Job Search for a Macro Social Worker: Job Boards

by Rachel L. West, MSW, LMSW
SJS Staff Writer

In conjunction with my last post here are a few resources to aid you in your search for a community practice job.

• Idealist: Idealist is a site for non profit job seekers.  You can register and set up email notification for jobs in your area of interest.  You can also find articles about non profits and charity work as well as volunteer opportunities and seminars.
• EMILY’s List: Who is Emily?  There is no Emily.   It is an acronym for Early Money Is Like Yeast (it makes dough rise).  The mission of this organization is to train and support progressive pro choice women and their campaign staff.  EMILY’s List also has a job distribution list and a job bank you can submit your resume to.
• The Hill: This is an online political news site that focuses on DC.  The website features a (free) jobs section.
• Politico: Politico is another political news site with a job board.  You can post your resume and set up email alerts.
• National Conference of State Legislatures:  This organization supports sates legislators and legislative staff in all 50 states.  Click on the resources & Directories tab then go to the jobs clearing house section and click on job listings.
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy:  This is a site for non profit news and jobs.
• Organizers for America:  List community organizing jobs.
• Association for Community Organization and Social Administration:  ACOSA is a membership organization for community organizers, activist, and policymakers.  They publish the Journal of Community practice and provide and host an annual national symposium.  Their job section is only available to members, but their fees are reasonable.
• Feminist Majority Foundation:  List feminist jobs and internships from around the US.

Another tip is to not solely rely on the internet for your job search.  Many open positions are not advertised and agencies often neglect to update the career section of their websites.  So, do some research on local agencies and organizations.  Make a list of the ones you are interested in working for then send a letter of inquiry along with your resume. A letter of inquiry, is similar to a cover letter but instead of responding to a job ad you are inquiring as to weather or not they have open positions that you are suited for.  Be specific about what you are looking for because if you just say social work will lead them to assume you are inquiring about a clinical position.  Macro/community practice is also not specific enough as it is an umbrella term that means different things to different people.

When looking for an agency remember to also think outside the box.  Don’t stick to mental health agencies, aim for ones that are social justice  or policy focused.  Go to political party’s websites; the DCCC has a career section.  If you live near the National or a state capital then check out the career section on their website.  Furthermore don’t hesitate to apply even if BSW/MSW is not listed as a qualifying degree.  If you meet the majority of the skills and qualifications send your resume anyway.  As I mentioned in the last post, most hiring managers do not understand the scope of a social work education, but that does not mean we can’t do the job.