MSW - Master of Social Work Career Opportunities

There are various Career Options after a Master of Social Work. MSW jobs are usually available in NGOs or government aided social welfare departments or institutions. There are several private organisations as well, who hire candidates, some of them being CRY, Goonj, Smile Foundation etc. Candidates are hired as Social Workers with an average starting salary of INR 2.20 - INR 3 LPA. MSW course provides extensive training and knowledge that allows candidates to pursue careers as Social Workers, Project Coordinators, Programme Consultants, and so on. Graduates' demand for Master of Social Work jobs has increased significantly. The Master of Social Work syllabus is extensive, preparing candidates for the required profession through internships, training, projects, and so on.

Masters of Social Work (MSW) is a postgraduate degree for two years for students interested in maintaining the social welfare of the society including people from poor backgrounds, illiterate children, etc. This course includes training that would help students acquire skills to work efficiently for the underprivileged sections of society against various social taboos such as child marriage, social injustice, racism, animal abuse, and much more.

Some of the major highlights of MSW jobs are as follows:

Unlike other professions, the role and duties of a social worker are quite different and

challenging from other work profiles. Their working areas are way too different as they are engaged in areas like unemployment, education, health care, politics so in all it is a cluster of all other work areas. A brief about the same is given below:

• Assessing the needs of clients and ensuring they have access to appropriate support services
• Providing practical support, counselling and information to the clients
• Acting as an advocate for clients in situations where they may be experiencing discrimination, injustice or inequality.

The following are some of the most sought after MSW jobs:

The scope of MSW is vast, providing various jobs after MSW and options for higher education, but in order to excel at every opportunity, it is important to have both skills and hard skills in order to excel in the field. A few of the skills are listed below:

• Communication Skills
• Active Listening
• Empathy
• Leadership 
• Managerial Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Cultural Competence
• Problem-Solving Skills

A Master of Social Work degree or MSW degree opens up various avenues in rewarding and challenging community work settings. The programme provides an opportunity to explore multiple specialisations and build a career in sectors such as Healthcare, Education, Women & Child Development, to name a few. Initially, a graduate’s work is centred around child protection, family welfare, financial support to low-income families, refugee rights and aid, indigenous community rights, human rights, mental health support, substance abuse and rehabilitation, women empowerment and more.

Listed below are popular career choices one can go for after the completion of their Master of Social Work:

• Administration and Management: They act as proactive leaders in the public and private domain that provide services to the clients. It is obvious to have thorough knowledge about social policy and the delivery of social services, vision for future planning, an understanding of human behaviour, and commitment to social work ethics and values is a must for them.
• Advocacy and community organisation: Advocacy is one of the keystones of social work practice. Social work advocates champion the rights of individuals and communities intending to achieve social justice. Ideally, this helps people seek justice against any sort of inequality they face.
• Child welfare: This is an intense field where help is provided to the most vulnerable children, youth and families. Whoever suffers from any kind of exploitation or fails to have a sound life seeks help from this branch.
• Developmental disabilities: Parents having children with developmental disabilities can help social workers get a better understanding of their legal rights. They contribute in a way that they help parents learn to be advocates and find special services that enable their children to be as independent as possible
• Health care: These individuals are professionally trained social workers who help people in need of health care advice to lead a happy healthy life.
• International social work: For those willing to have a career in this, the work here is diverse. Their help includes direct services in communities, refugee camps, orphanages, hospitals, and schools, as well as supporting the efforts of national, intergovernmental organisations, and non-governmental organisations to enhance social well-being.
• Justice and correction: They are those who work in justice and corrections can be found in courts, rape crisis centres, police departments, and correctional facilities.
• School Social Work: Social workers who work in school premises help students cope with their emotional and mental crisis.

The scope of MSW in India is vast with regards to the condition of the economy and the society. Graduates can study further if they choose to enhance their future career profiles. The most sought after and popular MSW career options are as follows:

• MPhil (Social Work)
• PhD (Social Work)
• Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Helping Professions (Counselling)
• Certificate Course in Advanced Social Research Methodology
• Certificate Course in Social Perspective in Disaster Management 

Some of the top recruiters of MSW graduates are:

• Dabur India Ltd.
• CVS Health
• Mindful Health Solutions 
• Goonj NGO
• CRY NGO
• Accenture
• Reliance Industries Ltd.
• InnovaSolutions
• Kotak Life Insurance
• Auditics Pvt. Ltd.
• Tata Motors
• Just Dial