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I moved here back in April after finishing school in Michigan. I got a B.A. in psychology and also picked up certification as a paralegal. I worked an internship for about a year and, upon having zero prospects and being in the worst market in the nation at that time, I left for NYC. I thought the legal field would be easier to break into here. Thought maybe someone would be looking for entry level paralegals as the market is bad and they know we will work for less. Well, I am here now in the end of August still working as a waitress. I am frustrated, disappointed, and unhappy as I continue this search. Search means online resumes, networking, utilizing associations. It feels hopeless. So my question to you is- would it be better to go pick up a MSW (Master's in Social Work) at a moderately priced SUNY or CUNY part-time while I wait tables -or- would it make more sense to just continue on the path I'm on? I make enough to pay rent but I'm certainly not happy with my living situation and feel like it's substandard/inferior to what I am accustomed to back home. What on earth should I do???
Do you want to be a social worker? Its a very versatile degree, but it doesn't particularly lead to wealth, and many social work jobs are demanding and stressful.
I'm getting my MSW now, and I LOVE the program, and I'm looking forward to working in the field, but you should be sure you want to do it before undertaking a Masters in it.
There is a great book I read when I was considering programs, and for the life of me I can't remember the name, days in the lives of social workers, or something like that, which describes 50 different social workers and their day-to-day routines. When I realized I was interested in 90 percent of the jobs in the book I knew I was more than on the right path.
Nursing is another interesting option.. I know Columbia has an accelerated second bachelors RN program for people who already have a BA in another field.
First of all, be very thankful you can pay the rent! That is no easy accomplishment living in NYC. Secondly, be aware that a three to six month (or more) search is typical in this job market, even for highly experienced individuals. Job hunting is a skill unto itself nowadays and may require some truly creative strategies to get yourself to stand out from the pack. Persevere, keep searching, become even more thorough and persistent. Your plight is not unlike most New Yorkers who must search for work nowadays.
Here is on tip that may help: Set aside time each week to call on businesses that you think may have a position you qualify for. Do not wait for them to advertise positions. If a manager says that he has no positions available, ask him if he knows where else you might look and specifically to whom you should speak. If he offers a suggestion, make an appointment with that company, stating the name of the person who referred you. Keep good records and be thorough as you search this way. Be sure to send a brief thank you note that includes your card with contact info whenever possible if someone offers some guidance. They may well remember your positive spirit and graciousness if a position does become available. Keep at it!
As someone who has been where you are now, I can only say that I sympathize with your situation - but do know that it's not forever.
Regarding getting the MSW: first, yes, the MSW program at Hunter is extremely cheap (and highly respected), but it is also extremely difficult to be accepted into the program - more difficult, from what I know, than Columbia or NYU. I have three friends who are grads of the program, and they have all said that a) you must be able to convince the review committee that you are committed to public-sector work (because they are not interested in training MSWs who then go into private practice as therapists), and b) you must have some work/volunteer experience showing that you've done this sort of public-sector work. Without real-world experience, your chances are slim - I'm not saying it's impossible, but it will be very difficult. (And to be honest, at least one of my friends had no intention of working in the public sector, but he was able to convince them - due, in part, to his long volunteer history - that he was. He's now in private practice.)
But the real question is: do you want to be a social worker? As someone noted upthread, the earning potential for someone with this degree is not terribly high; you could be looking at starting salaries, depending upon the location, in the mid-20s/low 30s. I made more as a waiter in Manhattan, many years ago! Also, there is a very high level of burn-out; many go in wanting to "do good" and "help people," but get so frustrated by the long hours, low pay, lack of respect, emotional strain, and insane bureaucracy (from state or local agencies, or, in the case of private practice, dealing with HMOs, without which it's very difficult to build a client base) that they just leave.
I'm in higher education, and the general consensus is that in this economy, barring some sort of extremely focused, practical reason, and reasonable assurance that procuring an additional degree is extremely likely to lead to a career path with healthy employment prospects, one should not get the additional degree; rather, one should identify job sectors of interest, with reasonbly strong prospects of employment, and start "learning on the job" via entry-level positions, working one's a** off to rise within the company. If, after having done so, one feels that the additional degree might help in terms of advancement in the field, then getting the second degree might be useful.
Now, regarding paralegal work: have you tried any of the (many) paralegal agencies, or even the general temp agencies? Many, many years ago I did the paralegal thing in NYC; in the beginning, I thought it was never going to work, as I was getting only a smattering of jobs here and there via a few agencies. However, after "paying my dues" for a few months (little work, little pay), and being available whenever and wherever the agencies wanted me, I landed a "temp" job that turned into a long-term position that offered a VERY decent wage at the time; in fact, allowing for inflation, I was earning more as a paralegal than I did after I got my three additional advanced degrees! I don't know how strong/weak the paralegal market is now, but it may just take some staying power, a large amount of flexibility, and - of course - some luck.
Best of luck to you.
08-21-2010, 11:40 AM
grant516
n/a posts
It's really scary and sad just how awful the market for so many jobs has become.
i have an MSW and my concentration was in research and policy. there are jobs in government, higher ed and public admin where you can apply these skills. hunter is a great school but tough to get into. the MSW program generally requires more credits than other master's programs due to fieldwork. so if you're working and going to school (as i was) it will take more than two years to complete. also, despite extensive training and hard work, social workers aren't compensated as well as others. you really need to be sure that it's what you want before diving in. investigate it some more and good luck to you.
I second the suggestion to look for temp work through temp agencies. I have a friend who went this route and in a little over three months she was hired full time by one of the companies she was temping for. She also didn't go a day without working and the pay was pretty livable. It's a good way for a company and you to try the job/company out and see if it's a good fit.
Paralegal (like desktop publishing) is a dying profession. Attorneys simply don't need them like they used to. Nearly all research is done online and technology has changed case management and word processing. In the current downturn, many paralegal responsibilities are handled by junior associates (who have nothing else to do).
If you want paralegal work, look for something in the real estate department of a law firm. The work is really tedious and boring so there's much less competition. Once you get more experience you can try a different department.
The hardest jobs to get are in litigation. They're often taken by people who want to go to law school. Also, the work is much more interesting so the jobs are more sought after. In my "Big Law" firm, litigation paralegals are only used in the massive, class-action type cases that generate huge amounts of paperwork.
Corporate law paralegals are almost non-existant unless you have a very specific skill, e.g., you can write Chinese and the firm negotiates a lot of contracts in China.
To your larger question, many grads have the mistaken notion that: "If I have a degree or certification in 'X' I'll be able to get a job as 'X'." It only works that way in nursing. Go back to school if you want to, but I would caution against getting a degree that is too specific.
With only an undergrad in psychology it might not be a bad idea to get into a masters degree program if you can realistically support yourself while doing it. Just choose wisely...the price tag for post graduate education tends to be brutal. The last thing you'd want is to be saddled with a huge debt load and a degree in a field that pays beans.
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