The Versatile Professional

Medical social workers deserve better pay and more respect.

Résumé DOs and DON’Ts DO: be honest DON’T: be dishonest DO: be short and sweet DON’T: blather on DO: include only what’s relevant for the job DON’T: include stuff they don’t care about DO: keep it simple DON’T: add your photo DO: SHOW them you’re good at what you do DON’T: TELL them you’re good at what you do #socialwork #macrsocialwork #publichealth #ministry #msw #mph #mdiv #jobhunt #jobsearch

If you search for jobs based only on your degree or license, you're severely limiting yourself. Try "social worker" in your search and see what you get. Mostly case management and therapist jobs, right? Interested in working with disability? Search "disability." Think you could enjoy program management? Try that one. Don't limit yourself. Even if you have a license - if you're interested in a position that doesn't require a license, apply to it.

Spell everything correctly.

If you’re scheduling a remote interview, meeting, or call… Make sure you know the damn timezone of the other person, and they know yours. There’s no need to miss important meetings or interviews because of this confusion.

"Jacob was extremely helpful in beefing up my resume. My interview rate rose drastically once I started using my final draft with his coaching. His insight helped me better understand how I should phrase things in future drafts as well. If you think you might need to change or improve your resume, you should reach out to Jacob!" Thanks for the kind testimonial, Christian Bethancourt!

I saw a post recently by someone #OpenToWork asking their network for any referrals for "LMSW roles." This doesn't make sense. As far as I know, there aren't position titles called "LMSW." Don't search by your degree or license. Search by your interests and the kind of role you want. If you search for jobs on the basis of your degree or license, then you're limiting yourself. A degree or license should mean MORE opportunities, not fewer. If you have a license and the position you want requires one, great! If you have a license and the position you want does not require one, that's also great. Remember: your degree and license don't define you. You define them.

"Jacob has been a steadfast supporter and helping hand as I transition from grad school. He's provided thoughtful and tangible feedback on my supporting materials and is an invaluable resource for anyone looking for career coaching and support." Thanks for testimonial, Jasmine Dearman, MSW!

How long should your résumé be? I don’t necessarily advise following some strict rule on page length (because there isn’t one). That said, a few thoughts: - I typically recommend doing 1 page. I try to live my professional life based on the rule of “Less is more. Simpler is better. White space is beautiful.” - Less is more: Resist the temptation to put more in your résumé thinking that it’ll be to your benefit. It won’t be. They don’t want to know everything about you. They want to know if you can do the job. If there’s something in your résumé that’s not directly relevant to the job you’re applying for, take it out. Your résumé is not a transcript. - Simpler is better: Use language that is plain, clear, concise, and explict. They need to know exactly what you’re trying to convey the second they read it. Avoid jargon, big words, and “purple prose.” No one has time for any of that. - White space is beautiful: Don’t crowd your résumé. Don’t decrease the margins in order to fit in more info. Your résumé looks beautiful if it’s spaced out a bit. It looks ugly if it’s not. - Fitting your résumé to a single page forces you to do “Less is more. Simpler is better. White space is beautiful.” And it shows you know how to communicate a lot using as few words as possible. That’s a great skill in any context. - One notable exception is executive positions. Those need to have 2 pages for sure, no more than 3. Are most of the résumés you submit longer than a page?

"I took Jacob’s course for about a month and it was honestly worth it. I was working a lot of direct service jobs that were client navigation heavy. I felt super burnt out every day when I would come home and did not have time for myself. I am now a Program Analyst with the City of Philadelphia and I love my job! I’m not talking to clients all day long yet still helping people navigate applying for programs by reviewing documents and waiver applications for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism. Highly recommend Jacob’s program!" Appreciate the testimonial, Jerome Hollomon!