Anyone with an MSW?

[Robindianne]

I'm thinking about my future and perhaps veering off into going to school for an MSW.

If you have one, what do you do for a living and in what setting? How do you like it? Do you feel secure in your employment? Anything else pos, neg, or other?

Thank you for your help.

 

[tomthebarncat]

Social work is a poorly paid profession with a high burnout percentage. I did it for 7 years and never again, I am glad that I got an MBA instead of a MSW, which I could have done in my sleep. I have a BSW and I really wish that I would have chosen something else to major in! I now work as a corporate trainer specializing in Business English, which thankfully, has nothing to do with social work! People and their problems get old real fast!

 

[Breezy_Carol]

DD 24 is currently in school for an MSW. She graduated college with a family studies degree and then went to work for 2 years in childcare while investigating her options. She is partway through has her field placement in child welfare which is her interest. So far she really likes it.

I also see many social workers in nursing homes where I work. There seems to always be a need there.

As with any helping profession, you have to want to do it and not for the $$.

 

[walden]

I have an MSW. I did it so long ago that you might want to wait for more responses though! I changed careers from teaching to SW. What attracts you to Social Work?

I thought it an excellent and versatile degree but it was 2 years of (often enjoyable) grueling hard work with the internships. I believe it was worth it. The MSW is essential if you want to move beyond case management.

I specialized in geriatric social work, ended up in management, then worked for state government for several years -- mostly program planning and quality assurance. Some of my contemporaries took a different track and are now LICSWs in private practice making quite decent money.

There is a huge amount of variation in potential careers. This NASW website may give you an idea of the variety if you look at the positions offered.

http://www.naswdc.org/swportal/

 

[si-am]

My mom has an MSW and works as a social worker in hospice care. She has done a little bit of everything: drug/substance abuse counseling, therapy for state mental health, at-risk kids, etc. She doesn't love what she does now (depressing) but it has been getting harder and harder to find jobs lately with all the state budget cuts.

Apparently it's also really important to be licensed; an MSW by itself isn't worth as much as it used to be.

 

[donnajon]

I got my MSW in 1988. I'm a psychiatric social worker and really enjoy it. I do mental health consults on patients presenting to the emergency room. I feel really secure in my job and actually for a social worker, have a pretty good salary. There are lots of opportunities in the mental health field of social work. The one thing about an MSW is that there are so many varied career paths you can take.

 

[Robindianne]

Thank you for the replies. It does sound like a degree that can be very useful, depending on which certs and interests you have.