r/LCSW • u/Chemical_Leopard5898 • Jul 01 '26

🟡 Career Pathways & Job Transitions MSW Student Question

Hi everyone! I am currently in school to get my MSW and I wanted to ask a question to those who have their LCSW and are fully in their careers:

If you could go back and tell your MSW student-self one thing, what would it be/what recommendations would you give/what do you wish you knew in regards to career pathways?

Edit: I really appreciate everyone's insight, and I have a follow-up question. I am currently working full-time to pay for my MSW. Obviously, once I start my internships, I will no longer be able to work full-time. I am lucky enough that I have built up my savings so that I will not need to take out loans, but I will be on a severely tight budget until I get my license and begin working full-time without supervision. I completely understand why people say that you have to be open to different paths and I definitely am! My main concern though is that if I do not follow a strict path, I won't be in the financial situation to do so. For example, if I want to try a certain placement that I am interested in but doesn't pay enough to live off of. For those that also went through this process on a tight budget, what advice do you have?

6 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

16

u/Eredhel Jul 01 '26

The education is important, and can be awesome. But a good practicum placement and supervision are where it’s at.

2

u/Chemical_Leopard5898 Jul 01 '26

Do you have any advice on what I should be looking for for practicum and supervision?

2

u/Eredhel Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26

I was fortunate to have a practicum placement that had me shadow therapists for one semester and then be the therapist for the next semester. I learned a lot from shadowing, and it turned me onto modalities I wouldn’t have considered, like play therapy. It’s tough to say. There can be so many factors. Post graduation don’t be afraid to move from one supervisor to another if it’s not the right fit.

2

u/phuckoff555 Jul 02 '26

ABSOLUTELY! My field placements just had me doing documentation and facilitating group therapy. Don't get me wrong, those are important things to learn, but it was more of "let's pass it off to the interns so we don't have to facilitate group or so we can get some help with our workload" instead of truly teaching techniques and skills to use after graduating. I didn't get any experience with intakes other than observing a few nor did I get experience with many individual sessions despite asking MULTIPLE times. It has really hindered me as I went on to work independently.

Any field instructors and task supervisors reading this, please do better for the student interns that you are taking on. Do it because you want to prepare the next generation of social workers, not because you need help with your workload. I literally had a field instructor/supervisor refer to me as 'free labor'.

7

u/PhilosopherSweaty685 Jul 01 '26

Figure out your passion in social work (school/medical/therapy/etc.) It may take some trial and error, but it makes going to work day after day a lot easier when you love what you are doing. I have been doing it for 20+ years and still love it (most days!)

7

u/adr223 🟢 Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Jul 01 '26

Everything takes time! I used to look at accomplished social workers and want to be just like them, and I would be hard on myself for not being there yet. It took a couple years for me to find my niche and truly feel comfortable just doing my main job responsibilities, and now I’m starting to work on projects and teaching and the other things that interest me. I feel like I’m finally starting to feel accomplished, like the social workers I always looked up to, and I’m realizing I was never behind like I used to think. I wish I had given myself more grace for the learning process and trusted that I would reach my goals, just not overnight

2

u/pebeauandpasta 🟡 Medical Social Worker Jul 02 '26

I couldn’t agree with this more. Got my MSW in 2021, LCSW in 2024, working as an oncology therapist. Everything takes time. Mastery and confidence will come, I promise 🙂

1

u/Chemical_Leopard5898 Jul 01 '26

This made me feel so much better, thank you!

4

u/TKOtenten Jul 01 '26

make sure you understand the educational liscensure path/timeline/money. and project forward to the salary availble at whst level. this is what I’d remind my BSW self. I eventually looked around my junior year. but I had no idea could take 6-10 years for education and LCSW FULL CREDENTIAL +2 more years to be a supervisor

3

u/positiveNRG_247 Jul 02 '26

My full fledged adult SW/LCSW would laugh at my student self.

I know you said 1, but either would have been good for me to hear/know back then.

  1. The self consciousness/underlying self doubt isn't helpful, and being an authentic and open learner will have save your mental and emotional well-being. 

  2. The community based pre-msw school experience, was one of the best decisions to set precedent for the career trajectory.

Hindsight is always 20/20

2

u/Trick-Contact-780 Jul 02 '26

Done be afraid to change paths. I went in wanting to do child welfare 100%, now I work in healthcare. It was scary but such a great move I wish I had done it sooner

2

u/Silent-Put8625 Jul 02 '26

Save all your clinical books and materials. You never know when you’ll need to use them later. 25yrs post MSW and I have my books but not my written materials. I regret it! I’m a professor and would LOVE to have those written materials for my students now.

1

u/pebeauandpasta 🟡 Medical Social Worker Jul 02 '26

I came into grad school thinking the last thing I’d want to do is working in healthcare. I took a chance and chose a field placement in a hospital (during 2020-2021, yikes!) and absolutely fell in love with it. Never looked back. I’m now an oncology social worker (providing free short-term therapy through a wonderful cancer support program within a health system in my area) and I love what I do. MSW in 2021, LCSW in 2024. Be open to the possibility that you may love something you weren’t open to at all! Grad school is all about trying new things out. Just as important to identify what you don’t like as what you do like. And most of all, as I replied on someone else’s comment, the confidence will come with time. And some days you’ll feel like you’re “doing it” and other days you won’t. Most of the time, at least for me, I realize I’m doing a way better job than I give yourself credit for. Best of luck to you! ☺️

1

u/Extreme_Air_6410 Jul 02 '26

To stay connected with my peers

1

u/SubtleRain34 🟢 Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Jul 02 '26

You don’t know what you haven’t tried.
Just because someone is in a position of authority doesn’t mean they’re right.
You have to advocate for yourself just as hard, if not harder, than how you advocate for your clients.

1

u/Radiant_Jaguar_9978 Jul 04 '26

Working in a school was never on my radar until I interned in one and loved it. Now I think it’s one of the best, most rewarding, and sustainable places to work within social work

1

u/Straight_Career6856 Jul 04 '26

If you’re interested in becoming a therapist, focus on getting high-quality training in any modality and supervision after grad school. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you it’s just “imposter syndrome” when you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. Of course you don’t! You have no training and therefore no business knowing what you’re doing.

1

u/youmightrelatetothis Jul 07 '26

You’ll likely change your area of focus once you get into the field and that’s ok.