Empowering Future Social Work Leaders

Social Work Career Mapping in an increasingly competitive and dynamic job market, social work students need more than just academic excellence to succeed. They require intentionality, practical tools, career clarity and resilience, and confidence to transition into meaningful roles that align with their passions and values. The Social Work Career Mapping: Make Money & Make a Difference, eight-module, fully online asynchronous video course is designed to address this critical need to enhance student success, strengthen graduate employment outcomes, and produce impactful social work professionals while preparing more behavioral health professionals to address workforce shortages.

The Challenges

This is a unique time in social work history where licensure standards are changing, the profession is being deregulated, and the state of social work and the profession is divided with unknown and unintended consequences. Since 2022, significant shifts have transpired and continue to evolve daily which could have greater implications for the profession of social work. To name a few monumental changes, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) national office opposed the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Exam and the enactment of Illinois Public Act 103-433 setting precedence. It is equally important for social work degree programs to incorporate career readiness in the curriculum or as a supplement and for students to be intentional in preparing now for a fulfilling and sustaining social work career without feeling overwhelmed while collectively improving student success and graduation outcomes.

These are a few specific challenges for social work degree programs and social work students:

For Social Work Degree Programs:

• Graduate Outcomes & Employment Rates: Ensuring high graduation and placement rates is crucial for institutional success and reputation.
• Resource Limitations: Career services teams and faculty often lack the capacity to provide in-depth, individualized career support.
• Competitive Differentiation: Comprehensive career readiness programs tailored to their students’ needs will give a competitive edge.

For Social Work Students:

• Uncertainty About Career Options: Many students feel overwhelmed by the diversity of social work career paths and unsure of where they fit.
• Difficulty Standing Out: Crafting a compelling online presence and building a professional network can be daunting.
• Transition Anxiety: Moving from academic life to the professional world is often overwhelming and stressful especially with inflation.

The Solution: The Social Work Career Mapping Curriculum

Course Overview:

An 8-module, fully online, asynchronous video course with worksheets, tailored specifically for social work students to guide them in crafting meaningful and successful careers.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Exploring Diverse Career Paths: Traditional, non-traditional, and entrepreneurial opportunities in social work.
• Identifying Strengths and Passions: Building a career aligned with personal values and skills.
• Mastering Networking Strategies: How to connect with mentors, peers, and industry leaders.
• Understanding Emerging Opportunities: Exploring non-traditional roles in social work.
• Setting Career Goals: Developing a social work educational plan which is a personalized roadmap for short- and long-term success.
• Building Resilience: Managing career challenges and preventing burn-out.
• Curating Holistic Wellness: Assessing overall health utilizing the eight-domains of wellness, exploring self-care strategies, and developing a wellness plan to prevent burn-out and reduce workforce shortages.

For Social Work Degree Programs:

1. Improve Graduate Employment Outcomes: Equip students with career readiness skills, contributing to high placement rates and program success.
2. Complement Academic Programs: Provide students with a career-focused resource that aligns seamlessly with their academic studies.
3. Enhance Student Satisfaction and Retention: Demonstrate your investment in students’ futures by addressing one of their biggest concerns - career readiness while supporting their financial needs with the cost of inflation.
4. Flexible Integration: The online, asynchronous format makes it easy to integrate as a supplemental resource, elective course, or career services offering.
5. Boost Reputation: Produce graduates who excel in their fields, enhancing the university’s standing and visibility.
6. Scalable and Cost-Effective: Easily deployable to all social work students with minimal faculty involvement and overhead.
7. Foster Alumni Engagement: Graduates who thrive in their careers are more likely to become engaged and supportive alumni. High placement rates is crucial for institutional success and reputation.

For Social Work Students:

1. Career Clarity: Create a personalized social work educational plan to navigate your journey from student to professional with confidence.
2. Intentional Goal Setting: Learn how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals that align with your personal values and professional aspirations.
3. Professional Development: Develop skills in networking, maximizing your field education experience, and leveraging LinkedIn to stand out in a competitive job market.
4. Alignment with Values: Identify your core values and passions to design a career path that feels authentic and sustainable.
5. Enhanced Self-Awareness: Reflect on your strengths, interests, and areas for growth to align your personal qualities with professional opportunities.
6. Holistic Approach to Wellness, Work-Life Balance, and Career Resilience: Learn strategies to maintain a healthy work-life, confidently make career pivots when necessary, while pursuing an impactful, and fulfilling professional and personal life.
7. Exploration of Non-Traditional Roles: Discover emerging opportunities in advocacy, corporate, entrepreneurship, etc.

Implementation Options

• Supplemental Career Resource: Offer the course as an optional, self-paced resource through your career services or student success center.
• Integrated into Curriculum: Embed the course into your existing curriculum as part of capstone projects, internships, or professional preparation classes.
• Standalone Offering: Provide the course as a university-sponsored program for first semester students or field placement students.