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• 10 Essential Tips for Your Amazing<br />
Social Work Résumé: http://<br />
www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/<br />
career-jobs/10-essential-tips-for-youramazing-social-work-resume/<br />
• Cover Letters for Social Workers:<br />
Get Yourself the <strong>In</strong>terview: http://<br />
www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/<br />
career-jobs/cover-letters-for-socialworkers-get-yourself-the-interview/<br />
• 5 Ways to Ace Your Social Work<br />
Job <strong>In</strong>terview: http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/careerjobs/5-ways-to-ace-your-social-workjob-interview/<br />
• The Social Social Worker: 10<br />
Tools for Successful Networking:<br />
<strong>In</strong>cludes information about the<br />
elevator speech and networking<br />
cards: http://www.socialworker.com/<br />
feature-articles/career-jobs/the-socialsocial-worker-10-tools-for-successfulnetworking/<br />
• Your Professional Portfolio: Documenting<br />
Your Social Work Career:<br />
http://www.socialworker.com/featurearticles/career-jobs/your-professionalportfolio-documenting-your-socialwork-car/<br />
No matter how great your social<br />
work experience and how strong your<br />
Unique Selling Point, if you cannot<br />
effectively communicate these skills to<br />
employers, you will not land the job.<br />
Place<br />
Okay, now you have solid promotional<br />
tools. Where should you be<br />
promoting your product? Where will<br />
you distribute this valuable information<br />
about yourself? As I mentioned, marketing<br />
is more than just applying for a<br />
job opening online. It is about building<br />
a campaign for your professional<br />
career.<br />
Online: The first “place” you need<br />
to consider when you are promoting<br />
your product is a single website where<br />
you can send people that contains the<br />
above promotional information about<br />
you. <strong>This</strong> can be a blog or a website<br />
like your Linked<strong>In</strong> profile. <strong>This</strong> is<br />
content you can control and are proud<br />
to show your network and potential<br />
employers. It is imperative that this<br />
content and presentation is professional<br />
and well-managed.<br />
Your network and networking: Networking,<br />
without a doubt, is the most<br />
crucial marketing tool for your job<br />
search. Your network consists of people<br />
who will help you distribute your product<br />
(you) to the employer. You need to<br />
access your network to let them know<br />
you are on the hunt and remind them<br />
of your professional skills, so they are<br />
willing to spread the word to their connections.<br />
Get out of the house to attend<br />
meetings, conferences, and events and<br />
to expand your network. You never<br />
know who you are going to meet who<br />
will connect you with your next job.<br />
Target your search: Create a list<br />
of target organizations you want to<br />
work for that match with your area of<br />
practice interest, so you can focus your<br />
efforts. Researching information about<br />
what the organization does, what client<br />
populations it serves, and what will be<br />
expected of you will show the potential<br />
employer that you have the knowledge<br />
and motivation to be a successful employee.<br />
Job postings: Yes, online job banks<br />
are a great place to see who is hiring,<br />
but also to get an idea of what organizations<br />
are in your area if you have<br />
recently relocated.<br />
Cold calling: There is nothing<br />
wrong with picking up the phone to<br />
learn more about what an organization<br />
does or whether they are hiring. I had<br />
a member call me recently to let me<br />
know that she called an organization after<br />
their job posting deadline ended to<br />
see if they were still interviewing. They<br />
were so impressed with her professionalism<br />
and knowledge of their organization,<br />
they scheduled an interview with<br />
her for the next day. <strong>This</strong> uninvited jobhunting<br />
is a proven method of finding<br />
employment, but do your homework<br />
about the organization and know what<br />
questions to ask before you pick up the<br />
phone.<br />
University career centers/Alumni offices:<br />
Keep in touch with your social work<br />
programs, because they value their<br />
alumni and want to keep you engaged.<br />
Most have job boards and newsletters<br />
with upcoming networking events and<br />
agency highlights.<br />
Recruiters/Employment agencies/<br />
Job fairs: I have attended and been<br />
an exhibitor at my fair share of job<br />
fairs. Your local colleges and universities,<br />
NASW chapter, or community<br />
organization collectives may organize<br />
opportunities for job seekers to meet<br />
with hiring organizations. Take these<br />
opportunities seriously if they are available<br />
in your area. Even if the organizations<br />
who attend might not be hiring<br />
at that moment, this is a good way to<br />
get your name out there and use your<br />
promotional tools.<br />
Price<br />
What is the value of your product?<br />
What is the fair market value for your<br />
level of skills, experience, and the position<br />
you are seeking? For job seekers,<br />
price refers to the entire compensation<br />
package you can expect from potential<br />
employers based on the value you will<br />
bring to the organization.<br />
You should also consider the<br />
strategies you need to get the price<br />
you want and that the employer feels<br />
you deserve. Check out the following<br />
articles on compensation research and<br />
negotiation:<br />
• 5 Salary Negotiation Strategies for<br />
Social Workers: http://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/careerjobs/5-salary-negotiation-strategies-forsocial-workers/<br />
• The Social Work Job Offer:<br />
Decline or Accept: http://www.<br />
socialworker.com/feature-articles/<br />
career-jobs/the-social-work-job-offerdecline-or-accept/<br />
Remember, you don’t need to be<br />
someone else to get the job. Be yourself,<br />
but make sure you effectively communicate<br />
why you are a social work<br />
rock star and an asset to an organization.<br />
Valerie Arendt, MSW, MPP, is the Associate<br />
Executive Director for the National Association<br />
of Social Workers, North Carolina<br />
Chapter (NASW-NC). She received<br />
her dual degree in social work and public<br />
policy from the University of Minnesota<br />
and currently provides membership support,<br />
including résumé review, to the members of<br />
NASW-NC.<br />
The New Social Worker Winter 2017 13