How to become a social worker - how is the job market?

[Nadja C]

i am interested in becoming a social worker and i just read that i might not find a job until i have a Bachelors Degree in that carrier. Can anyone tell me more about that? Thank you

[Barbara Z]

Right now the market is slow to hire anyone without a masters degree in Social Work, especially if you are thinking of working in a school setting. My daughter-in-law just graduated from UIC in Chicago, with a masters in social work and has had a hard time finding a job. With the economy being what it is, many companies and institutions have had to cut out these type of jobs. The best thing I can advise, is to find a great place for your internship, possibily this could lead to a job.

[Anna3]

You will not be able to get a social work job if you do not have a social work degree. At best, you could get a job as a paraprofessional. You would be working with the same type of people that a social worker would work with, but providing less intensive services. For example, if you wanted to work in child welfare, depending on the agency, you could provide supervision during a visit between a parent and a child that has been put in the foster care system. Whereas the social worker would be providing the case management to the family. Both jobs are very important. My recommendation to you if you would like to be a social worker, based on my own experiences, would be to get a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and then work for several years before you get a Master's Degree. If you attempt to get a job right after getting a Master's Degree without any experience, you will likely have difficulty. The job market in Social Work is extremely competitive at this point because many states are in hiring freezes due to the economy. Good luck!