7 Strategies for Mapping Out Your Social Work Career Path
by Jennifer Luna, MSSW
Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn to your cell phone and use your GPS app to lead you to your career goals? If you had SIRI to inform you of opportunities along the way, or to ask you to make a U-turn if you were going in the wrong direction? Unfortunately, many social workers figure out what they don’t want to do, before they learn what their calling is. Many of us take our first jobs out of happenstance, sometimes because we are afraid we won’t get another offer, or we feel as if we need to settle. Additionally, most social workers are not trained to research, identify goals, and prepare for a job search. We are also not trained to advocate for ourselves. So where does that leave us?
Strategic career planning involves identifying opportunities in your current situation that will propel your career to the next level at each stage of your career, before you enter that stage. Each time you make a career transition, it is important to make sure it is a purposeful career move and will contribute to a clear and logical career trajectory when you put it on your résumé.
There are times when we make a career transition that involves concessions. For example, you might take on additional duties at your job without actually receiving a promotion. These are called workplace concessions, and although you may not feel the value of these opportunities right away, they will lead to other opportunities that will have a positive impact on your value.
Additionally, at times, your supervisor may ask you to “switch gears.” You may be tasked to contribute to an important project or committee—one that is time-limited and not part of your daily work duties. This ability to switch gears is an invaluable work characteristic that will enhance your reputation and leadership.
Strategic career planning also includes goal-setting for each stage of your career, to enhance your skills, increase your visibility, and maximize career opportunities. In each stage of your career, you will find opportunities to network with experts and advance your knowledge, in order to hone your expertise. By taking the following steps, you will become a leader in your field and your community. Depending on how far you would like to go, you could become a national expert in your field, area of practice, or expertise.
1. Explore certifications that you would like to have.
Additional certifications go beyond CEU opportunities. They are programs that demonstrate a specific competence on an advanced level. Do your research before your next job interview or performance evaluation. Identify what credential you would like to have (for example, DBT), how much it costs, how it relates to your current job, and dates by which you could complete the training. Oftentimes, an employer or supervisor may not be able to give you the raise you were looking for, but they can pay for a certification out of a different budget (such as professional development).
2. Develop your transferable skills.
By recognizing your transferable skills, you can begin to see how these skills can apply to multiple levels of your career path. One of the greatest limitations that some social workers have is the ability to articulate their transferable skills.
Transferable skills are skills that are portable and are transported from one job to another. You can get them through volunteer positions, non-social work jobs, or professional organizations. These skills make you unique in the workplace and will help you to set a niche for yourself. Examples of transferable skills are: communication skills (writing, presenting, clinical documentation), supervision (hiring, training, orienting, supervision), leadership (advocacy, project management, ability to inspire others), and social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, blog writing). These skills, which may seem like second nature to some, can prove to be invaluable to an employer.
3. Increase your skills and specialized knowledge through continuing education.
In every career, change is inevitable. We either continue to move forward or stagnate and become lifeless. Continuing education is required of all social workers, so what will be your plan? Strategic career planning involves going beyond just meeting expectations, but rather using CE as an opportunity to add to your toolbox. Choose your learning carefully depending on what your future goals are. Take advantage of two-for-one opportunities—for example, if you are interested in trauma-informed care, you might choose a course on trauma-informed care and ethics. Additionally, think about who else will be participating in these trainings. What opportunities will there be to network?
By continuing to keep your continuing education fresh, you begin to recognize new trends and leaders in the field. Life-long learning is a beneficial requirement of social work, and it pays to make the most of it.
4. Join the “corps” of specialized professionals.
For virtually every area of social work, there is an organization or group to participate in. Begin with the National Association of Social Workers, which has practice sections for nearly all areas of our profession. Additionally, you can find like-minded professionals in other ways, including advocacy groups, online groups such as the ones on LinkedIn, and informally, such as in lunch-and-learn networks or alumni networks. As you begin to find your way to the group(s) that you would like to join, volunteer to be a leader. This could be as simple as taking notes for the meeting, chairing a committee, or running for an office. All of these steps will refine your expertise in the subject area and in leadership. Remember, becoming a leader is being accountable for yourself and taking responsibility for others. Every organization wants a great leader, and what better way to gain these skills?
5. Identify ways to convey your knowledge to others.
This step often involves challenging yourself to stretch to attempt new professional development activities. You have probably attended numerous trainings by this point. Now it is time for you to convey your knowledge to others! One of the first steps in this process is learning how to write abstracts, workshop proposals, and articles. Seek out your favorite conference and learn what the abstract or proposal guidelines are. Once you have an idea of what you would like to present, ask a mentor, supervisor, or colleague to help you. One of the simplest ways to approach your first proposal or article is to team up with someone you can trust in your field and work together to co-present or co-author. As social workers, we enjoy helping each other just as much as helping our clients. If you are seeking to write an article, always check the author guidelines to determine what is required (how many words, topic matter, format). After you have completed your proposal, always get writing feedback to assure your product is perfectly edited.
6. Utilize your expertise to contribute to the profession.
By this stage in your career, you will have begun to develop an expertise, or professional brand, in your field that people will want to know about. The best way to contribute and gain skills at this time is to narrow down the practice area or population of topical knowledge that you would feel most confident about and find others inquiring about. You can share your expertise through workshops, guest lectures, on panels, or through peer reviewed journals. You may also be drawn to take a stand through writing letters to the editor, leading advocacy efforts, or serving as a consultant. As you proceed in these endeavors, always remember to recognize and cultivate the talent of others. At this stage in your career, collaboration with sociaothers is imperative to growing your network and sharing your knowledge with others. Learn from other experts in the field.
7. Impart knowledge to others through field instruction, guest lecturing, formal training, and adjunct teaching.
These opportunities allow you to make a contribution to the profession and social work education. Remember when you were a student and had an instructor who made such an impact on you that you changed your entire career focus? Or the time you had the opportunity to attend a lecture by one of the most esteemed therapists in your field? This is your time to shine. You have built a following who want to learn and grow from your expertise. When you become sought out as an expert, others may ask you for consultation or to serve as an expert witness. The strategic steps that you have taken to get to this point have led you to become an expert in the field.
Important to remember, in all these stages, there are critical skills that are necessary to move from one step to the next. These include communication skills such as excellent writing, presentation, listening, and training skills. Leadership is imperative, as are the ability to build relationships with others, accountability, and integrity in all human relationships. Lifelong learning is woven throughout this strategic career path.
If you follow the steps of your career path with strategy, you will begin to gain all the skills you need to move forward, and eventually create your legacy.
In Memory of Andrew Marks, 1963-2017.
Jennifer Luna, MSSW, is a social worker, career coach, and trainer. She serves as Director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work. Jennifer utilizes a collaborative yet strategic coaching approach to assist social workers in identifying their strongest skills, areas of knowledge, key strengths, and leadership characteristics.