Experts Weigh In On Current Job Market Trends
October 26, 2021
Given the change of course that has happened in the world, we wanted to provide expert opinions on what aspiring graduates can do to start off their careers in an uncertain economic climate. We wanted to know what skills will be more important, where the economy is doing relatively well, and if there will be any lasting effects on the job market.
Companies are looking for candidates that can handle the new responsibilities of the job market. Recent graduates actually have an advantage because they are comfortable using newer technologies and have been communicating virtually their whole lives. They can take what they've learned and apply it immediately.
We spoke to professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the job market for recent graduates is heading, as well as how young graduates entering the industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.
Our Panel of Experts
The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of Nevada - Reno
University of Illinois-Springfield
Northern Kentucky University
Campbellsville University
California State University Northridge
Lancaster Bible College | Capital Seminary & Graduate School
National Association of Social Workers
Tuskegee University
North Carolina State University
Gallaudet University
UNLV School of Social Work
NYU Silver School of Social Work
Millikin University
Park University
Dine College
Southern Connecticut State University
Portland State University
Manchester University
Oberlin College
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.
Professor and Academic Chair Department of Social WorkThe University of Texas Permian Basin
Department of Social Work
What skills stand out on Social Worker resumes?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social work is a profession rooted in professional ethics and requires a wide range of skills that vary depending upon the role a social worker holds in an organization. In general, social work skills that stand out on a resume are skills gained through specialized training and certifications, skills in culturally responsive practice, proficiency in languages, and skills in assessment and evaluation.
What soft skills should all Social Workers possess?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social workers need to be skillful in documentation in writing case notes, assessments, and good managers of their time. Managing a client's case requires social workers to be diligent and ensure that all required documentation is completed on time and within professional standards. Social workers must also be effective communicators understanding their own power and the multiple professional roles they hold.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Workers?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social workers practice in various areas of practice and organizational auspices that may differ in the hard/technical skills that are most important. In general, the hard/technical skills most important can be categorized based on the level of education-BSW (Bachelors of Social Work) versus MSW (Masters of Social Work).
BSW's practice in a range of organizations providing various types of services; however, in general practice in the realm of case management that requires that ability to demonstrate cultural responsiveness, develop an alliance with clients, apply NASW and a state's ethics and professional standards of practice, conduct assessments, and to develop plans to meet a client's goals.
MSW's practice in many areas such as administration, clinical, public policy and advocacy, child welfare, public safety, and health care. Each of these practice areas requires specific technical skills; however, in general, MSW's are trained to assess individuals, families, groups, and communities. To that end, MSW's must understand the cultural context and how socio/economic local, state, federal policies impact social welfare problems such as poverty, intimate partner violence, and mental illness. MSW's must possess strong engagement skills/therapeutic alliance-building, diagnostic/evaluation skills, ethical application of interventions and therapeutic approaches, and advocacy skills.
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.
Associate DeanUniversity of Nevada - Reno
School of Social Work
What skills stand out on Social Worker resumes?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers are at the forefront of providing health and mental health services in the nation. There are many specializations that social workers can work in, and the skills that stand out on a resume are dependent on the type of social worker. For example, for a clinician, some top skills to include would be:
-clinical experience (therapeutic skills)
-ability to work with individuals, families, and groups from different ethnicities and backgrounds.
-case management
-resource management
-advocacy
-documentation
What soft skills should all Social Workers possess?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers need to be prepared to work in integrated health and multidisciplinary settings and act as change agents across systems of care. They work with various communities and people, and therefore soft skills are very important to their success. Some of the most important soft skills include:
-Teamwork. ...
-Communication Skills
-Problem-Solving Skills
-Ethics
-Flexibility/Adaptability
-Leadership skills
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Workers?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers often develop community-based partnerships, including partnerships with activist organizations to implement reform towards racial and social justice; advance equity policies for BIPOC and LGBTQ populations. The top technical skills that are required of a social worker to be successful include
-grant writing
-program evaluation
-writing skills
-project management
What skills will help Social Workers earn the most?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social work salaries range greatly depending on the type of social work you do and where you are located. In general, the skills that can help increase your earnings in the social work profession include:
-clinical skills
-program evaluation/grant writing
-supervisory skills
-leadership
At the School of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Reno, we aim to elevate our students and their profession. Social workers make great leaders because they're directed by their code of ethics and multidisciplinary education. More than ever, health and social services organizations need leaders who are oriented by professional values. Social work values are universal: social justice, service, integrity, competence, human relations, and dignity. These are the values that orient social workers in their decision-making, which makes them great leaders.
What skills stand out on Social Worker resumes?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: In general, I think there are three things that will help job seekers in the field stand out on their resume, including (1) experiences, (2) practical skills, and (3) flexibility. First, let's talk about the experience. As a helping professional, your experience in the field helps you deal with a challenging situation smoothly. There are many unexpected situations where you do not know what to do. Such situations commonly occur in the field as working with your clients (e.g., your client talks about suicidal ideation). You can't experience everything, particularly if you are a student, but both direct and indirect experiences will benefit you. Direct experiences may be gained through previous jobs and internships while pursuing a degree. Indirect experiences may be gained through learning from co-workers, interacting with classmates who are already in the field, and reading and learning while in your degree program. Second, practical skills are important in many ways. Human services professionals' tasks vary by what agency they work for and clients they work with. To be able to complete given tasks, practical skills are helpful; they are not necessarily fancy or difficult-to-achieve, but something that can be practiced and gained if willing to learn. For example, they include but are not limited to documentation, computer skills (e.g., setting up online sessions), knowledge about professional ethics, assessment and intervention, communication skills, referral skills, and knowledge about resources in the communities. Finally, flexibility may help you survive in the field. For example, Covid-19 circumstances, as you may already know, have brought many unprecedented changes and challenges in our lives and the field. Many case workers in the field have been meeting their clients online, and ways of helping their clients had to be changed due to the ongoing pandemic. These changes occurred so quickly, which requires helping professionals in the field to find ways of meeting their client's needs as quickly as possible. In such situations, if helping professionals are not flexible, they would not be able to effectively assist their clients.
What soft skills should all Social Workers possess?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: I believe that interpersonal skills (e.g., communication) are the most important skills. Human services professionals work with people from diverse backgrounds. They play an important role in the lives of those in need, between parties (e.g., court systems and agency), and make positive changes in a broader context as an advocate. To be able to do so, communication skills are essential. These skills include but are not limited to active listening, responding with influence, showing empathy and respect, knowing how to say no when there are boundaries, expressing the needs of the client in a professional manner, sending and responding to emails in a professional manner, using various communication methods properly, and using both verbal and nonverbal languages appropriately.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Workers?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: There are so many to name given that human services professionals should be versatile, but if I have to pick one, I would say assessment skills. One of the important tasks that human services professionals take on is to help their client's needs be met. If you don't know how to accurately assess the client's needs, how can you help them effectively? How can you help meet their needs? Based on the accurate and thorough assessment, human services professionals are able to develop treatment plans and implement best practices in the field.
What skills will help Social Workers earn the most?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: Self-care skills. It is imperative for human services professionals to practice self-care regularly. Human services jobs are emotionally and physically draining and challenging, although they are rewarding. If you do not know how to take care of yourself and your needs, how can you take care of others? If you do not practice self-care regularly, you are likely to experience burnout - no resilience to go back to your highest ability to help others. Many helping professionals put their client's needs first and neglect their needs, but in the long run, this is not a smart thing to do.
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.
Associate Professor, MSW Program Director, School of Social WorkNorthern Kentucky University
College of Health and Human Services
What skills stand out on Social Worker resumes?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: We look for social work applicants who strongly demonstrate their experience and their skill set. This involves highlighting experience with diverse populations and experience working in a variety of practice settings. For new graduates, this can come in the form of highlighting their practicum experiences. It is also important for individuals to emphasize their knowledge, understanding, and experience with relevant issues that take precedence in the world right now. This includes experience and training in diversity and inclusion efforts, experience providing telehealth services during the pandemic, and experience with trauma-informed care and working with trauma patients (to name a few). If applicants possess expertise or additional training with specific populations (e.g., older adults, domestic violence victims, refugees), they should demonstrate this expertise and highlight the corresponding skill sets they have developed as a result of working with these populations. We also encourage exhibiting areas of interventional expertise and training (e.g., training in cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, etc....).
What soft skills should all Social Workers possess?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: Regarding soft skills, we look for skills that are essential foundational skills within the profession. These include empathy, active listening, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, to name a few. These are essential for effective alliance-building with our clients and for making unbiased and ethical decisions. As social workers, we are often in the business of communication. Rarely do we work in isolation, as much of our work involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and individuals in other professional domains. As such, effective communication, organization, time management, and collaborative skills are necessary.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Workers?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: We are a dynamic evidence-based profession that requires specialized skills in order to effectively complete the demanding work that our profession entails. The soft skills described above are all intertwined with the hard skills required in the social work profession. Below are examples of hard skills required in the social work profession (note, this list is not exhaustive):
a. Client Evaluation Skills-All social workers, regardless of practice setting, must possess competency in client evaluation. This requires the ability to complete thorough and accurate assessments of our clients and their environment.
b. Diagnosis-While not all social workers will go on to diagnose, those who obtain full licensure often do. Having the ability to diagnose has many lifelong implications for the clients we work with, so it is vital that social workers possess the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking required to provide accurate diagnoses.
c. Intervention- This is often at the heart of what we do as social workers, and this will look different for each client. Social workers need to be skilled in providing evidence-based interventions for patients. This requires sufficient education and training in various evidence-based techniques. Intervention can also come in the form of connecting clients to necessary resources and collaborating with other professionals to help meet the unique needs of clients.
d. Crisis Management- All social workers will likely encounter a crisis situation at some point. We must possess the skills to respond accordingly by making swift and ethical decisions while simultaneously collaborating with other professionals involved.
e. Cultural Competency -Social workers will encounter clients from diverse backgrounds, and therefore need to be mindful and educated about various cultural beliefs and practices. We must also be willing to self-examine our own beliefs and biases and acknowledge what we have yet to learn.
f. Advocacy: All social workers uphold social justice and work to empower our clients and communities through advocacy efforts. Possessing advocacy skills allows us to support our clients, especially vulnerable populations, and ensure they have the opportunities and resources they need.
g. Documentation- Sound and professional documentation is critical in social work. Each encounter we have with a client needs to be documented to ensure accuracy and to ensure appropriate services and interventions. I tell my students to always document as if their records would one day be read aloud in a courtroom.
What skills will help Social Workers earn the most?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: Typically social workers can earn more money if they pursue a clinical route. This involves obtaining a master's degree in social work and working toward full clinical licensure (which usually takes a couple years post-graduation). Being fully licensed as a social worker provides opportunities to practice independent clinical work, the ability to diagnose patients, and new opportunities for leadership roles in agencies. There are several other routes to explore to expand revenue as a social worker. I have met quite a few social workers who also obtain training in business and finance if they are interested in combining their social work experience with entrepreneurial endeavors. Additionally, since having a social work degree provides endless possibilities for individuals, it is not uncommon for people to be engaged in multifaceted roles simultaneously. A social workers can be engaged in their full-time employment while also teaching courses at the university level. This is an excellent way for social work professionals to share their real-world experiences with the next generation of social workers. We can also be involved in additional roles by providing clinical supervision to new graduates, completing contract work, or serving as consultants to agencies. These are all excellent ways to fully utilize our skills while also expanding our earnings.
What skills stand out on Social Worker resumes?
Dr. Dianna Cooper: Several things stand out on a social worker's resume. First, social workers should highlight that they graduated from a CSWE accredited program. This tells the world that they have been trained in the nine competencies that serve as the foundation of social work. It also means that the social worker has completed training in multiple areas, including theory, policy, research, diversity and inclusion, practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, and field experience. The field experience part of social work education integrates practice in a real social work setting, so students graduate with experience to show on the resume.
What soft skills should all Social Workers possess?
Dr. Dianna Cooper: The "change theory" used in social work practice follows several steps, including engaging, assessing, planning, intervening, evaluating, terminating, and following up. Soft skills are most likely to occur in engagement, intervention, and termination. Social workers are trained to "start wherever the client is," understanding that clients can be individuals, families, groups, communities, or organizations. Social workers are trained to respect the client as the expert in their needs, honor self-determination, use a strengths-based approach, and respect difference while using inclusion. The training turns into soft skills such as being empathetic, warm, genuine, and respectful. Social workers also develop skills in knowing when to listen and when to nudge the client toward action. Social workers are trained to intervene and, when change is completed, to terminate. Helping clients know when to end services also requires soft skills of talking about hard topics, seeing a brighter future and setting goals, recognizing when change is happening, and saying goodbye respectfully.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Workers?
Dr. Dianna Cooper: Hard or technical skills are most likely to occur in the stages of assessing, planning, intervening, and evaluating change theory. Social workers are trained to gather lots of information and then analyze strengths and needs. Social workers present their assessments to clients and work together to create goals and the steps that reach goals when executed. The process involves using the client's vision of what "better" looks like. Social workers then use evidence-based techniques to move the client toward the goal and define measures to know when the goal is met. The technical skills used in this process include analyzing many types of information repeatedly, knowing what resources exist and how to refer, knowing how to design effective goals and steps to achieve goals, researching current evidence-based practices, defining and measuring progress, and setting limits and timeframes.
What skills will help Social Workers earn the most?
Dr. Dianna Cooper: Individuals who complete a master's degree in social work (MSW) are likely to earn higher pay than individuals with a bachelor's degree (BSW). MSWs are also desirable in many settings, including hospitals and medical settings, schools, mental health counseling centers, police departments, probation offices, in-home therapeutic service agencies, and private practice. Most states now require social workers to be licensed. MSWs who want to bill insurances for direct service to clients must be licensed at the clinic level where they practice to credential with insurance companies.
Alejandra Acuna Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorCalifornia State University Northridge
Department of Social Work
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Alejandra Acuna Ph.D.: The coronavirus epidemic completely changed the work environment for social workers. While some were considered essential workers and continued in-person services, most had to shift to virtual services and become proficient in various online platforms as well as understand and work within the legal and ethical parameters surrounding telehealth (that is, the provision of health/mental health services remotely employing telecommunications technology). Further, building trusting relationships and creating caring communities is what social workers do and are the foundation of providing quality services, so finding creative ways to remotely connect to clients - individuals, families, groups, and communities - has been paramount.
Social workers are trained to create trauma- and resilience-informed systems (e.g., an organizational culture, structure, and treatment framework built on understanding, recognizing, and responding to all kinds of trauma) and practices (e.g., safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment). Now more than ever, these skills are valuable since everyone has been impacted by the double pandemic of racial discrimination amid coronavirus disease. The opportunity in this crisis is that we are moving away from pre-contemplation ("not thinking about it") and contemplation ("thinking about it") to preparation ("planning to make change") and action ("taking steps to make change"). These are exciting steps forward based on the Transtheoretical Model of Change (stages of change). While managing these stages, we can anticipate the stages that come later, which are maintenance ("maintaining the change") and relapse ("falling back into former patterns of behavior").
It is evident that front-line workers, like social workers, are intensely impacted by consistently responding to clients and patients who are affected by trauma. Building resilience is critical at the individual, family, community, institutional, and professional levels. We all need it now. Social work is sustainable in that our efforts to care for others are balanced with caring for ourselves, where no one is neglected or left behind.
What type of skills will young Social Workers need?
Alejandra Acuna Ph.D.: The basic skills of social work - engagement, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence-based and culturally responsive interventions, progress monitoring and evaluation, and termination (ending services and saying goodbye) - apply whether working with individuals, families, groups, communities, or institutions. Since we have all been affected by the double pandemic, I envision focusing more on social work at the macro-levels (communities and institutions) and meso-levels (families and groups) compared to the micro-levels (individuals). Knowledge, skills, and confidence in providing the range of social work services remotely will be beneficial, and I think that younger social workers are poised to excel and lead the way in the virtual environment.
What experience really stands out on Social Worker resumes?
Alejandra Acuna Ph.D.: Experience is valued in social work. Taking advantage of opportunities like internships and volunteer work is smart. Training and certification in an evidence-based program/practice (EBP), curricula, or intervention is a plus, although if there is a particular EBP used by a hiring agency, the agency usually pays for the time and cost of the training once a social worker is hired. Any additional skills relevant to the specific job- software skills, electronic recordkeeping, language proficiency - are worthy of highlighting in a resume. Grant writing skills also add value to resumes.
The reason most industries advertise with the statement, "will train the right person" is that we know (based on research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation, and Stanford Research Center) that interpersonal and intrapersonal communication skills (so-called "soft skills") make up 85% of job success and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge. Interpersonal skills can probably be highlighted best in the cover letter and in the interview. Show up and let them see who you are - your warm, authentic, and empathic essence.
What type of skills will young Social Workers need?
Dr. Kurt Miller: Social workers entering the field must demonstrate a high degree of flexibility as they navigate a changing society's complexities, post-COVID 19. Social workers respond to individuals and families' traumatic experiences, applying specific engagement, assessment, intervention, and evaluation. Social workers can be found in all segments of society, providing pathways to stability by enlisting organizations and communities' support.
Knowledgeable about resources that support well-being, social workers approach vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed populations with a hopeful and optimistic attitude, empowering them to achieve their most significant potential. Social workers listen, assess, take action, advocate, provide options, document, intervene, protect, nourish, and defend others' rights. These skills have been present in the profession since the beginning, and will continue to be the hallmark of social workers' work.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Kurt Miller: What is exciting about the profession of social work is that they can be found in all countries. They work in rural and urban settings. They advocate in public, private, and non-profit organizations. They engage all types of communities. They collaborate with many other professionals. Rather than considering a specific locale for job opportunities, it is crucial to consider how social workers respond to all social contexts. Social workers are needed everywhere.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Kurt Miller: Social work is an applied profession, relying on personal contact with others. Technology has not always been a friend of the job, and if we have learned something from COVID-19, we have seen that technology has opened up doors for engagement for disenfranchised populations. As a result, there is an excellent opportunity for technology to positively impact how social workers flexibly engage with others as they provide services to aid in human well-being.
What general advice would you give to a Social Worker?
Sarah Christa Butts MSW: Social workers have much to offer across settings. We work in hospitals, schools, community-based clinics, non-profits, child welfare departments, and as managers, community organizers, and policy professionals. We seek to improve human well-being and health at the individual, community, and system levels. My advice to new social work graduates is to pursue your passion for helping others and focus on developing your skillset.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Social Workers in the next 3-5 years?
Sarah Christa Butts MSW: Telehealth and specifically teletherapy, including audio-only telephonic services, have been largely enabled because of the pandemic public health emergency. We have an opportunity now to embrace telehealth and ensure much greater access to services for clients and patients. These developments and the shift to many students learning virtually may also result in support for internet access as a public utility--which would be great for underserved communities. We should embrace technology and ensure that no one is left behind.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Social Workers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sarah Christa Butts MSW: Social workers are required to have a high level of education. Usually, a Master's degree and starting salaries are often far too low. Still, social workers can increase their wages over time, and there are many opportunities and positions available. Increasing reimbursement and compensation for social workers and reducing student loan debt are advocacy priorities for NASW.
What are the best companies to work for a Social Worker?
Dr. April Jones: The feedback from business leaders is that they wish to see a balanced mix of new graduates' skills. An unexpected gift mentioned is the ability to use spreadsheets, such as Excel. Companies do not expect to train new employees to use spreadsheets, though it turned out that spreadsheets are widely used (at varying levels of complexity) at all levels in organizations. An assumption here is that if a graduate already has good spreadsheet skills, then the graduate should also have the ability to quickly pick up on other, more complex business IT skills required by the organization.
Businesses also need to know if their new employees can effectively interact with internal or external audiences. In this regard, excellent presentation skills are the minimum expectation from businesses. Presentation skills (both formal and informal) include the ability to read people, communicate, and convey information appropriately to the different types of audiences they may encounter - and these may sometimes include bored, skeptical, adversarial, or even hostile audiences.
Every organization also requires graduates to show that they are good team-players. In addition to that, it is a significant advantage if graduates can also demonstrate good leadership skills in the context of teamwork. This is because new employees with leadership potential are viewed as those who are willing to go the extra mile, able to function with minimum supervision, can roll with the punches to jump back into the fray, and trusted to welcome (instead of to avoid) new assignments or challenges. Leadership skills are also seen as closely aligned with the possession of a corporate entrepreneurial mindset. Such employees are more willing to challenge the status quo, come up with out-of-the-box ideas, and help lead transformation efforts to guide the organization in the future.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Dr. April Jones: Business skills are in great demand anywhere where there is a desire to organize human beings for productive gains. Realistically, new graduates always have to consider if they should relocate for their first jobs. This is because it is natural for business cycles to expand or contract over time in patterns that may not be in sync with the timing of new graduates entering the workforce. For instance, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has frozen certain types of jobs in businesses but has expanded other types of jobs instead. This means that new opportunities are being created, but these may be located in other parts of the country.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Dr. April Jones: Large organizations will likely continue to invest in data-mining efforts to understand their supply chain dynamics better. Smaller companies (defined as those with reduced access to funding) will probably make increased use of cloud computing applications to remain competitive. Governments, verification, or certification organizations may invest in blockchain technologies to reliably track sources or destinations of goods.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Social Worker job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Karen Bullock Ph.D.: Healthcare jobs, which includes mental health practitioners, are in high demand during the pandemic. However, this trend is not a new phenomenon. COVID19 has illuminated the stark reality that social work, as a profession, contributes skilled, well-credentialed, and highly educated individuals to work effectively across health, human services, and educational settings to meet the needs of people who may be vulnerable to psycho-social, economic, political, and environmental factors that are determinants of health outcomes. Since the pandemic, it has become abundantly clear that social workers are essential in the health arena to enhance human well-being and to meet the basic to complex needs of our diverse population of individuals, families, and communities that are struggling in the wake of the pandemic, and the absence of a cure or vaccine.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Social Workers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Karen Bullock Ph.D.: The technologies that enable us to continue meeting with our constituent groups, professional colleagues, patients, clients, and students are critical. We know that they are prevalent because we are using them daily to host meetings, connect with our clients or patients, to sustain social connection with our distant relatives and loved ones, and to conduct the business of our days, weeks, and months. Indefinitely!
Now that we know we can host an effective and productive meeting, training, or presentation via Zoom, WebEx, Blackboard, GoToWebinar, GoToMeeting, 2U Connect, Microsoft Teams, and more, these technologies have become a mainstay for the next 3-5 years. As unfortunate and distressing as the COVID19 pandemic is, let's face it, we have been forced to innovate and create new ways of engaging, collaborating, educating, and communicating that can be sustained for years to come.
Many people whom I talk with about the changes and challenges say that they are delighted to have embarked upon such a plethora of options for doing business as (not so) usual; primarily mental health clinicians who are now able to see their clients and provide services without the issues and barriers of transportation, lack of time to transition from work to the therapist's office. Being able to pivot from one business meeting to a therapy appointment or a medical appointment is desirable for many people I converse with about technology and our new standard of adjusting to COVID19.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Karen Bullock Ph.D.: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 125,200 mental health social worker jobs in 2018. Between 2019 and 2020, the job outlook is projected to expand by 13% with new social work jobs, a much faster growth rate than other occupations. Moreover, healthcare social workers' employment is projected to increase by 14% from 2019 to 2029. Thus, we will need to continue preparing graduates in Social Work in the next five years to meet this labor force demand. SocialServices
What type of skills will young Social Workers need?
M Elizabeth Bowman Ph.D.: Social work graduates will need an ongoing understanding of cultural competence, explicitly incorporating a global perspective of the social work field and systems of oppression domestically and internationally. Students should be prepared by emphasizing cultural competency training within BSW and MSW programs, with exposure to varying cultures through the international school of social work partnerships. Additionally, social workers are expected to be aware of and competent in using technology, both for record-keeping and internal agency process, and for supporting case management (i.e., internet searches for resources, research for evidence-based practice, technology education, and support of clients).
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
M Elizabeth Bowman Ph.D.: Child welfare is always looking for qualified social work staff. I would highly recommend this field for recent grads. It provides many opportunities to specialize in different areas (not only child protective services, but quality assurance and case reviews, adoptions, permanency, etc.), and experiences that are many and varied days, today. Child welfare work gets a bad wrap, but it is higher paying than almost any other social work specialty. You have many opportunities to learn about the court process, family dynamics, crisis intervention, medical and developmental issues, substance abuse, criminal justice, and pretty much any other social work domain you may want to learn about.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
M Elizabeth Bowman Ph.D.: Documentation and the use of technologies in social work practice continue to be a mixed bag. While new record-keeping programs are available, social workers are often not provided with working technology by agencies for which they work. This is an essential factor for organizational consideration, both investments in the new record-keeping programs and the staff device maintenance are crucial. Social workers continue to need laptops/tablets, cell phones, and access to the internet daily to effectively complete their jobs.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Marde Closson: We envision technology positively impacting the field. As we were thrust into more of an online world in March, we have learned that services can still be effectively provided to clients. At some of our integrated practicum sites(which combine primary health care and behavioral health services), platforms such as Telehealth have been used even more so as the way to deliver health care services. We are sure that there will be other platforms available within the next five years, which will probably serve as cutting edge in the care of patients and clients. We might even see agencies expand their services because they can reach more people.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Benjamin Sher: From my perspective as Director of NYU Silver's Office of Global and Lifelong Learning and former President of NASW-NYC, I would say absolutely. NASW National has pushed for professional social workers to be recognized as front-line workers. This does, unfortunately, differentiate PSW a bit from essential workers (doctors, nurses, allied health professionals). However, we have been and will continue to be a key part of the pandemic. There is more of a need for social workers as we see the emotional and social impacts of the virus on people. Professional social workers are the largest provider of mental health services in the country, and we are needed now more than ever.
The inequities in health care that the virus has exposed in our society has also made it essential for social workers to be a part of the solution to the social determinants of health and health disparities. Social Workers, trained in using a systems analysis and person-in-environment perspective, are key to grasping the pandemic problem as a public health issue, and we are very effective at organizing and addressing multiple biological-psychological-social-environmental-justice-spiritual needs for people and communities impacted by the virus. Many schools of social work have been outreached by their local governments to support the contract tracing efforts needed for widespread testing. This happened in both NY and NJ, and NASW-NYC advocated with NY State leadership to hire graduating students and MSW interns as contact tracers. An Op-Ed in City Limits was written on it.
Also - as that many community-based organizations have transitioned to telehealth and tele-mental health services and continue to remain so even as certain parts of the tri-state area are opening up, students who have had internship experience in this model will be very attractive graduating candidates this year.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Benjamin Sher: This is by no means a perfect science, but this map shows you the distribution of social work members in NASW. This, along with the licensing statistics you should be able to find through every state licensing board (e.g., see New York State), should help paint the picture of how many social workers may exist in a particular region or area. I believe that North Carolina has become a growing area for social work, and as you can see, the tri-state area (e.g., NJ, CT, NYC, and NY) are all very attractive places for social workers. To find work opportunities, as is California. Please note these lists do not include unlicensed social workers in a state or region, or social workers who are not members of NASW.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Benjamin Sher: Technology will have a significant impact on the field. As a matter of fact NASW revised its Code of Ethics in 2017 to include issues around the field and technology (e.g., use of social media with current and former patients, confidentiality, and using safe and secure online sites to engage in the treatment, etc.). Federal and State governments have relaxed requirements around HIPAA and reimbursement for services due to COVID-19.
It is hard to say how long this will last; however, there is no doubt that technology will play a large role in the treatment of people, groups, communities, and organizations served by social workers in the next five years. Access to technology must be a human rights issue, and social workers serve as advocates for the populations they serve in order to have fair, equitable, efficient, low-cost access to online services. Organizations must be given the support to build up their technical infrastructure to support this exponential growth in technology treatment and care.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Mary Garrison: I do think that COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on graduates both psychologically and economically. Graduates this year are experiencing a year like no other - not only is their senior year and graduation experiences altered, but the opportunities ahead are very different from in the past. Due to COVID-19, how "we do business" is different and therefore challenges both agencies/non-profits as well as those looking for their first professional job. There is a great need for front line work to be accomplished, COVID-19, or not. Graduates need to be open, flexible, and take on the challenge of what opportunities come their way.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Mary Garrison: Social work and human service employment opportunities are available across our nation. Opportunities are available across our nation in large or small cities. Specifically, rural areas are in SIGNIFICANT need of helping professionals, so those areas may provide incentives to encourage graduates to apply for opportunities.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Mary Garrison: Technology is here, and we have known that the role of technology has a place in the work we do. COVID-19 has forced us to implement technology in ways that we were not comfortable in doing so across the social work profession...we were thinking about it, listening, but not ready to jump in as a profession. COVID-19 forced us to do just that. All of the technology that is available offers an opportunity for connection, support, and healing, and as we move forward. We must understand how those seeking treatment have to be best served on an individual and group basis.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Leslie Jensby: I believe we are experiencing a paradigm shift in the workforce and the workplace. The need for providers of human services has increased during the pandemic. This need will continue even when COVID-19 is no longer an immediate threat due to the ongoing emotional impact of the high death toll, unemployment, and lifestyle changes.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Leslie Jensby: Every country sector has been affected by COVID, but particularly areas with high populations of underserved, marginalized, and oppressed people. COVID has bared the fact that the pandemic disproportionally impacts Black and brown communities. These communities will need increased ongoing support from social workers trained to engage, assess, and intervene with individuals, families, and communities.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Leslie Jensby: Social workers immediately utilized technology to provide continuing support to service participants. Both the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) quickly gathered resources to guide social work professionals in the ethical use of technology. Although direct in-person service is desirable in many cases, innovative use of technology will continue to play a role in the creative delivery of services.
Manasseh Begay
CounselorDine College
Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Social Worker?
Manasseh Begay: I would give a new graduate several areas of advice. This is partially assuming they are obtaining a Master's degree. However, this would also apply to those receiving a BSW as well. Having an excellent licensed supervisor or supervision in this field is extremely important. Finding this person is going to be necessary for licensure, but also to ensure you are acting (as a new social worker) in an ethical manner, in a way best-serving clients, and providing you are maintaining your self-care. A new social worker is going to struggle in most areas, but if they keep these areas of importance, they will be fine and act in a way that does not harm themselves, their client, or the field of social work. I would encourage the social worker to begin the process of obtaining a license as soon as possible, this will be beneficial to the social worker, acting in their highest capacity, and lead more rapidly to graduation, this can be done, the less likely it will be that they will not forget the things they have learned.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Social Workers in the next 3-5 years?
Manasseh Begay: The use of online platforms for meetings and providing treatment is going to increase significantly. Telehealth has become increasingly in demand, and being certified in this is going to be necessary. This is going to be even more critical with the COVID-19 pandemic. I think there is going to be an increase in coordinated care as well. Communication with doctors and mental health providers will likely increase to ensure good quality care for clientele. This will also impact continuing education, which is required for licensures. Many pieces of training are going to be using online platforms. This will change the level of instruction, which will increase the need for increased supervision.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Manasseh Begay: There will be an impact on graduates due to COVID-19. Treatment to clients has been impacted due to the lack of face-to-face interaction. Some clients, who are not technologically savvy or lacking the internet, will be affected the most due to a lack of cooperation. The use of non-verbal communication will be significantly decreased due to telehealth, and ensuring social workers are prepared for the inevitable telehealth world is necessary. This will take additional training on top of academic education. Helping clients with increased anxiety due to COVID will also be a new area of treatment and cannot entirely be mitigated due to the unknown "new normal," which is yet to come. Agencies standard operating procedures will likely change, including group size and the number of in-person meetings. This will impact a graduates' ability for supervision and observation. The complete impacts are still not fully known and will continue to be investigated.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella: Social workers who graduate in 2021 will become leaders in adopting new technologies to social work practice with families and communities. Their unique experience as social work students during this pandemic will prepare graduates to respond to ethical issues such as access to care and to develop best practices in delivering telehealth and related services.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella: Social workers are needed everywhere -- from rural settings to small towns, to large cities. Social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the U.S.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Lorrie Greenhouse Gardella: In a social work textbook published in 1917, Mary Richmond advised social workers about the risks and benefits of new technology -- the telephone! One hundred years later, the risks and benefits of using new communications technologies are much the same. New technologies will continue to enhance but not replace in-person social work practice in the future.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Laura Burney Nissen Ph.D.: Social work remains among the fastest growing professions in the US. Given the likely trajectory of simultaneous recovery from COVID-19 in terms of health, economic recovery - and the complex and rapid real-time evolution in attention to reforming and transforming issues of structural racism in many settings - there will likely be expanding roles and opportunities for social workers.
What will be essential in this - is for social workers who are just now graduating - to realize that the practice of the profession will continue to evolve. New social workers will likely be involved in systems change and transformation in ways that may be different than they'd imagined. They may be practicing not only in traditional settings (hospitals, mental health settings) but also, potentially, in non-traditional settings (libraries or tech).
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
Laura Burney Nissen Ph.D.: I see the ongoing rapid evolution of technology - and ongoing power struggles about the ethics of this development and deployment. Between smart cities, the internet of things, biotech, and blockchain (as examples), technological proliferation is ubiquitous. Some describe that a "tech solutionist" bias is in full swing - and concerningly - that racial bias is too often embedded in these technologies.
This isn't meant to impede true progress or modernization per se, but rather to simply assure that the future is democratized and equity is centered. Numerous really important questions linger. Who decides how technology should be part of modern life? Who provides oversight and ethical grounding? How does technology potentially help (and it can) address some of the social challenges ahead, and how might it exacerbate them? How will human rights, equity, and social justice concerns be identified and addressed? These are spaces where social workers of the future can probably make vital contributions.
What general advice would you give to a Social Worker?
Barb Burdge Ph.D.: Join an agency whose mission you believe in and whose leadership you respect. Get your license and take advantage of as many professional development opportunities as you can.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Social Workers in the next 3-5 years?
Barb Burdge Ph.D.: All types of web-based, video conferencing.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
Barb Burdge Ph.D.: Yes. They will quickly gain expertise in providing social work services on-line. This modality will require new thinking about ethics, relationships, and practice evaluation.
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Comparative American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist StudiesOberlin College
Department of Comparative American Studies
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Social Workers?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.: Undoubtedly, there will be an ongoing impact from the pandemic. As of now, the epidemic is far from over, so it is hard to measure precisely what the lasting effects may be. But we do know, in the United States anyway; unemployment is currently up and small, local businesses took a big hit during the shutdowns.
At the same time, we have seen a rise in remote work options. As the economy recovers, graduates may face a tightened job market. Still, they may also find new, creative roles they may not have anticipated that allow for remote work, like content writing for organizations, social media management, and other work types that can be completed with a computer and Internet access.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Social Workers to find work opportunities?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.: One great thing about a degree in these interdisciplinary fields is that it opens many job possibilities. Graduates from these fields may do all sorts of different work for nonprofits or NGOs in the education sector, politics, research, writing and editing, and healthcare settings.
With the pandemic, there has been so much variability state-by-state in terms of spread, plans for reopening, and what remains closed, that it's hard to say which places may be better to look for work. I know some recent graduates are still landing jobs and making big moves all over the United States for those jobs, while others are taking on remote work and choosing where they will live. I recommend, if one is able, casting a wide net, being open to new places or job possibilities you might not have initially imagined for yourself.
How do you envision technology impacting Social Workers in the next 5 years?
KJ Cerankowski Ph.D.: I think technology will continue to have a growing impact on these fields and the careers made possible. I've already mentioned the rise of remote work possibilities, and technology is a massive part of what makes communication, meetings, and workflow happen from anywhere in the world. Technology has not only reshaped how we do work but also the kinds of work people do, including everything from web design to social media to web content and blog writing to public relations management of a company or organization's virtual image.
The critical skills developed while completing a degree in ethnic studies, critical race, or gender studies are essential pieces of a graduate's skillset. These fields instill a fundamental approach to representation, politics, inequity, and its impact on disenfranchised communities. These are the skills that many companies and organizations of today need in their organizational ethos and marketing content.
With the growth of a digital world that lends itself to a purportedly more democratic platform for voice and representation, these critical skills are that much more in demand. I think we will continue to see the growth of jobs made possible through increasing technological development. At the same time, screen exhaustion is real, and I hope that we can strike more of a balance in our digital lives as the pandemic eases.
