Make Your “Meantime” Matter: 3 Steps to Get Your Social Work Career on Track

by Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW

     As a gardener, I often stroll through my yard to observe the growth of the seeds I planted earlier in the year. When planting, I had a vision of how each garden would look. That vision allowed me to strategically place each seed in a particular location, and determine the type and level of nurturance they required. Eventually, my vision of productive gardens became a reality, except for my banana tree, which has yet to produce. I eventually learned it can take a year or more for bananas to manifest. In the “meantime,” I continue to nurture it through providing water, fertilizer, and sunlight.

     As a social worker, have you ever thought that what you planted (e.g., education, finances, time) into your career was not producing? Have you found that your goal to attain a certain job position, level of financial earnings, or academic degree did not manifest within your intended time frame? Do you compare yourself to other social workers who seem to be achieving their goals, leaving you facing feelings of discouragement? If you are experiencing these concerns, then you might need to regain focus on the vision. The motivation to refocus may be influenced by how you manage your “meantime.”

     The meantime is the period prior to reaching your vision. Just as with gardening, your career also needs a process of nurturing for the vision to produce. In other words, the meantime is where you engage in opportunities that nurture your development. Therefore, when you are sensing discouragement, strategize how to benefit from your “meantime.” Here are a few strategies you can implement in the meantime to help recapture your motivation and move toward your career vision.

Conduct a Self-Study

     A self-study consists of exploring your “why.” In other words, these are the motivating factors that influenced you to pursue a career in social work. What were your intentions when pursuing a social work degree? In addition, during the self-study, consider the following questions:

• Who am I as a social worker?
• What have I learned about myself during each career experience, including my academics?
• What role have I played in the lives of others? What are my current professional strengths?
• In what ways would I like to enhance my professional performance?

Examine Professional Challenges

     Periods of discouragement are often influenced by challenging career experiences - for example, accumulated debt from degree programs, experiencing burnout in the workplace, or even feeling you did not complete an assigned work task appropriately. Overall, such career challenges can be reframed as opportunities for learning and growth. These allow you to examine:

• What could have been done differently?
• What skills did you develop?
• In what areas did you show growth?
• What new learning did you gain?

     Examining professional challenges allows you to consider what steps you would apply in future situations. In addition, answers to these questions may support you in strategizing a plan for your future – such as a career vision statement.

Write a Career Vision Statement

     A career vision statement is like building a road map for your career trajectory.  If you could imagine your career future, what would it look like? Where do you see yourself at a different point in the future, whether 2, 5, 10, or 15 years from now? What strategies are needed to support you in moving toward your vision? For example, what professional development opportunities, financial literacy knowledge, organization membership, or mentorship opportunities would enhance your growth during the “meantime”? Specifically writing what you envision helps to develop a road map to transition you from current day to your future. Periodically reviewing this vision statement may provide a source of inspiration as you navigate your career.

   Remember, the meantime is a period to empower yourself to make decisions and build your career strengths. Explore your “why” and learn from professional challenges. Overall, while nurturing your career, acknowledge your successes and celebrate the value and diversity of career choices within the social work profession.

Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW, is a Professor of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dr. Hardy is a social justice advocate, professional consultant, author, and mentor to new social workers and junior faculty members. She is the creator of The Social Work Lounge, a mentorship group facilitated via Facebook.