Out of CA, WA, and OR which has the most potential for someone to find a social service/mental health job with a BA? (find a job)

[the city]

When I look through indeed.com and other sites for jobs in CA. It seems pretty scarce for jobs. I want to a well-known public university in CA and the only jobs I can find are working with individuals with autism and I don't want to do that out of college because I had to struggle growing up with an autistic brother.

I have applied to agencies that deal with child welfare, mental health, and other needs and no one else seems to want to me due to lack of experience. The thought of me volunteering after college is too much to bare. I feel it's like using some one instead of at least paying them minimum wage.

I'm at the point where after I lost my special ed teacher aid job, my girlfriend, and my cat passing away that the only thing I have left in CA is my parents and some friends. Believe me, my parents here is a good reason for me to stay. I could wait it out a little longer until something eventually opens at our county government, but I'm getting to the point where it's almost 6 months after graduation and I am open to moving out of state if the economic situation is better. I have even opened my match.com profile to girls in WA and OR.

My first step is to come here and ask, are there more jobs in my field in parts of WA and OR (outside Portland and Seattle)? I am more so interested in OR since it's the closest to CA. I'm interested in areas like Bend or Medford. I want to find a job that pays me a liveable wage and in an affordable community.

Is my luck the same in CA or is the economy better in OR and WA?

[kyle19125]

I would look to the east in Salt Lake City which in case you haven't been is surprisingly vibrant and has the lowest unemployment rate of any major city in the US, along with a very reasonable cost of living. The Denver/Boulder area in Colorado would be equidistant to California than anything in Washington State and also provide a much lower cost of living than say Seattle and probably equal job opportunity.

[EmmeW]

I work in that field, and I can tell you that with only a BA it's going to be tough. A master's degree is pretty much standard in the field for anything paying a livable wage and job potential. There's a very good chance you are applying for the same jobs as someone with a master's degree. Plus, most master's programs require internships, so people graduate with experience. Not to mention that lots of agencies require someone to be licensed in the field, and that's not something you can do with a BA.

If you really want to stay in the field I would highly recommend graduate school. A master's in social work is the most versatile of the social service degrees for opening up jobs. If you do that while you still live in CA you will get in state tuition, which will save you lots of money.

I'm planning a move out West in a few years, and everything I have read says that social service jobs in Oregon and Washington are pretty low pay. Most of the ones I've looked at posted online pay less than what I make in Missouri.

You can also try volunteering for an agency while you look for a job. That will help you get some experience. Looking outside of college towns will help too, since there will be less new graduates competing for the same jobs. If you are open to rural areas you will have more luck, as they tend to be more desperate, but again a license is often required.

[Mandalorian]

I suggest your spread your search to nationally. Maybe it's time for a new start.

In the words of Queen Elsa: "Let it go!"

P.S. Why the heck do you want to work with the mentally ill if you don't like autistic people?