How to Become a Social Worker

It Will Be Frustrating

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"I wish I knew how difficult and multi-layered the challenges would really be. It can be so frustrating to see the change someone needs when they aren't ready to make that change."

–Don McCasland, Counselor at Warrior Elder Counseling Services

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"I am working with an NGO in India to help remote villages fight COVID-19. I wish I had known that people are not always ready to accept help, especially with the social stigma attached to this disease. The result is mass deaths in villages and dead bodies discarded on river banks.

You will see the cruel naked reality of life, which you may not be ready for. It's not always the satisfaction of helping humanity; you will often find yourself helpless in the face of complex social norms and problems too big for you to fix. It's a long, slow journey to change."

–Nisha Rai, Volunteer Fellow at Gram Vikas Morcha India

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"I think a lot of people go into this job really optimistic about helping people while growing professionally. But you are constantly met with roadblocks.

There are a lot of limitations. There are only so many hours in the day, and so many people who need help. I worked in crisis services for children and would have a caseload of forty children at one time. Organizations often don't have enough resources to get the kids what they need. It can be so frustrating when you want to give your all to each child.

There are also limitations in terms of advancement. You really have to get higher degrees and specialized licenses if you want to move up in your career."

–Cameron Howe, MS, Licensed QMHP-C

You May Feel Undervalued

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"I wish I knew that social workers are highly undervalued in certain fields. My first job out of graduate school was working in the hospital. In Florida, we're paid markedly less than nurses for the same job responsibilities. We all hear the phrase: 'We don't do this for the money.' — but we also don't do this to be purposefully overworked."

–Merissa Goolsarran, LCSW at Bright Lotus Counseling

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"I wish I knew you don't need to buy into the belief that you have to work yourself ragged with minimal pay, feeling broke and undervalued, as some kind of right of passage. You can determine the life and career you want to lead. Look for and create the opportunities that you want. This job is a lot of personal and professional work, but it can be rewarding and life-changing."

–Arien Conner, LCSW at Clear Path Counseling

Be Strategic in School

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"I wish I had known how diverse this field really is. In the 21 years since earning my MSW, I have worked in an outpatient clinic, a group home, treatment for foster care, schools, a university, and now I have a private therapy practice. Do your research, decide what you want to do, and take the classes that will help you achieve that goal."

–Wendy B. Pitts, LCSW-C at Guiding Insight

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"I wish I had known that they don't teach us how to run a business in graduate school. Many of us start up our own businesses. Make connections with professors and mentors while you have access to them — it will be hard to learn everything on your own."

–Merissa Goolsarran, LCSW at Bright Lotus Counseling

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"Focus more on learning than on grades. Ask questions; be curious; probe professors. Get what you need from school to be a good clinician, not just a valedictorian. No one will ask you what your grades were."

–Dianne Galasso, LMSW at Cobb Psychotherapy

Try to See the Big Picture

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"I sincerely wish I had understood the importance of addressing social inequity. Clients experience chronic stress just trying to get their basic needs met. It is difficult to stabilize your mental health if you have nowhere to live. It is challenging to maintain a job if you have no transportation.

Most social workers have not personally experienced these complex barriers, and fail to take the macro-view of a client's challenges. Developing a philosophy of empowerment will be important."

–Melanie Lynn Carlson, MSW, Ph.D. Candidate at Sheltering Life

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"You need to do some research on the development and history of the social work and mental health fields. Work to dismantle the white saviorism and racism within the field and possibly in yourself. Acknowledge your own privilege and how that plays into your beliefs about the world and what you will be doing in this field."

–Arien Conner, LCSW at Clear Path Counseling

Life Is Your Training Ground

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"I wish I knew that many of the painful things you personally go through are an asset in this profession. They can build resilience, relatability, and empathy. Life is your training ground. Also, never underestimate the simple gift of your presence. People rarely feel heard; for them to have a space to sit with you is immeasurably powerful and profound."

–Dianne Galasso, LMSW at Cobb Psychotherapy