louise86

I stand by my 1-2 months comment. In my experience most places that hire micro social workers move through the process pretty quickly to eliminate/reduce gaps in services for clients. I will concede if you are looking to be hired by the federal government or state (depending on your state and the position) then 1-2 months may not be enough lead time to get through the hiring process before graduation. If you feel that's too late for the type of job you want or the types of places you are applying to then definitely apply before that. Good luck!

If you are graduating in May then yes, that's too early. No one is going to hold a job open that long. Try 1-2 months prior to graduation instead.

If you are planning to move back soon after graduation you shouldn't have a problem. It's the ASWB test scores that sometimes won't transfer if a state has their own test. I'm not sure if CA does this or not. I'm not sure why supervision wouldn't transfer, but you won't be taking the master-level examine or gaining LCSW supervision hours until after graduation. Having said all of that I don't live in CA so here's some links that might be helpful: http://www.socialworklicensure.org/state/social-work-licensure-california.html#context/api/listings/prefilter http://www.naswca.org/?151

My first question is, why have you reached a point where you need to get an advanced degree or switch fields? My second question is, do you want to be a therapist? My third question is, if you did not choose an MSW what field would you switch to? In my opinion, an MSW is a mixed bag. In general, it is an underappreciated role that comes with low pay, high stress, and poor working conditions. My first job out of my MSW program was an outpatient therapist at a community mental health center. I was expected to work 40 hours a week MINIMUM, had a tremendous amount of paperwork that was impossible to do, and had to meet productivity goals and when I wasn't, there was a lot of pressure from management. When factoring in the amount of hours I worked, I was barely making more than minimum wage. I burnt out quickly. I moved on to a job at a state prison. The pay is much better and I only have to work 40 hours a week MAXIMUM unless there is a crisis, but as you can imagine the working conditions are poor. There are micro-level areas that pay better such as prisons, medical social work (hospitals, dialysis clinics, etc.), and hospice, but in general it's still high stress and poor working conditions. You also need to check with your state board to make sure these positions qualify at clinical hours towards LCSW (it varies by state). Do things get better with an LCSW? They can, but not necessarily. In my area the LCSW only comes with a 10-15% raise and you still continue to do the same job(s) you were doing before with just slightly better pay unless you move into a management role. It also takes 2-3+ years to get enough hours for LCSW. As for "the median salary is $65,000", I'm assuming this comes from websites like salary.com. In my area, no one I know with LCSW gets paid this much unless they are in an upper management role or are in private practice. Social work is very broad and LCSWs work in a lot of different places/roles so be weary of that figure and assuming it's an LCSW actually in the role of therapist. I'm sure MSWs and LCSWs make this in other areas of the country, but the cost of living is probably higher in those areas. So don't just look at the median salary for your area, but consider cost of living, as well. Having said all of that, if you want to be a therapist then an MSW to LCSW can be a great route to that and, in my opinion, the most versatile degree offered for it. I do encourage you to look at other options, though, just to be aware of what other programs offer and find the best fit for you. There's licensed psychologists (PhD in psychology), Licensed Professional Counselors (master's in counseling), and Marriage and Family Therapists (master's in marriage and family therapy). There may be others, but these are the ones I see in my area. If you decide to go the route of an MSW, I would highly suggest you take out minimum amount of student loans possible. I also suggest choosing a dual degree program (MSW/JD, MSW/MPH, MSW/MPA, MSW/MBA, etc.) that suits your interests and career goals. For instance, the MPA could be helpful in macro level roles. The MBA could also be helpful in macro level roles, but also for opening a private practice. They could both allow you to transition to different fields/roles easily if you find social work is not for you or not providing the type of lifestyle you want. Anyways, I didn't mean to write so much, but hopefully this is somewhat helpful. Good luck! ETA: I would also look at agencies in your area that you are likely to work for right after graduation. Some areas are moving towards contract work (paid only for face-to-face client contact per hour) as opposed to salary positions. A couple of agencies have done this in my area and the social workers are really struggling because if the client no shows then they don't get paid and this includes when social workers drive to the client's house and the client isn't home/won't answer the door. They also don't get paid for phone calls or paperwork. Just something to think about.

I completed the distance education program at the University of Tennessee and I highly recommend it. The deadline to apply for the fall has passed, though, and you'll probably run into that issue with other schools, as well. I think distance education is becoming more accepted because students have to complete the same coursework and field placements as on campus students. I do think it helps to attend a program that has a brick and mortar school as oppose to a place like Walden.

I work as a therapist in an outpatient clinic. I have a masters in social work. Some of my colleagues are LPCs (Licensed Professional Counselor) which I think requires a masters in counseling. I know some people who are LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), but they seem to be less common in my area. I think there are specific marriage and family counselor programs for that.

The University of Tennessee has a distance education program that I highly recommend.

Applications are sent to Knoxville, but the distance education program is actually through the Nashville campus. The distance education program has the same staff and professors as the Nashville campus and that is where you graduate although you can request to graduate in Knoxville instead.

When I applied in 2014 I received a letter of acceptance in late February, I think.

I'm attending the University of Tennessee. I'm graduating from the online MSSW program in May. Overall I would say the program is good. You take the same classes and have the same professors as students at the Nashville campus, not the Knoxville campus. You do the same assignments, but you do online discussion boards instead of going to class. Most classes have a few live online sessions a semester. The website claims you have to go to campus once a semester, but you don't. My field placements have been good and I'm in the same agencies as the on campus Knoxville students because I live in the Knoxville area. I'm not worried about employment. No one has questioned my doing my degree online (I'm sure the fact the school has a B&M helps). I graduated a Tennessee university with a decent GPA. I did pretty well on the GRE although my quantitative was a little low. I'm a Tennessee resident. I had about 2 years of social work experience after undergrad.

I think most states do not require post-MSW supervision to get the Master's level license. The supervision you received at your field placement during the MSW program is required and passing the ASWB exam. For instance, in Tennessee after I graduate with my MSSW all I have to do is pass the ASWB exam and submit the required paperwork with my state to be a LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker). The only supervision I was required to have was that I received during my field placements while in the program. Now, to become an LCSW it is required I have post-MSW supervision and pass another exam. You can find each state's requirements here: http://socialworklicensemap.com/

I did this very easily at my school. I applied to the part-time program and was offered a spot that I then accepted. About a month later I decided I'd prefer to be full-time. I emailed the program director and was simply switched over. Some programs might be more rigid about this, though. My advice is the sooner you request this the better. Good luck!

I think since your former supervisor wrote you a recommendation letter then I'd tell her if she asks about it. I would also mention you haven't told your current supervisor yet so if she could not share that information you would appreciate it. I think she will understand why you need some discretion. I think giving the 4 week notice, telling your supervisor in person when the time comes, and writing a nice resignation letter thanking them for the opportunity will be all you need to do to leave on good terms. Also, if your current supervisor asks why you didn't let her know as soon as you accepted an offer for grad school, then I would just say something like you wanted to make sure everything was going to fall in place like financial aid and until you were positive you would be attending you didn't want to say anything. It's a reasonable way to explain the gap in notification, but I think it's unlikely she will ask.

You're over thinking it. You leave this job like you would leave any other job. I think a standard 2 week notice is fine, but if you want to give a 3-4 week notice because a larger transition time is needed then that seems fine too. I wouldn't give too far advance notice because there is a possibility they will go ahead and replace you leaving you unemployed. I also wouldn't tell coworkers as it might get back to your manager and that information really should come first-hand from you and she should be the first to know. Congrats on the acceptance!

The first thing that jumps out at me is you are unfocused - police department, research, retail, admin assistant. You need to tailor your job search to one area that you are (1) interested in and (2) qualified for. Second, if you have applied for 100+ jobs you are qualified for and only received 1 interview then something is wrong with your resume, cover letter, or both. College career centers are the worst for advice. I recommend reading the sections of resumes, cover letters, and interviewing at Ask a Manager. I have a BS in sociology and upon graduation it took me a year to get a job. I applied to a ton of places and could not even get an interview. I did a lot of research online and realized I was coming across as unfocused and my resume and cover letter had issues. Once I fixed that I started getting interviews and then was offered a job. Good luck!

I'm at the University of Tennessee. I chose it because it's in my state and is affordable. I actually live close to the campus, but DE just fit my circumstances better. The other student at my field placement is in the on campus program in Knoxville so we've talked a lot about the differences in each program. It's the only school I applied to because a lot of out-of-state tuition was not affordable and I wasn't willing to go into a huge amount of debt for a social work degree. I enjoy the program and feel I am learning a great deal. I don't think they put a lot of weight on GRE scores, although they are required. I did well on my verbal reasoning and writing portion, but math is just not my strong area. I made sure to address that shortcoming in my statement, though, and pointed out that while I struggle with quantitative in a standardized test format, I did excel in my stat classes in undergrad.

I'm in a distance education program. DE programs are not necessarily going to be easier to get into, though, if you're worried about your GRE scores. My university has an on campus program, as well, and DE students are held to the same standard. In fact, we actually do more work than on campus students. I will say that my quantitative score was quite low, but addressed that in my statement and explained why I could still succeed in the program.

First, you will want to check with your program. My program does not allow full-time work for full-time students. Second, personally I think it would be too much, I cannot imagine going to my field placement and then coming home in the evenings and having to deal with more issues from other people. My concern would be poor self-care and burn out. You can always try and see if it works and if it doesn't then you can make changes. Good luck!

If your goal is an MSW then go with the BSW. You'll be able to do advance standing in your MSW program and only be in the program for 1 year instead of 2. Saves time and money!

I think the story of your first sexual encounter is too much information. I think it would be sufficient to explain why the area of sexual dysfunction is important like in your second paragraph and then mention how it relates to you personally (if that is why you want to focus on that area) in more general terms. "Sexual dysfunction is important to the area of social work because blah blah blah. It is an area that I believe is often overlooked and rarely talked about, but is important to sexual health and well-being. Sexual dysfunction is often surrounded by stigma and shame and can negatively impact intimate relationships. I experienced this firsthand in my first intimate relationship and was eventually diagnosed with Vulvodynia which is often misdiagnosed and can affect up to one in four women. I remember feeling/thinking blah blah blah after hearing the diagnosis. Because of my experience with sexual dysfunction I think it gives me an intimate perspective that will allow me to help others in a similar situation." That's just an example of a paragraph that gets your point across without giving details about your sex life. I would also encourage you to re-examine the statement about being less of woman because of not having sex and "What man would want to be with me if I couldn’t have sex?" Basing a woman's worth on her ability to have sex with men is not a good way of thinking and I think would be red flags in your application. Unless you want to phrase it as: "I initially thought blah blah blah, but was able to overcome that negative way of thinking and believe I can help others struggling with acceptance of their sexual dysfunction and help them move towards a happier and healthier sex life." Good luck!

If you don't have a BSW, you'll have to do a foundation year in the U.S. too so it'll be a 2-year program or do you mean in Canada it would end up being 3-years? Also, might want to check with the social work organization in your province that evaluates international degrees because when I checked into the possibility of a move to Quebec from the U.S. in a couple of years it turns out they will not evaluate degrees obtained through an online program. Just something to be aware of.

I can't say that you or anyone else would definitely be at a disadvantage. Biology is not really an area I'm great at and personally, I think I would be a tad confused in my lifespan development class if I didn't have the foundation of biology in undergrad. At the very least the class would require a lot more time and effort from me. If you decide to take the undergrad class, I'd do it at a community college and save yourself some money. I do attend UTK and I started the online program this fall. It's only been a little over a month, but I like it. The online program requires the same classes as on campus and the standards seem to be just as high. I'm starting my field placement in about a week. I really like all of my professors so far. Some of the classes have live online sessions a couple of times a month which helps you connect with your professors and classmates. I'd recommend the program.

A course involving human biology is a standard prerequisite for an MSW. It's important information to know. I can't think of any school that I looked at that didn't require it.

I'm also shocked they would allow your placement to be in an agency that did not have a social worker. My program requires that field instructors have an MSW. I thought that was standard practice.

My first guess is the point of these types of questions in class is to help you get used to these types of questions. Are these exams graded? How are you doing on them? Have you improved on each one? If you aren't improving it might be best to talk with your professor and get some tips that will help you with these especially if they are graded. Also, no one expects you to be able to pass the licensure exam now or right after finishing the program. You'll want to buy study materials and spend some time studying, taking pretests, etc just like any other standardized test. Some will have more experience than you and some will have less. Everyone will have different life experiences and reasons for choosing social work. Other people's accomplishments and experiences are not a reflection on you. You are not a failure because others have done more/better. Look at your classmates as a chance to learn from their experiences. Have you ever heard of "impostor syndrome"? It's something to be aware of because it will come up again. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome Generally, it's a skill that you have to learn and part of a social work program is to teach you that skill. Of course, there will be some areas of social work or some populations you will not be able to work with and that is fine. Everyone has their limits. You just need to be able to recognize them. For instance, I could never work in a nursing home. I think this is the most important. You should stop comparing yourself with others and compare yourself with how you've changed since entering the program. How much you've learned, not what everyone knows.