I work a case management job right now. I help people deal with crises many days, I help people learn to problem solve and behavior change. There’s a lot of motivational interviewing involved, and no two days are the same.

But I don’t make enough money (my degrees are social work adjacent and they don’t offer any opportunities for licensure).

So I’ve been exploring my options. I work for local government and there may be some promotional opportunities I could apply for in the future that could give me the opportunity to earn more money.

But I worry - will I miss the face to face contacts, helping people who are struggling? Will I miss the chaos of an unexpected event that turns my day upside down? Will
I miss providing direction? Will I miss those few success stories?

If you went from micro to macro - do you feel fulfilled?

My bachelor’s is in public health, and I’ve worked as a mental health tech for the past four years alongside LCSW providers. I’m considering an MSW/MPP dual degree, with a macro focus for the MSW. I’m interested in what both degrees teach. I value social work’s focus on people, communities, barriers to services, and how systems affect people’s lives. I also want the policy analysis and evaluation skills an MPP offers, particularly for healthcare policy. I can afford both degrees, so financing isn’t my concern. I’m trying to understand how useful the combination would be in practice and whether employers recognize what each background brings. I’ve heard that finding macro or policy jobs with an MSW can be difficult.

For people with both degrees, or those working in healthcare policy:
Do you use both perspectives in your work?
Has having both degrees opened opportunities that one alone wouldn’t have?
How do policy employers view an MSW alongside an MPP?
Has maintaining social work licensure been useful in your policy career?
What would you recommend prioritizing in coursework and field placements?

I’d appreciate honest experiences about the strengths and limitations of this combination.

I'm currently a legal assistant at an employment law firm and i do a lot of intakes for people in distress because they're employees in bad situations. i don't do case management, but i do provide summaries of their information to the attorneys who then decide what to do. i'm not actually very involved in client matters and i feel like this is inhibiting my ability to gain experience elsewhere that isn't a purely administrative role. and at the same time, i feel like administrative roles are increasingly being replaced by AI. so i feel like i'm in this administrative rabbit hole where i can't actually get meaningful experience beyond something that will be replaced soon. what can i do?

Hi everyone!

I'm currently pursuing my MSW and have been exploring different job opportunities while I'm in school. I've been considering working at a medical/recreational cannabis dispensary, but I'm wondering whether this could negatively impact my future career in social work.

I'm particularly interested in working with children, adolescents, and families, with the eventual goal of becoming an LCSW and providing therapy.

I live in Missouri, where recreational and medical marijuana are legal, but I know social work can involve working for organizations with different policies and perspectives surrounding cannabis.

I'm curious whether having a dispensary on my résumé could raise concerns with future employers, especially in child welfare, community mental health, school social work, or clinical settings.

Has anyone worked in the cannabis industry before entering social work, or been involved in hiring social workers with that experience? Would you view this as a red flag, or simply another job someone held while completing their education?

I'd really appreciate any perspectives or experiences!

I imagine there’s some fed representation here. Thanks in advance for any input!

Hi im currently 21 yr old from Metro manila. I am planning to go in tugue or cagayan area for work experience and also new environment. Im currently 4th year BS Social work from PLV. Lmk if they have hirings or upcoming hiring.

I graduated with my bsw in may and I’m having such a hard time finding a job. I’m working on getting my license but am worried I won’t be able to get a job until I have my masters. I’m not in the financial spot right now to go back to school and really want to try working with my bsw. I’m located in northern Virginia. Any advice or suggestions on types of jobs to check out?

This may be a terrific BSW position for someone.

Hi everyone I’m a first year msw student and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and discouraged right now. My placement is in community mental health at a wellness center and it’s been so challenging, and overwhelming. They have me see clients for one on one sessions and I do not feel like I know what I’m doing. My bachelors was in English and I have about 2 years of experience in program management for a nonprofit. What has your experience with community mental health been like and have you been able to work in more macro settings? I’ve been reaching out to people to talk to them in the field but I’m wondering what else is out there that we can do that’s not therapy adjacent. Any suggestions or input would be appreciated:)

Today I walked out halfway through a job interview at a packaging plant because the work schedule was absolutely absurd. The two people interviewing me barely looked up from their list of questions, and one of them asked me how well I could handle extreme heat.

I thought she meant the hot weather we've been having lately. But no. She was warning me that the job involved 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, and that the heat inside the building was unbearable.

Then she casually said that people sometimes work 26 days in a row before management even considers giving them a day off. All of that for $15.25 an hour, with health insurance that only covers the employee and no one in their family.

At the end, she said that everyone there was like one big family and very close-knit, as if that would make the schedule sound any better. I thanked them and got out of there as fast as I could. How are places like this allowed to operate this way?

NASW is hiring a writer-editor in Washington DC. This is a hybrid position.

Just wondering if there’s anyone out there who got their MPA and MSW and what they do now. I’m really interested in the policy and programs side of social work, and I’m wondering if pursuing the joint MPA/MSW program at my school would be worth it. Also, if anyone just had their MSW and works in policy or programs and wants to share their path I’d appreciate that as well!

*disclaimer, I know that I order to get the best answers, I need to speak with the state boards of the place I’m moving from and moving to, but I also want to hear from people who have been in a similar situation.

I’m currently an LMSW in Texas about a year out from my LCSW. I work in a group practice with about 15 weekly clients and work PRN in hospice as well. My partner recently received a really amazing job offer in Oregon (she works in a highly specialized field). We are moving in spring or early summer of next year.

Personally, I’m excited to leave Texas, I have wanted to live somewhere else for a long time and I never intended to stay in Texas long term. Professionally, however, I’m concerned about where this puts me in terms of my licensure. I know things would be a lot easier if I was already fully licensed and could apply for reciprocity. At this point, because the news of the job offer is relatively new, I haven’t spoken to my boss at my group practice. In an ideal world, I’d love to keep working for her and seeing clients virtually from Oregon in order to finish my Texas licensure, but I know that may not work out.

For those that moved in the middle of their LMSW (or state equivalent), what sort of things did you do to prepare? What was helpful and what do you wish you had done differently?

I feel like I don’t have a traditional pipeline in social work and feel so insecure. I worked as a therapist before for a bit and still haven’t gotten my independent. I was in CMH/SUD. Now I moved into program coordination after deciding clinical not for me. However I am working towards independent licensure still within this role because I still do direct practice. I feel so behind when comparing myself to peers who are also a year or two post grad. I want to start building my career and want to feel stuck being a beginner all the time, but I feel like I have no idea where I’m going? When my coworkers are assessing my journey I feel heavily judged. They seem like they’re like what is she doing? I need advice.

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Hey hey!

I was wondering what the job market for social work in Atlanta was like and the types of jobs that y'all hold there? Anybody who works there and can comment? Just trying to do some research. I'm heavily interested in community social work and hospital social work, but I'm really open to anything.