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I recently got an email from Stephanie, a graduating social work student:

I stumbled upon your Instagram today and was pleased to see that you are a social worker who currently resides in New York City; I graduate with my MSW in August and plan on moving to New York City from Florida, thereafter.  Living and working in New York has always been a dream of mine. In preparation for graduation I’ve been doing some online job searching, but  most positions that offer a viable wage require that you are licensed. My passion is working with children, families and women.

What advice would you give to a new social worker looking to move to New York City who isn’t licensed and wishes to work with children and families or women?  Are there any specific agencies you would recommend applying to?

Stephanie’s question is interesting because it encompasses many factors, of which I’ve come up with several questions that I hope can guide Stephanie (and you) in thinking more about the next steps in living as a a social worker in New York City:

What is your ideal social work role?

This question can be answered based on where you are currently (education-wise) as a social worker. Do you plan to work as a micro level social worker, mezzo level social worker, or macro level social worker? Do you plan to work at one level for your entire social work career, or do you have expectations of moving up or blending different levels of social work? If you’re interested in working with women, youth, and families, what does that mean? Reproductive or maternal health? Crisis management and prevention? Substance use? Mental illness?

How are you looking for social work positions?

This question ties into the first question. Stephanie mentions women, children, and families as potential populations she wants to work with. In addition to identifying if you want to work at the micro, mezzo, or macro level, are you looking for counseling positions versus case management, teaching versus facilitating workshops, etc?.  I was able to land a case management position within 3 months of graduating, working directly with adults impacted by HIV/AIDS and homelessness. As social workers, we’re conditioned to look for positions that explicitly have “social worker” in the title when there are plenty of organizations and agencies that recommend having the skills of a social worker but it may not be mentioned in the position requirements. I had lots of experience in conducting workshops around youth engagement, sexual/reproductive health and justice, and the like prior to grad school, but felt that I needed something that mentioned “social work” or “case management” in the title. If you find a position that interests you but doesn’t mention “social worker”, highlight in your cover letter and interview how being a social worker lends itself well to that position. The MSW degree is one of the most flexible degrees out there, and the skills we learn can translate to a variety of roles.

What setting do you want to work in?

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A few weeks ago, I received the following email for a prospective social work student:

I am considering going to graduate school for social work, but I want to know more about the career in general before I do. Could you tell me what you do on a daily basis, what the downsides of the job are, and what you wished you knew before you became a social worker?

Here’s a question I recently got from a Raise Your Voice reader:

Hi Nicole! I am currently studying to take the licensed master of social work [LMSW] exam in my state. I’m a little nervous because I’ve been out of graduate school for a few years now. While I’ve been working as a social worker since then, I feel so far removed from studying that the thought of actually taking this exam brings up a lot of anxiety for me. Can you share what you did to take the LMSW exam and pass it on the first try?

Before I give my advice on preparing for the LMSW exam, I want to share the process I underwent that led me to pass on my first try. As a disclaimer, this is what *I* did. In no way am I’m advocating for anyone to do the same. 

I graduated from my social work graduate program in May 2010, and I took the LMSW exam on March 31, 2014. I’m mentioning this for one important reason: While I do recommend taking the exam as soon as you’re eligible to take it (which depends on your state. There are some states that will allow you to take the exam during the final month of your graduate program), it is possible to take this exam and pass it years after graduation.

Things I Considered Prior to Registering For and Taking the Exam:

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Do you have a question that other Raise Your Voice community members can benefit from? Contact me and I’ll answer it!

I recently received the following question from a social work graduate student, who recently completed her first-year graduate internship (known as a field placement in social work) at an urban reproductive healthcare clinic:

Hi Nicole!

I recently finished my first year in graduate school for social work. Coming into social work school, I had a big interest in being in clinical study and I’ve envisioned myself working one on one with adults. I was placed in a local clinic that deals with most healthcare needs, and I was placed in the reproductive health access department as an intern. After being in my placement, I’m starting to gain an awareness of how important access to reproductive healthcare needs are for young people and communities of color, and I’m starting to become more interested in doing community practice instead of working one on one in a clinical setting.

A few weeks ago, a few classmates and I were reflecting on our field placement experiences. When I mentioned the great experience I had at my placement, one of my classmates told me that it is unethical for social workers to assist in helping people obtain abortions and that we have a duty to report it to Child Protective Services, especially when the person wanting an abortion is a young girl who is being sexually abused. This is based on the NASW Code of Ethic, she says. My classmate said that social workers, above all things, should protect life, and that includes the life an unborn child.

While I enjoyed my field experience (and, by the way, I also assisted other healthcare needs besides abortion), I’m starting to wonder if my classmate is right. Being that you’re a social worker that has a lot of experience in reproductive rights, can you share your insights?

Thank you!

I was excited when this student allowed for me to share her question. There are several parts to her questions, but before I share my answers, here’s a little background on social workers and our roles in reproductive healthcare:

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