TAKING THE TIME TO CELEBRATE
(AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT)As social workers, we are so used to championing others, but we must remember to be champions of ourselves as well. We can’t stress enough how crucial social workers are to this moment and how much value you bring to so many different spaces. However, while social workers may be in high demand, they can often go underappreciated, manifesting in ways such as being overworked, unfairly compensated, or not being granted the same respect as other frontline workers.
Practicing how to value yourself and your accomplishments is not only in your self-interest, but also helps to promote the profession as a whole. By asserting your value, you are more easily able to advocate and care for yourself while giving space for others to do the same. Whenever you set a healthy boundary or turn down an atrocious job offer, you are advancing the profession by not allowing social workers to be undervalued.
With all that said, we hope you will consider the following reflection questions to celebrate your wins over this past year:
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- Name a moment where you felt proud of yourself.
- What skills or strengths emerged that you didn’t know you had?
- What did you overcome that you thought you couldn’t?
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As you reflect, we would like to extend a warm congratulations to all of you and all that you have realized for yourselves. We are living in unprecedented times and you all continue to harness resilience, manifest creativity, and unearth the amazing skills you have within you to do incredible and important work. We are celebrating you always and we hope you will make celebrating yourself a constant practice too.
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CAREER JOURNEY WISHES FOR 2022 GRADUATES FROM THE SILVER COMMUNITYWe asked members of the Silver community to share their response to the question “What is one piece of career advice you would like to offer our graduating students?” Read on for the words of wisdom they would like to share with you as you transition into your next chapter!
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"Congratulations on graduating! As you continue to build your path as a social worker, we want to share a piece of career advice with you. Continue to build relationships with your professors who impacted your graduate experience, administrators who supported and guided you on any road bumps that you came across, and your fellow classmates who you've built memories with. Utilize LinkedIn to grow your network with social workers all over the tri-state area and the world - join groups, be active, and be intentional! Most importantly, set milestones to re-evaluate your own journey and how you want to advance your career, whether it's a certificate in a specific modality, a LMSW or LCSW, or going back to school!"
— Hosanah Bryan, Liz Chon, and Hannah Levy (NYU Silver Academic Advising Team)
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“1. Lead with your genuine and authentic self: While you are the one being interviewed, don't forget that you are interviewing them, too, and you'll want to ensure that the organization's culture, role, and people are a fit.
2. Nurture your network: Consider ways to develop and nurture your professional network, not only to expand your own horizons on what path may be right for you, but also to share your own learnings with others to help them grow.
3. If inspired, apply: Should you see a job posting that truly inspires you but you may not meet all of the requirements and qualifications, consider applying anyway; in your materials, convey your enthusiasm and passion and what you would bring to the role/organization.”
— Chris Ferrara, Kate Hogan, and Laura Morrison (NYU Silver Communications Team)
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“Join NASW and other professional organizations related to your areas of interest and find a way to become active in interacting with other social workers to find peer support, engage in social justice activities, continue learning about new developments, and make valuable contacts. As I reflect back on my career, I am amazed to realize that the biggest opportunities came from personal contacts with other social workers made through these means."
— Dr. Christine Fewell (Adjunct Professor)
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“1) Be true to yourself and your lived experiences.
2) Find mentors - reach out to those you admire and want to emulate for coaching, advice, support - they can make a real difference throughout your career.
3) Hold onto your passions - both for the field and for social justice. If a job drains you of all joy, it’s not you - it’s the job. Remember that most of burnout is due to organizational failure to care for their workers - move on.
4) Stay close to us at Silver - it’s never a burden for us when you reach out. Don’t hesitate!”
— Dr. Susan Gerbino (Clinical Professor; Director, Zelda Foster Studies Program in Palliative and End-of-Life Care)
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“Never stop learning!”
— Dr. Ernest Gonzales (Associate Professor; Director of the MSW Program and The Center for Health and Aging Innovation)
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"Always look and be committed to opportunities for growth personally and professionally. It will make you an excellent social worker. The more you know, the more you will know."
— Dr. Delverlon Hall (Adjunct Professor and Field Coordinator)
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“Many times students automatically dismiss an agency or never think about the interviewer if they didn't like the job or if the agency didn't hire them. However, I have found that keeping in touch with previous interviewers or social workers at an agency has helped me network for jobs down the road. Don't just think about this job you need right now. Keep in mind the best way to travel through your career is through networking even with agencies and people you think you may never meet or need again.”
— Dr. Aminda Heckman (Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Rockland County and Westchester County Campuses)
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“Peace Graduates! I am honored to share in your academic success –– which has come amidst a global pandemic, racial, social, and economic unrest –– all things which have made the world, and the people you will work with more vulnerable than ever. But as you begin your professional journey, I ask that you remember that the work of transformation begins with ourselves. Please continue to utilize your tools to dismantle ideas, institutions, interpersonal ways of being, and internalized narratives that feed division and oppression. And please dare to imagine a world in which every human being can self actualize!”
— Dr. Kirk “Jae” James (Clinical Assistant Professor)
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"Dear Graduates,
A career is a dynamic set of relationships in which your talents, skills and abilities interface with the needs of organizations and sectors. In this relationship, look for alignment between each of your values and goals, not only skills and abilities. Careers do not unfold in a linear fashion and each role gives you the opportunity to learn and grow, even in those where things don't work out. There is always a place where your unique gifts can be of great service.”
— Dr. Linda Lausell Bryant (Clinical Associate Professor; Director of the DSW Program; Master Teacher; Katherine and Howard Aibel Executive-in Residence)
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"My one piece of post graduation advice is to make sure to find a network of peer support! Peers who will hold you accountable for practicing within an anti oppressive framework, peers with whom you can be vulnerable and reflective, and peers who remind you to find joy in the work that you are doing!"
— Gabriella McBride (Graduate Student Adjunct)
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“Remember the value and diversity of your MSW degree. It trains you in many things, such as assessment, intervention, program planning, and evaluation. This degree can take you far and is very versatile. We can and do show up in every occupation and should not shy away from ‘non-traditional’ social work roles.”
— Benjamin Sher (Director, Office of Global and Lifelong Learning)
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A MESSAGE FROM CPDAfter journeying alongside you through 113 Practice class visits, 210 career coaching sessions, 15 workshops and events, and 17 newsletters this past academic year, we can’t express how excited we are for each and every one of you for you to transition into your next phase, wherever that may be in your career journey.
We would like to first and foremost thank you for engaging with our office — this work isn’t required nor is it easy, but those of you who engaged with us took the initiative to put in the time and effort to do the tough inner work of reflection, be open to feedback, and be vulnerable enough to trust the process. We hope you know that everything we do is always with the aim of holding space for you, meeting you where you are, and supporting you to feel empowered to make your own decisions about your career path.
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With that said, it has been such an immense privilege to witness many of you enjoying the fruits of all the work you have put in throughout the year: Getting job or placement offers, successfully negotiating salaries or additional benefits, securing multiple interview requests, passing your licensing exams, feeling more confident about articulating your skills and experiences on your resume, and so much more!
Whether you are graduating or continuing on at Silver, we celebrate all that you have accomplished and hope you’ll continue to engage with our office. We are here to support you in whatever you may need and will always be rooting for you and your success!
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CPD FOR THE SUMMERAnnouncementsStarting May 18, CPD will transition to a summer schedule until August 22:
Career Planning SuggestionsSummer is a fantastic time to work on honing skills you will utilize on your career journey for years to come. Ask yourself “Where can I invest my time and what relationships can I build right now that will plant the seeds for my future career goals?” Here are five suggestions to explore:
- Take stock of your values, skills, and interests, how they may have changed/grown over the past year, and how that may impact your future career goals
Practice your pitch until you feel confident and comfortable
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CPD Intern Terry Nesmith, MSW ‘22, joined us for our last My Social Work Journey Series of the semester and provided valuable insights on what career changers bring to the field of social work.
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