Entry Level Positions in Social Work
- One of the most common jobs for entry-level social is a caseworker. A caseworker works with clients in need of financial or medical assistance and helps direct them to sources where they can receive help. In addition, they may provide the client with one-on-one counseling. While some caseworkers are required to hold master's degrees in social work, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that some organizations will hire caseworkers with only a bachelor's degree.
- A program coordinator is responsible for designing and managing programs intended to help people in need of the services provided by social work. For example, a program coordinator might help develop a program to offer bag lunches to homeless individuals. Most are employed by social services organizations. Depending on the complexity of the program, the program coordinator may be a person just beginning a career in social work or they may be an experienced professional.
- Most organizations require a team of administrators to help run the organization and offer services to needy individuals. The tasks of an administrator can vary greatly, ranging from generic administrative tasks, such as filing paperwork, to more social work-specific duties, such as checking in clients in need of care. Working as an administrator is a good way for an entry-level individual to become familiar with the services that an organization provides and may lead to a management position.
- In order to improve a program, it's necessary to understand how the program works, as well as the needs of the people it is designed to serve. To determine these answers, social work researchers will often collect and analyze data. Unlike other social work positions, many researchers do not have a degree in social work per se. Rather, the researchers may come from another, more analytical discipline, such as public policy, economics or even mathematics.