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Job outlook for new MSW grads? should I go for a second masters? advice please!
Is anyone a new MSW graduate that can tell me what the job search has been like? I've been accepted to an MSW program and I am debating whether or not I should go. My fear is that I will graduate from the program and still have a really difficult time finding a job.
Background - I already have a masters degree in a different (not too useful) subject, and due to the current issues with the US government/economy/etc., the field I initially wanted to work in doesn't seem like it will work out anytime soon, and I think I need to search for a plan B. Also, I am a military wife who has moved fairly often, making it more difficult to find jobs (by the time I find one relevant to my field, it is time to move - plus the jobs I always applied to were county/state government jobs which open less often and take longer to hire. As you know, the state of the federal government as well as CA's government is pretty dismal, so the jobs I'd typically go for are nonexistent at the moment and will be for some time.) Not to mention the areas we have lived have always had a pretty difficult job market - I move back to San Diego in a few months, which has a really tough market.
But - I would hate to go to school again and then come out from graduation with the same problem of not finding a job. On the other hand, I'd hate to sit around without a job or anything to do, especially while my husband is deployed and I need something positive to do everyday. We don't have kids and don't have any immediate plans for any (or know if we really want them).
any thoughts? I'm just really confused about what I should do.
Also, I wanted to add that I have never used student loans and wouldn't have to for this degree, either - I know that would be a factor for some people in the decision.
Thanks.
Re: Job outlook for new MSW grads? should I go for a second masters? advice please!
I (only) have about 2-3 years of work experience in related fields. After I received my first masters I went to an intense 63 week language course and am now proficient in Mandarin - then, I moved to China for a year. All of the experience and qualifications I do have makes me perfect for my original goal, but the federal government isn't hiring, which makes it all pretty useless.
I actually would prefer not to go to school! I'm tired of school but if it is good for my future then I'd go again. What I don't want to do is work in an entirely unrelated field just for the sake of working. When we first lived in San Diego I tried to settle for various jobs and they just never worked out because I never liked them - I worked doing admin at an insurance company, admin at a real estate company, tried my hand at a mortgage company, worked at a spa... I hated doing that type of work.
It seems like instead of doing what I had originally planned, social work is where I was heading, and to have any kind of decent job in that field you need an MSW. Social work type work is what I have the 2-3 years of experience in.
I'm worried I'll end up in San Diego not going to school, no job, husband will be deployed, and I'll be pretty bored. I don't want to settle for an admin type job because I hate doing that type of work.
Ditto this. Also, I think it's a sad day in America when having a master's degree is "not particularly useful". You are not defined by your degree. Although it will steer you in certain directions, you are not confined to mastering that particular field for the rest of your life unless you get yet another master's degree. Try instead to use that degree and experience as leverage for any job.
Additionally, there are initiatives under way to assist military spouses in getting jobs, particularly those that require state certifications and professional credentials. Reach out to your local Family Readiness center for more assistance.
Little different perspective here. I'm an LPC with a master's in counseling, so I am qualified for many of the same jobs as MSWs (with their LCSWs). I think a bigger question is: have you enjoyed the 2-3 years you have already spent doing social work enough to think you would want to make a career out of it? If so, an MSW will certainly benefit you. and do you plan on getting an LCSW afterwards? That would take some additional time after your master's, but I think it would greatly increase your job options.
For example, if you are interested in hospital work (where I have spent most of my career), you may be able to get on PRN when you move to a new area--I have experience in crisis counseling, and am confident I could get a PRN position somewhere if we were to move. Of course, I agree with pp about it varying by region, and I'm not as sure about reciprocity for LCSWs between different states, so that may be an issue.
Social work has certainly suffered cuts as most job areas have, but it is one of the professions that will always be needed. I'm sure you already know, it's not a profession that will make you rich, and it will break your heart many times.
If you don't have other plans right now, why not attend a semester, see what you think, and look at other job possibilities at the same time? I understand not wanting to be bored, and if you have been accepted, it might be worth a shot. You can always drop out if you decide against it.
Sorry this got so long! Good luck with your decision!
Steps on My Spiritual Journey
Thanks for the different perspectives, I appreciate it. I know that a master in one field doesn't necessarily mean I need to stick with that, or related fields - but I happen to enjoy these two fields, and my dabbling in other areas in the past always led to disappointment because they never held my interest. For the most part, to have a decent job in social work, you really need an MSW. If want to stick with social work, does it make sense to try to find a job and get a couple more years of work experience and then start another masters when I am about 31?! Because as I said, for social work, a masters is pretty crucial.
I'm still debating what to do. If it were a different time in the American economy/job market, my story would be different. Or perhaps if I could go to where the jobs are available - but I can't, I am constrained.
Anyway, I have a friend I keep in touch with who still works at the former agency/in the former position I also used to work in. She has told me that they are going to be hiring a couple more people soon - so as long as timing works out (I don't return to the US until July), that may be an option - I'd love to work there again, and it is in my original field. And like I said before - I'd prefer to work!! so as long as it is in a field I am interested in and is not merely just settling, because those jobs never lasted long for me (luckily it is not a needing money issue, it is just that I would like to work).
As someone who was accepted to a top 10 MSW program in Souther California - attended for a semester - and left I can offer some insight into the region and the status of the job market.
I left the program because of the curriculum and academics - but the investment is a huge investment and that was also an issue. A lot of people that I am still friends with on FB graduated in 2010 and had a really difficult time finding a permanent job. For some of them they just got their first MSW job now - well over 6 months after graduation - pushing a year. The job market is extremely competitive at the moment w. limited opportunities available in Southern California. If you have a substantial scholarship it could be worth it - but if the program comes with the $100,000 price tag I would rethink things. In this market and given the salary range for MSW in general it will be really tough paying off those loans.
I won't need student loans and actually my husband's GI Bill would pay for almost all of my schooling, so nothing out of pocket for us, really. But, tuition wouldn't cost that much, I'd pay in state - it's not top 10, but is top 25. However - the other bit of info you have provided is interesting and just further proves my point how difficult the SoCal job market is! It is rough! I've lived there before, so I know. After graduating, it would be about time for us to move again and we'd probably be moving to the D.C. area but who really knows?
I just have really no idea what to do at this point.
You can tell how rough the job market is there, so there is a good chance if I don't go to school I will also most likely not be working because I won't be able to find a job.