Beyond a degree, employers want life-long learners

2011-12-07

In order to get an idea of what prospective employers are looking for with respect to degree and professional qualifications, you should take a look at job postings both online and in person. You should also talk to prospective employers about what degrees are required for different positions.
Develop an academic and a career plan. You need to consider what you love doing, why you went into social work in the first place, what courses you enjoy the most, who you like to work with as staff and clientele, where you would like to end up in your career, and what education and experience you will need in order to get there. By clarifying these issues, you to begin to map out your academic and career plans. The clearer you can be on the vision for your education and your career, the easier it will be to focus on taking the steps to make them a reality.
Do your research on the types of jobs and careers that are available to people withmastersdegreesin the private, public and non-profit sectors. Speak to people in professional, management, teaching, advocacy and research positions and ask them about their careers, their educational backgrounds, what they like about their careers, what they dislike about them, and what they would do differently if they were to do it over again.
Attend professional, business and sector-specific meetings where people with social work or management degrees meet. Consider whether the topics and the people interest you and if these are areas in which you would like to work. Use online social networks to build your contacts and find out more about the career opportunities for social workers and managers.
Be aware that you will have many different careers not just jobs in your lifetime. Start building a network of people and contacts in the field that you can use as advisers, mentors and references. Find out what you really want for your career. Listen to the wisdom of others and then determine what is right for you and take action to get the education, experience and contacts you need to succeed.
Source from www.theglobeandmail.com