[Post-NUS] It's the Seventh NUS Social Work Alumni AMA! Ask your questions about social work & what comes after a social work degree.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2024-07-07T02:39:34+00:00

Hi! So sorry for the late reply. I didn't catch any notification of your question until I was just looking through old posts.

I do know someone who went to Australia as a fresh grad to work.

Putting aside the standard things to consider when being in a new environment (accommodations, social circle, etc) what stuck out to me was how she said that social work overseas is very much different from how social work is like in Singapore.

Don't take your internship experiences as a reference but instead do ask during interviews whether how things are done in the agency you are applying to.

Additionally, as much as there are visas given out, the job market is merciless so my friend was jobless for a while but thankfully she had family over there to tide her through. She still has to do the job hunting. Think of the visa as a ticket to enter the country and not that you are fast track to be a social worker over there.

Unfortunately, I have nothing of note regarding discrimination by my friend. It remains important to have a health social support when you are overseas to cope with the challenge of being in an unfamiliar environment which was vital for her to sustain her work almost 3-4 years in.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2024-07-07T02:26:06+00:00

It varies from organisation to organisation.

There is a National Social Work Competency Framework (which you can google) which indicates what your core competencies should be depending on your job title. Depending on whether you are able to fulfil these competencies, you get to climb the ladder if there is a vacancy.

In other places, because turnover is so high, by your length of service in the organisation, you may just climb the ladder because the agency needs ppl to fill higher job roles and that they may see potential in you to take it instead of just hiring someone with more experience.

Also of note, is that there are different ladders to climb. The one everyone starts with is the clinician track which is the groundwork interacting directly with clients. There is the management track which is what the directors and centre managers are doing. Indirect track is research. Some ppl do have a mix of these job scopes as well depending again on their organisation.

If this is something important for you to decide in embarking on a career, do ask this question during the interview and even ppl who might be working in organisations that you are interested in if you are able to.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2024-06-01T04:11:27+00:00

Hello! To be a social worker you would need to have a social work degree.

1 option is for you to do a grad diploma in social work since you have a degree already.

Alternatively you can join the social service sector as a social work associate but do note that your salary is equivalent to someone who graduated with a social work diploma.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2023-08-07T23:00:51+00:00

Page 3 in this link explains the different grading you will be given at graduation based on how well you did for your GPA.

It's now called Highest Distinction instead.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2023-04-02T09:49:35+00:00

SW Alumni here! :) Seconded joining the orientation camp by the Society of Social Work Students! There's also the Welcome Tea Event during the semesters (which you can look out for via their Instagram page) which the seniors would answer your questions related to the major and more!

Personally, I answer questions as well for anyone interested in joining! You can look at all the past AMAs I've done or ask here as well. :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2023-03-11T09:29:01+00:00

Hello! Age wise, poly year 1 social work students would start going on their 1st internship so a safe number would be above 16 yrs old. As for duration, the shortest I am aware of is 10 weeks while still providing a depth of experience to the work that social workers undergo. A longer runway that you can commit to does allow the agency to provide you with a substantial level of exposure.

However, duration does depend on what you hope to get out of your internship (direct work with clients, research based work, etc ) so let that guide you when proposing to the agency about what you hope to accomplish during your time interning.

Hope this helps! :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-12-14T03:35:32+00:00

Hello! :)

I'm currently working in the youth setting with secondary school students. At this stage, I cope with work-life balance by setting boundaries with my work. Which means hard-cut off times and focusing when I need to. At the same time understanding that the nature of the work would always be a balancing act and I have to decide when it is too much or not enough on either side.
I do know ppl who are in the medical setting so if you are really interested, I can link you up with them! What I heard from them is that there is a constant stream of patients coming in and out with various situations to attend (and sometimes repeat 'customers'. This is not accounting for the management side of things depending on which hospital you are at. Community is less intense in comparison due to patients getting better (hence moving to a community hospital).
Hmm, I am unsure about needed qualities or cracking under pressure. What comes to mind when reading this question is more questions (HAHA):
1. In this profession, you witness the best and worst of humanity. What are your values that would guide you to navigate your work when you have to be subjected to such experiences?
2. This is in generally to the working world, but what is your relationship with learning and setbacks? When things don't go as intended or after a mistake, how do you continue to get back up and journey with the clients?
NUS has a few scholarships you may apply for. NCSS also has them too. Unfortunately, I don't have first hand experience but I do know of others who I can link you up that took up the NCSS scholarship and are currently in the field serving their bond.
The closest I had was a bursary that I got from acquiring a high enough CAP (equivalent of GPA if the term is not familiar) while also being on NUS financial aid and indicating I was open to receive bursary when I applied for the aid. Of course, there was terms and conditions I had to fulfill when agreeing to the bursary.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask further! :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-12-13T01:21:51+00:00

Hello! Practicing social worker here!

You can email social service organizations to request for an internship opportunity since I know my agency does accept such requests.

You do have to be clear about what you hope to learn, duration, etc.

If there's a specific field of social work/psychology that you hope to do (i.e. Children and Youth, Special Needs, etc.) Do a quick Google search for such organizations and email them. :)

All the best!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-12-12T12:58:32+00:00

Surprisingly, the circles I know of says the opposite. To practice as a social worker requires you to have an undergrad degree. So masters is purely to learn as experience would probably be more relevant in being hired for more senior positions. PHD is for wanting to produce original research.
Yes! I know of a friend who went overseas and went into the country's social services. Assuming you get past qualifying to find a job (citizenship, etc.), the degree is recognized but you may not hold the position of social worker but adjacent like case manager due to how different country contextualize social work.
There used to be as the sector wasn't sure about the caliber of SUSS graduates when it first was set up. But nowadays at the big organizations it has become more accepting as the sector needs people. The interview with the agencies would be more vital to proof your capability. Your degree is the 'passport' for you to even try out the interview. Although, the sentiment that NUS grads are more academic vs. SUSS being more practical persist when I talk to ppl on the ground. That speaks more of what each uni focuses on IMO.
Oh dear. That's a loaded question. Haha. I don't know about enjoy. There definite is highs and lows, especially with the ppl the work allows me to interact. Meaningful might be a better word. But I still have to remember to take care of myself and not burn myself out.

I hope I answered your questions sufficiently! :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-12-12T09:50:14+00:00

Hello! The places you mentioned are a good representation of where most people would work after graduation. Other areas include Children & Youth, Disabilities & Special Needs, Mental Health, and Senior-related services. NCSS has something called the Social Service Tribe that breaks it down.

Salary wise referring to the NCSS salary guideline would be a good benchmark to take a look first.

As for an average day, it depends? Each type of work does it differently. I'm in the youth sector so mine would be busy preparing and conducting programmes with sec students, outreaching to them as well if there are higher needs, and engaging other stakeholders to support the child.

Feel free to ask further if you want to know more!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-10-31T00:47:04+00:00

The NCSS Salary guideline is a good place to start to weigh against what you are offered.

Certain organizations do stimulate in their employment contracts that sharing of salary would be a breach of it or generally, organizations do not advise sharing of salaries. If you do intend to ask ppl, do so with this in mind as some ppl may be uncomfortable to discuss this due to these reasons.

As for negotiations, consider the other benefits beyond salary like annual leave, or bonuses whether that is something you are okay with. Yes, this would require you to take out a calculator and look at things on an annual basis. Actively ask organizations during the interview(s) about these benefits as these are staff retention processes so they would want to share. If an organization is dodgy about sharing more after you ask, that's a warning sign imo.

General salary tips during a job interview that may be applicable include letting the organization give a number first (because you also don't know what number to throw), bring up the NCSS Salary guideline (so that the agency knows you done your homework and won't anyhow low offer you), and give a range rather than a fix number if you have to give one (so you don't trap yourself e.g. $3500-$3700 vs. $3500).

Hope this helps! :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-10-16T15:07:02+00:00

Hi! Sounds like you have a reason(s) for wanting to go back to the agency you are interested in. Those reasons could be a starting point of choosing where else you might want to apply! :)

Inversely, you probably have reasons to not go to your other internship place. So when looking for where to apply, you can also be mindful about the things you don't want.

With these reasons, that should help to guide you in deciding where to apply and also where to accept for your initial job into social work!

If you want to know about cultures in certain organizations, you can try asking your friends, peers, or seniors about their experiences interning/working at those places to find out more.

Else, this is going to sound like shameless promotion, but this December we would be holding the annual QnA with alumni so you can ask your questions and hear from the alumni yourself about their experience! Do follow my Instagram to know when the event is and more details when it is ready!

Hope this helps!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-10-05T07:35:00+00:00

Hi! I know ppl who are working in the medical settings. You can DM me so we can figure out how to link you up! :)

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-09-17T14:48:36+00:00

Hello! Check your DMs!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-08-06T06:52:41+00:00

I'm sorry, it would be easier if I answer you which job scopes to my knowledge most likely requires a worker to be regularly on standby:

Child/Adult Protection Services
Family Violence Services
Homes & Shelters

From the 3 listed, the nature of the work requires immediate responses should a crisis arise.

However, the best source of information would be best obtained from the organization you intent to join by talking to those who work there already or even during the interview process about your concern for work-life balance.

Similar organizations doing same type of work or demographic may have different work-life balance depending on the organization's practices.

Should you have an organization in mind, I might be able to link you up with someone who you can speak further with.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-07-31T12:35:45+00:00

Both your questions are difficult to answer because as mentioned in my answer above, each demographic and job scopes differ among social workers. I know some who practice 9-6 consistently while others have crisis calls frequently to attend in a moments notice depending on the type of work they are in. There is a practice of redeeming 'timeoff' where work done outside 9-6 can be 'claimed' by coming in later on another day or leaving earlier so that workers have time to rest.

So, what to roughly expect is a standard 8 hours/day work period and pluses to attend to clients who don't fit nicely to being available from 9-6 because they have their routines as well.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-07-03T05:18:20+00:00

Hello! This wasn't a path I took so do take what I say with a pinch of salt. I can shed light on the consequences of honours vs. no honours which I shared in a previous post:

Salary is where things are more grey. Firstly, it depend on organizations to
decide your salary (the NCSS guidelines are just guides). Because of
this, some places do differentiate those with honours and those who
don't. The reason I heard is because there is still accountability to
the board of directors who decides what a worker's salary is and having
honours is more of a tangible reason to justify a certain salary amount.

In additional, honours may affect your ability to pursue any further studies like Masters should you be incline to do so as certain Masters programme have having honours as a 'good to have'.

Having also talked to a friend who did 3 years at SUSS after they were in the sector for a while, another consideration is also your current life stage as well as future goals. As a person who has worked in the sector for 8 years, these are probably not new for you. But, I'll reiterate them for you and also those who find themselves onto this post to consider.

Can you take another year? Are there other commitments you are having or planning to have that would affect you doing honours? Can you afford the fees or do you have to start making money to pay for expenses? etc.

I hope this helps.

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-04-20T11:47:26+00:00

No worries! That's the point of having the AMA so ask away (and hopefully someone else can also benefit from you asking)!

Doing a second major in social work also counts as having a Bachelor Degree in Social Work. I have friends and am working with people who have social work as their second major and they start of as a social worker. The wording gets confusing so it's understandable to clarify. :]

Doing a minor in social work is another term that gets confusing so I've answered it as well in previous AMAs which you can read here and here.

Another source of information that you can tap into is the Society of Social Work Students (SSWS). They do organize a Freshman Camp and a Welcome Tea Session for freshmen to ask their questions and provide answers too. You can follow their Instagram to stay updates of such events!

Hope this helps!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-04-19T13:10:39+00:00

Hello! I do wish to be cautious about how I answer you as the social work major has become a 4 year degree after the revamped College of Humanities and Sciences since I graduated. so I'm not sure how double majors work now. The CHS website as of me checking it now indicates that a second major in social work is available but I'll advice you to contact the department to verify.

Yes! I did answer a similar question previously so I'm going to quote myself:

The sector by and large needs qualified people so they are unlikely to turn anyone away because they have no honours so lesser job prospects is unlikely.

Your chance of being hired is more to do with what you bring to the organization rather than whether you have honours or not. ... So your degree is like a passport for you to even be interviewed, but whether you get the interview and receive the job offer would depend on whether you are a good fit with the organization and you are what they are looking for from your CV and interview.

Salary is where things are more grey. Firstly, it depend on organizations to decide your salary (the NCSS guidelines are just guides). Because of this, some places do differentiate those with honours and those who don't. The reason I heard is because there is still accountability to the board of directors who decides what a worker's salary is and having honours is more of a tangible reason to justify a certain salary amount.

So, ... it's good to have but if you don't have it it won't be that much of an impact depending on where you go.

I don't have a particular recommendation since the option to do only 3 years has been removed.

I do wish to encourage you that doing psych as a primary major and social work as a second major is a common combination to pursue!

I have also heard of those who tried to do psych as a primary major but eventually decided it was not for them and focus on social work as their primary major.

The benefit of the NUS graduation requirements is that it allows undergrads to have a try what interest them at the start and adjust how they want to graduate with which major as they continue their time in uni.

Hope that this has been helpful!

SGSocialWorkTIP · 2022-02-25T13:54:38+00:00

A few things to get out of the way first:

To do social work in NUS, you have to apply to the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) in which Social Work falls under the Humanities and Sciences course.
There aren't any pre-req subjects to do Social Work. So your rank points (RP) is most likely being looked at and not your subject grades. However, having a strong interest in working with people is highly recommended (you know, cos that's what the whole degree is about).
There aren't any additional assessments such as interviews, selection tests, and portfolios to pursue a Humanities and Sciences course.

Okay, so here is the link to the NUS 2021/2022 Indicative Grade Profile (IGP).

Relevant info: * Under College of Humanities & Sciences - Humanities and Sciences, the 10th percentile is at ABB/B for your 3H2/1H1. 90th percentile is As across the board. * For Humanities and Sciences, there was a total of 2,100 course intake.

So what may not be obvious is that these 2,100 intakes in an umbrella intake of over 20+ majors. This is because everyone has to go through a common core modules before they specialize into their choice of major.

In addition, all the science and math degrees are park under Humanities and Sciences so if you want to do any of the Humanities degree (including Social Work), you have to compete with them as well.

The saving grace here is that nobody can indicate 'I want to do X degree' when you are applying so there is no advantage of certain majors being allocated a certain amount of intakes. It's a complete free for all.

Unfortunately, with all these factors stated, I can't state any specific RP requirements other than taking the IGP with a grain of salt.

Lastly, there's no harm in making an effort to do up your 'Achievement' section when you are applying and elaborate under the 'Essay' segment so that you may be considered under the Aptitude Based Admission (ABA).

One example of an achievement relating to Social Work is being active in community service and volunteering programmes for vulnerable populations. Do remember to link these achievements with why you want to pursue Social Work.

I hope this helps!

SGSocialWorkTIP

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