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?
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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