BUILDING AND COMMUNICATING YOUR SOCIAL WORK IDENTITY
Do you identify as a social worker? What does it even mean to even be one? What defines a social worker — is it credentials and experience or a mindset and values system, or all of the above? If these questions resonate, you may be on the path to discovering your social work identity. Read on for ways you can build your social work identity, how you can communicate this identity by establishing a personal brand, and why it's critical to do so for your career journey.
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Building Social Work Identity
Have you ever been asked: “What is social work?” or “What does a social worker do?” If you weren’t sure how to answer at the time, that’s okay! Social work is such a broad profession, it’s sometimes difficult to understand what brings us all together. However, it’s likely you’ll continue to be asked these questions from colleagues in other professions, clients, and even employers or supervisors who are not social workers themselves. That’s why it’s crucial to build your social work identity so that you can clearly and proudly communicate all the value that social workers can bring. Consider the following ways you can build your social work identity:Â
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| 1. Know Your “Why”
Examining why you decided to choose social work is one way to begin shaping your social work identity. Being able to articulate your “why” helps define the unique reasons for why you chose social work over other professions, which will help you have greater clarity around the profession’s goals and your own within it. Knowing and communicating your “why” can also open doors to new connections and opportunities by making yourself visible to those who resonate with your ethos, fostering new client relationships, collaborations with colleagues, or conversations with employers.
2. Know Your Value
As mentioned before, others may directly or indirectly question the value of social work and may even try to place it on a hierarchy in relation to other professions. Reflect on the value social work brings to various spaces. In your current internship, ask yourself: what value do I bring not as an intern, but as a social work intern? What social work skills, knowledge, approaches, experiences, and abilities do I bring to the table? What impact can I bring to spaces where I may be the only social worker in the room? It is essential not only to remind others how social work is different from other professions, but that you are also a trained social worker that operates from evidence-based practices, core values, and a code of ethics.
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Communicating Your Identity Through Your Personal BrandOnce you’ve reflected on what makes up your social work identity, it’s time to communicate those aspects through your personal brand. Whether you recognize it or not, you already have a brand. Have you considered what clients, colleagues, and peers say and think about you when you're not in the room? The key is to intentionally shape it so it accurately reflects who you are, instead of letting others define it for you. Read on for ways to develop a strong brand that will help to communicate who you are, what you value, and how you engage in your work, fostering reliability, credibility, and trust.
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1. Craft a Compelling Self Narrative
Being in control of your narrative starts with defining your story. Use your reflections around your social work identity to write a creative tagline, summary, or bio (visit our NYU Silver LinkedIn Guide for examples) that uniquely describes you. It’s also important to think about what sets you apart from other social workers — What do you want to be known for? By understanding your distinct skills, experiences, and accomplishments, you can differentiate yourself from other social workers and position yourself as an expert in your area of focus. Consider including any of the following information:
- Your education and your training or experience
- Any areas of specialization, expertise, strengths, or skills
- Methods, approaches, and lenses you use in your social work practice
- How your identities, perspectives, values, and personal experiences influence your practice
- What you view as the key component to building relationships with clients or communities
- Why you chose to become a social worker, what motivates you, fulfills you, or love most about being a social worker
While the idea of branding may seem self-serving, it doesn’t have to only be about self-promotion. A well-defined personal brand can help establish trust, transparency, and consistency. Think of it as a way to better serve your clients and communities - by letting more people who can benefit from your knowledge, perspectives, and services connect with you.
2. Develop a Consistent Online Presence
Once you’ve come up with some language to convey your narrative and identity, share it on your LinkedIn profile, a website or portfolio, or other social media platforms. Audit your online presence to ensure it is consistent across platforms and authentic to how you would like to be reflected to clients and colleagues. How does the information on your profiles tell your story? What do the visuals on your profiles communicate about you? How do you position yourself as an expert in your area? Growing into your social work identity and brand is a process and will evolve over time, so remember that perfection isn’t necessary. Be proud of where you are and confident in sharing your journey with others — you’ve earned it!
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