Switching professions (social work to business)

[Eighty_nine]

I'm a social worker, have my LMSW and currently supervise a program, so I've made some strides in my field over the past 6 years. And while I enjoy helping people, I know my upward mobility opportunities are limited, and at this point I'm just more passionate about marketing/business.

 

Also, I have and have always had a strong business sense. I was the kid making a few bucks selling lemonade and snacks. Then I scoured thrift stores for used books with value as a teen and made a few grand over a summer that way. Currently I rent out my home on AirBnb and have stayed competitive price-wise, and I have made a ton of money in just a few months doing this. I have lots of other examples of "business ventures" that I personally have been inventive and successful at.

 

I'm good at marketing and public speaking too, and I do that in my current position now. I work at a private social work agency and I am basically their entire marketing team. My undergraduate degree was also in public relations.

 

What do you think... if I tried to switch professions without going back for more education or training, would I stand a chance? I know it wouldn't hurt to try, but I'm just wondering how realistic it would be to do so.

[kenmore]

First of all, congrats on your achievements thus far!

 

Without knowing more about your background, education etc, I can't know but I would say that assuming most of the pertinent information was in your post, you would have a difficult time. I did not see anything about any degrees in business administration or paid experience. You are similar to me in the sense that you know the business, you have lots of experience in it but if the choice came down to you or someone with an MBA (and it usually will), they will go with the MBA every time. Trust me, having had 30 plus years in electronic design, I couldn't get a job to save my life (or my marriage) when I was looking.

 

That said, if it's your passion, you should look, just don't even think about quitting your current job unless something great comes along. You may find that even if it's your passion, the image of how it would be may quickly fade in light of the image of reality. What looks interesting and challenging now may soon turn into boring and mundane. Obviously something got you into social work at one point. You have obviously been serious in it for some time.

 

My suggestion if I may: If that avatar is you, you look young (and cute but that's beside the point ) I would suggest that if business administration is your true passion that you go to school online (so you can do it whenever you have time off) and get that degree. It may take you a few years but I think your desire to move full ahead into that career will motivate you and before you know it, you will be there. Meanwhile, keep doing what you're doing to pay the bills. I am interested to know if my assumptions are correct and if what I'm saying makes sense to you. If I'm way off, please know that it is because I don't fully grasp your situation and more info would make it easier to offer thoughts. Regardless, best of luck to you!!!

 

Ken

[RoseVille]

I switched careers; it required me to juggle both for a bit (going from law enforcement to the practice of law) and night school, but I think it was worth it.

[pie2]

By upward mobility, you seem to refer to financial reward. Unfortunately, there just isn't much money in social services. Most people go in to the social work field for other motives besides money. What were yours?

 

If you go into another career, can you still fulfill a desire to help others in the way you do now? Can you combine the two fields?

 

I think many people from all fields switch careers. I've known many people from the financial world switch to a "helping profession" as they didn't feel their career was meaningful to them. And I've known social workers who felt more productive doing something else. I don't think one career is better than the other, personally (there can be kind, generous people in business, and selfish social workers).

 

Just some things to think about. It's a big commitment to finish a degree. Just make sure it's something you really want to do .

[Eighty_nine]

By upward mobility, you seem to refer to financial reward. Unfortunately, there just isn't much money in social services. Most people go in to the social work field for other motives besides money. What were yours?

 

If you go into another career, can you still fulfill a desire to help others in the way you do now? Can you combine the two fields?

 

I think many people from all fields switch careers. I've known many people from the financial world switch to a "helping profession" as they didn't feel their career was meaningful to them. And I've known social workers who felt more productive doing something else. I don't think one career is better than the other, personally (there can be kind, generous people in business, and selfish social workers).

 

Just some things to think about. It's a big commitment to finish a degree. Just make sure it's something you really want to do .

 

Well, I think most professionals strive to earn more over time in their career, but for me it is also to be challenged, to have an opportunity to think and work more creatively, etc. My motives were of course to help people, and I'm good at it, but it's not the only thing I'm good at and what makes me think about switching professions is that psychology and social work don't allow me to be as creative and innovative as I yearn to be.

 

But, I already have a graduate degree and am not looking to go back, at least not now, though I may pursue a PhD in the future. But I do some marketing and PR at the social work agency I'm at now, so I think I've decided my goal is to continue to do this kind of work, but at a bigger agency that needs more in terms of marketing/PR.

[Sunlight72]

...psychology and social work don't allow me to be as creative and innovative as I yearn to be.

 

...But I do some marketing and PR at the social work agency I'm at now, so I think I've decided my goal is to continue to do this kind of work, but at a bigger agency that needs more in terms of marketing/PR.

Good thinking.

 

Two ideas I have (I own my own business, and my long-term girlfriend is a social worker) are:

 

Aid agencies and non-profits really, really need talented people to create, organize and implement fund raising campaigns. It is dearly needed, but few people who are called into that sphere have a talent (let alone passion) to do it.

 

I had an interesting conversation with a guy I sat next to on an airplane last year.

 

Dude on the plane is a professional fund raiser. He was on his was to London to meet with a potential donor. His project? He was seeking a single donor to fund a new hospital wing. He was very comfortable with it, as he'd done it (successfully) before for other clients.

 

As I'm sure you know from the social work environment, many people have a narrow view of where money comes from (the government or a vague path from heaven) and how to get it.

 

If you can connect private donors to non-profits for special projects, you can earn a very good living and really help people develop large forward-thinking projects at the same time. You are very valuable in this way!!

 

Second part of my thought is that if you are talented in this type of way you don't need a further degree. You could excel as a freelance fund-finding superhero either for a small business, or by starting your own small firm over the coming 3 years once you've got a track record, connections and enough reputation to switch to full time donor connecting.

 

I would really encourage you to start where you are. See if you can tailor into your past duties some resources (time, money for meeting with potential donors socially, meeting with donor-connectors who may eventually mentor or guide you as you develop) with your current employer.

 

Don't get sucked into government grant-writing. That is where a lot of non-profit people feel all the money comes from, and it is important to many organizations, but it is not a creative direction and it is very limited in how each case is presented and the scope of each project. Also, it often involves little personal interaction, but mostly technical data collecting and application filing. Private funding (as I understand it) is much more fluid and personable.

 

Reading your post brought this idea to me because with what you mention of your history, I think you could actually build this type of work yourself. Starting with a special campaign where you now work, set a goal of raising $2000 or $12,000 (or what ever you choose) by such date to fuel a specific project.

 

Following 2 or three of those scale budgets, you may see an opportunity for a project you believe in that is bigger and you could tackle that or join (or assemble) a team that does. This one could be with your current employer, or as a free-lancer for an organization in your network.

 

The nice thing about starting out this way is that anything you raise will be a bonus to the non-profit. No one is yet depending on you while you get a little exposure in this theater.

 

The bad thing is that you have to strike out in a new way you haven't got experience speaking to people, which is intimidating for most people.

 

Best Wishes,

Sunlight

Edited August 27, 2015 by Sunlight72

[robaday]

Sunlight is right about grant writing.

 

Ive been doing it four years and its going no where. Thing with it is there isn't really a career path for a grant writer, you just are one so no where to progress to. It was great for first couple years but after you've written two hundred you've kinda written them all, and it doesn't have as much room for academic or analytical input as say Government policy.

 

I switched from market research to an ngo to do grants. Overall loved the experience but the afforementioned lack of progression has given me itchy feet.