#ask clueless

[cluelesssocialworker]

I'm a recent bsw grad and can't find employment. I need advice and encouragement ! How did you get where you are now?

Hi! Congrats on  your graduation–that’s hard work!

I’m sorry you’re having a tough time finding a job. That can be a really sucky, anxious place to be. I was really lucky in my situation; I got a job at the place I was doing my senior field with. I managed to get it by nagging the director for an interview, probably more than I should have! I had the staff I was working with advocating for me to get hired, and about every week I would ask the director if he had received my application, and if he was willing to give me an interview, or if he was considering me. Honestly, that’s how I’ve gotten all my jobs so far: being persistent in calling back.

My typical routine when applying for a job goes like this: Turn in online application. Call/email/or go in person to see the hiring manager, introduce myself as a recent applicant, give them my name, number and resume. If I haven’t heard back in three weeks, I call to check on the status of my application. Then I call every week after that until they either offer me an interview or tell me they aren’t interested. (My dad, who does interviewing for his company, confirms that when it comes to jobs, the squeaky wheel is definitely more likely to get the interview.) Once I’ve had an interview, I send a letter or an email thanking them for their time, stating again that I am excited about the opportunity to work with them, and giving my name and contact info again if they need anything else.

Do you mind if I ask what population you want to work with? It’s easier to get a job with some populations than others. It can also depend on your location and if you’re willing/able to move for a job. If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to casts your job search very, very wide! Apply for all sorts, apply for sorta-kinda social work jobs (like working as an administrative assistant in a nonprofit, or as a help staff at a daycare or hospice) that would give you some kind of experience related to the field you’re interested in. Pull in contacts from your school–do they have a career or alumni center that could give you some help, point you in the right direction, or connect you to someone who could be helpful? Contact old professors you think might be helpful, or if you knew any older grads who are working in the field and may be able to put in a good word for you.

When you’re looking for a job, I know it can be so easy to get discouraged. But keep your head up, and take care of yourself! Know that you are a skilled, wonderful worker, and when you do find a job, they will be so lucky to have you. I wish you the best of luck!

[cluelesssocialworker]

As a follow up to the last ask (but I'm a different anon), which populations are tougher to find employment with? Which populations are easier to find employee than with?

Sorry for the late reply! Life got busy.

This is from my and my friends’ and coworkers’ personal experience, this is not scientifically backed, so please don’t take it as such!

In my experience, the populations that are easier to find a job working with are populations like geriatrics, child welfare (state jobs, like being a foster care caseworker), hospice, and drug and alcohol counseling. Those types of places are always hiring (though that doesn’t mean they retain employees well, or pay well!).

Populations that are harder to find a job working with: child welfare (private jobs), school counseling, human trafficking, and macro political work. Those jobs seem to be a) less common or b) more quickly picked up.

It’s also easier to find a job in more urban areas, and harder to find a job in more rural areas. It doesn’t mean it’s impossible, it doesn’t mean that you specifically will have a hard time finding a job in a certain area, and your particular area may have different populations that are easier to find jobs with than what I’ve posted here. (Though I think geriatric care is pretty much nation-wide a big deal right now).

[cluelesssocialworker]

Thank you so much for your response. I've always been interested in child welfare and I actually do live where I thought there was a pretty good opportunity for jobs like that, I think it's the lack of experience and maybe because I've only been submitting the resumes and not contacting people. I've been looking on career builder, and indeed, and non profit websites that we were referred to in school. Maybe I could contact my old professors, it just seems a little embarrassing haha but at this

(pt 2): At this point I’ll try anything. Someone told me to look into temp jobs or paid internships which was good advice but so far I don’t know how to find anything like that online really. I’ll just have to work harder I suppose. Thank you for the help

Does your school host, or advertise job fairs? Or maybe your social work department? You could also check with the social work departments of other local schools, they may have information on job fairs, or job connections? Off the top of my head, other places you could check: State government website (just google (state) government jobs, should be easy to find!). Places like the Department of Human Services/Department of Children’s Services tend to post exclusively on their own website. Youth Villages and Catholic Charities are two child welfare organizations I know off the top of my head that are nation-wide, so they might be in your area. You can also check out the YWCA, they don’t specifically do children, but they work with women, so you may find some overlap. You can look for [city/town/county] Children’s and Families Services which is pretty common, and not always connected to DCS, depending on where you live.

When you are looking for temp/part-time positions, look for the key phrase “PRN,” which means basically part-time or as-needed. (You may be thinking “no, duh” but I didn’t know what it meant until after I got my job, haha.) Look at county school websites, because while they typically take an MSW for a school counselor or social worker, you may be able to find positions in a family resource center or support center that you would qualify for.

You could even look for positions in day cares or after school care organizations? May not be exactly what you’re looking for, but it would give you experience!

Again, I wish you the best of luck! It sucks to be in the situation you’re in, and I hope that while you’re looking, your stress level is manageable, and I hope you find something soon!

ETA: If you’re looking to/willing to work for a faith-based organization, Bethany Christian Services is also nation-wide.

These website might also give you some ideas: http://www.childrensrights.org/our-mission/our-partners/child-welfare-organizations/

https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspROL&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=49

http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/nca-members?field_geofield_distance%5Borigin%5D=&field_geofield_distance%5Bdistance%5D=50

http://www.ala.org/alsc/externalrelationships/organizations

[cluelesssocialworker]

in my experience, us direct support workers spend TENS AND TENS OF TIMES more time with these clients than literally anyone else. we kinda actually DO KNOW what we're talking about. not to mention, we CARE about our individuals and we ACTUALLY ARE ADVOCATING FOR THEM!!!! no one tends to give af about what we have to say cuz we're just entry level staff so we should prolly stfu AMIRITE???? - love a Direct Support Professional who's had the shit beaten out of her @ work 3x so far

Hi friend! I am so sorry, I don’t know how long this has been sitting in my inbox–for some reason Tumblr has decided it doesn’t want to notify me when someone sends me an ask.

I’m sorry you’ve been having such a rough time at work! And yes, it can be so, so frustrating to a direct-care worker dealing with people in management who have either never done direct care, or who have forgotten what it’s like to be in direct care. It can be ridiculous and obnoxious and tear-your-hair-out frustrating. I’ve been there, friend, so many times!

[cluelesssocialworker]

I'm officially in love with your blog! I'm currently in school for my BASW, about to start my first practicum next week. I'm wondering where, for you personally, is the boundary line for clients being verbally disrespectful with you? Like how do you decide when "they are behaving this way for X reason and this is understandable" becomes "this is on no level okay and I won't stand for it any longer." I'm just interested in your personal opinion, if you don't mind sharing.

Hello! I’m so glad you like my blog! :D And good luck with your practicum!

My disrespect boundaries may be a little different than people working in other areas of social work? One of the things we try and work on in the group home is teaching the boys how to be respectful, even when they don’t like someone, or even when their angry. (This is something a lot of social workers work on, I imagine. I think it just gets more intense in the group home than in outpatient therapy? I could be wrong!) I can understand, or try to understand, when a client is angry at something else (a bad phone call with parents/bullying at school/a disappointing court/etc) and they take it out on me. I can understand when I do something that upsets them and their response is to get angry and disrespectful. I’m a safe person to get angry at, because I won’t get angry back, and they know that when they calm down, I’m not going to hold it against them.

That said, that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for them to cuss me out when they’re angry! Swearing is something we redirect when we hear it, though I’ll allow a little leeway after a particularly bad thing happens, so long as they aren’t cussing at a person. They need to take five minutes to stand on the back porch and cuss out the picnic table? That’s cool, I’ll let them do that, then we’ll take a few minutes to process and calm down before they have to rejoin the rest of the boys. They want to stand on the back porch and cuss me, or another youth, out for five minutes? That’s not okay, and that’s when I calmly redirect. Usually something along the lines of “I know you’re angry, let’s take some deep breaths and find some different words.” It depends on the boy and what I know works for them. (Also, swearing at the picnic table for more than a few minutes generally isn’t a good thing, because then it has the opposite effect of getting them more wound up, not less.) Sometimes redirection needs to be immediate and direct like “You need to use respectful language” or “I know you’re upset, but that’s not appropriate.”

I hope that answers your question!

[cluelesssocialworker]

is it hard to find jobs in social work? i really want to major in it but im scared im not going to find a job

I’m gonna be honest: Every social services agency I know is woefully understaffed. Turnover tends to be high. My particular agency never stops interviewing and hiring for some position or another!

That said, when I was graduating, I applied to probably 24-30 jobs. In the two months it took for me to be accepted to my current job, I probably got three other interview offers. (Partially this is because the agencies were really slow at processing applicants, I think.)

So, honestly? I don’t think it’s any harder to get a job in social work than it is to get a job in any other field. A lot of the social workers I graduated with got jobs in their field. And like I said, social service organizations are always hiring! I haven’t done any research into unemployment rates for social workers, but I feel like it’s pretty low.

Also! If you do decide to major in social work, it doesn’t mean you necessarily have to work as a social worker! I have a friend who majored in elementary education and is now working for Dave Ramsey (and social work’s a super-broad profession anyway). So if social work is something you want to do, go for it!

[cluelesssocialworker]

We'll miss you, Clueless! Hope things become less stressful soon <3

Thank you! I hope so too!

Just a reminder to everyone, I will be here to answer asks, I just won’t be posting new content. :)

[cluelesssocialworker]

Wow, I'd never heard of PREA before, but I definitely agree with you that it isn't necessarily beneficial in the setting of your work. I wonder if there's a way to make an exception/allow certain things because it's HEALTHY!

Unfortunately, it’s a federal thing, so while it can be modified, it would take work on a larger scale than I could take on right now! Also, it’s something my company needs to be in compliance with for our contract with DCS.

Though we’ve been known to tell the boys that if they want to make out with their girlfriend to keep it at school so we don’t become obligated to report it. ;)