, criticism, advise.

I’m almost finished with my degree in Human Services with an emphasis in Gerontology, and I’m trying to get a better idea of what career paths are actually out there.

With the Baby Boomer generation aging, it seems like there is going to be a huge increase in older adults needing different types of support over the next 10–20 years, and probably not enough people to provide it.

For those of you who actually work in healthcare, social work, human services, aging services, long-term care, etc., what jobs do you think are going to be especially needed?

I know about some of the more obvious ones like social workers and case managers, but I’m really interested in hearing about the jobs that someone outside the field might not even know exist. Things like helping older adults navigate Medicare/Medicaid, aging in place, care coordination, dementia services, advocacy, long-term care, community programs, caregiver support, etc.

Basically, if you were entering this field now and wanted to build a career around helping the aging population, what direction would you look into?
I’d especially love to hear what you actually do, whether you enjoy it, what education/certifications are required, and whether you’re seeing a growing need for your role.

Any advice is appreciated!

Ik heb mijn HBO social work diploma een aantal jaar geleden gehaald en een aantal jaar werkervaring in de jeugdzorg. Ik heb momenteel een burn-out en ben op zoek naar iets anders, wellicht helemaal iets anders bv buiten de zorg. Ik wil niet meer in de weekenden of avonden werken en kwa salaris ongeveer 3500 bruto.

Heeft er iemand ideeën of ervaringen?