Becoming a Social Worker in Canada
- Work in the social work field in a preprofessional setting. Most of the schools that offer degrees in social work only admit students who have experience first. This shows that the student is motivated and won't burnout working in this area. Some will also accept students who do volunteer work in a social work setting before applying.
Study social work at a college in Canada. The Canadian educational system is different because a social work degree is considered an advanced degree and students first need experience and work at the college level before entering the program. Complete coursework in English, humanities, social work and social studies. These courses are the core to the social work program and teach students the skills they'll need to work in social work. - Obtain experience by working in the field. Once you have your degree, you're able to work in different areas of social work as a therapist or counselor in a variety of fields and for different organizations. They typically hire those right out of school to help them gain more experience.
- Get an advanced degree by going back to school. Many students feel they need a break between graduate school and their undergraduate studies, while others finish schooling before they start working. It may be better to work first before going back to school because this gives you the experience that employers want.
Become licensed or certified through a group like the Canadian Association of Social Workers. A social work license is only available to those students who have an advanced degree. Having a license means having more job opportunities and getting a higher paying job.
