Social work jobs?

[chriskyk]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the social work field and wonder what I could do with a masters in social work degree (MSW). What organizations, departments or companies offer great jobs in social work?

Sorry for my ignorance.

Cheers,

Chriskyk

[emoleys]

MSW is becoming an increasingly flexible degree. People can get jobs in corporate in human resources, policy positions in government agencies, such as the Department of Homeless Services, and of course, traditional clinical social work positions working one-on-one with a variety of "in-need" populations.

This is a link to Columbia's Social Work School's videos on its different specializations and what people are doing with their degrees. It may help give you an idea on the possibilities that an MSW can have: http://vimeo.com/user3119951/videos/sort:date

[chriskyk]

MSW is becoming an increasingly flexible degree. People can get jobs in corporate in human resources, policy positions in government agencies, such as the Department of Homeless Services, and of course, traditional clinical social work positions working one-on-one with a variety of "in-need" populations.

This is a link to Columbia's Social Work School's videos on its different specializations and what people are doing with their degrees. It may help give you an idea on the possibilities that an MSW can have: http://vimeo.com/use...ideos/sort:date

Wow cool! Thanks for the info.

Are you working in the field by any chance? What do you work on mind if I ask?

[emoleys]

Wow cool! Thanks for the info.

Are you working in the field by any chance? What do you work on mind if I ask?

I'm not currently working, but am halfway through my MSW program. I have been and plan to do international social work, either in an advocacy or policy capacity for refugees.

[chriskyk]

I'm not currently working, but am halfway through my MSW program. I have been and plan to do international social work, either in an advocacy or policy capacity for refugees.

Cool I see. I am thinking doing social work on a global scale too. I'm from Hong Kong, China. I do see the importance of social work because of the increasing elder population and what not.

So where are you doing your MSW and do you mind sharing your stats (GPA, work+research experiences etc)?

[NadaJ]

Cool I see. I am thinking doing social work on a global scale too. I'm from Hong Kong, China. I do see the importance of social work because of the increasing elder population and what not.

So where are you doing your MSW and do you mind sharing your stats (GPA, work+research experiences etc)?

Hi Chriskyk,

Last fall, I came across an article in the SP2 Newsletter (at UPenn) where the dean visited China to help establish social work education, as China is delving into providing more comprehensive social services due to heavy migration from rural to urban areas and the lack of social services this population encounters due to constraints in social services ties to where one is from (heavy paraphrasing here).Here's the article in case you or anyone else is interested.

[chriskyk]

Hi Chriskyk,

Last fall, I came across an article in the SP2 Newsletter (at UPenn) where the dean visited China to help establish social work education, as China is delving into providing more comprehensive social services due to heavy migration from rural to urban areas and the lack of social services this population encounters due to constraints in social services ties to where one is from (heavy paraphrasing here).Here's the article in case you or anyone else is interested.

Hey NadaJ,

Thanks for sharing. This is truly an insight to see UPenn's MSW program is reaching the world.

Do you study there?

Chriskyk

[NadaJ]

I'm glad you thought the article was interesting. I do not attend UPenn; actually, I am finishing my M.Ed in HRD at the U of MN. But last summer, I was heavily researching social work programs, and discovered Roberta Iversen who researches the effectiveness of workforce development programs and she is at UPenn. I also didn't realize the diversity of social work until I started looking at the research opportunities in the field. I am not interested in direct practice or clinical SW, but a social work degree can allow me to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of social policies and programs, with the main priority of helping marginalized populations as opposed to political or economic gains.

[michigan girl]

Social workers pursue careers in children, youth and family services; health care and health prevention; community revitalization and development; higher education; research; policy and planning; organizational development; and international social work. Direct (clinical) social workers work with individuals, families and small groups, and indirect (macro) social workers with with organizations and communities. Although most social workers pursue the clinical track, many macro social workers have obtained positions in non-traditional areas, such as government (policy-making and evaluation roles) and non-profit organizations (management, grant-writing/fund-raising). Some apply their MSW to dual-degree programs in law, public health, religion, and public policy.

Edited January 31, 2012 by michigan girl