27 Things We Learned From Our ‘Pivot to Corporate Social Work’ Discussion
At our recent Corporate Social Work Collective event featuring Marthea Pitts, The MSW Coach, and two recruiters with social work backgrounds – Alicia Whitney and Olivia Gonzalez — we shared many helpful tips and tricks about making the pivot to Corporate Social Work.
If you weren’t able to attend the session, we want to share some of the knowledge from the discussion. So here you go, an “in a nutshell” summary of advice shared at our event:
Who Better Than You?
1. ALL social work skills (at every level – BSW, MSW, DSW, Ph.D.) are transferable to the corporate world. Don’t let self-doubt and hesitation get in the way of your goals!
2. A participant has us dreaming about what our world would look like if every company had Social Workers on staff… wouldn’t that be amazing?!?! That’s our goal at Corporate Social Work Collective. Remember we are people experts! We are valuable as individual contributors and add incredible value to every team and company. Own it!
3. It’s okay if you’ve spent a lot of time in direct practice. The MSW Coach says to capitalize on those skills, and frame it as “Who better than you?” See point #1 again!
On Networking
4. Yes, networking really is THAT Important. Don’t be afraid to message strangers on LinkedIn to learn more about their career trajectories or ask about open roles at the companies they work at. Show an interest in others and they will return the favor!
5. Attend events, connect on LinkedIn, keep in touch with past colleagues. If you don’t have a Linkedin, it’s time to get one. Treat your Linkedin the same way you treat social media…scroll, browse, post, connect, and scroll some more!
Cover Letters
6. The jury is still out on whether you really need a cover letter, but the answer is leaning towards yes. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that long. One paragraph is fine (if you can get your desired message across in a concise way). This is also an opportunity for you to highlight your transferable skills, as your resume can only go so far.
7. Cover letters are your ability to tell your story and explain who you are and why you are qualified to succeed in this role, and ultimately why the company should hire you. Don’t skip them!
Resumes
8. Recruiters prefer that you keep your resume short – it should be your highlight reel so edit, edit, edit. Check out Cultivated Culture for help. The length of your resume depends on the industry and how many years of RELEVANT experience you have to the role. A good framework is one page for every 10 years of job history.
9. Recruiters agree – tailor your resume for different types of jobs. Use language from the job description or company website.
10. Stick to ATS-friendly resumes.
11. Guest recruiter, Alicia Whitney, was recently quoted in this Lifehacker article discussing what language to not use in your resume. Check it out here — Stop Saying You 'Helped' on Your Resume (and Use These Verbs Instead).
12. Try to hook the recruiter. Instead of trying to add all the details of your experience, frame it in an interesting way that makes the recruiter want to know more.
The Job Search
13. Research companies. Choose ones that are aligned with your values.
14. Corporate Social Work jobs won’t be titled “Corporate Social Worker” – so here are some titles and keywords you should look for: Partnership Development Manager, Community Investment, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Relations, People (or HR) Partner, Change Management Consultant, Wellness Program Manager, Employee Engagement, ERGs (Employee Resource Groups).
Professional Development
15. Hire a career coach like Marthea Pitts, The MSW Coach, to help you make the switch.
16. Read Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, if you haven’t yet. Brené helps to translate social work language into the business world.
17. Certifications might help but aren’t necessary. A PHR is a great certification for entry-level HR.
18. You can also take classes from LinkedIn Learning or Coursera. Here’s an example: https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-social-impact.
19. Corporations have their own language. Learn business acumen from articles, books, and podcasts such as from Harvard Business Review.
20. Consider consulting and contract work to get some great experience.
Know Your Brand
21. Be yourself and let your whole self shine. You don’t want to work at a company that doesn’t appreciate you anyway!
22. Tell your story. Practice your “elevator pitch” so you can answer that famous interview question, “So tell me about yourself.” Our guest recruiter, Olivia Gonzalez, said it best when she told us that as a recruiter, she wants people to “tell me who they are, not what they do”.
23. Be strong in your social work identity! You’d be surprised how many companies need (and want) social workers and don’t even know it.
24. Perfect your 30 to 60-second elevator pitch! “Tell me about yourself” answer is a great way to set the tone of the interview.
Show Me the Money
25. Breaking into Corporate Social Work might result in a salary increase.
26. Corporations expect you to negotiate, so ALWAYS negotiate. One participant shared some great advice they received from their mentor, “Always ask for more than you think you deserve.”
27. Research salary bands in your field and in your metro area for the typical market rate, and NEVER feel pressured to disclose your current salary if a recruiter asks. They don’t need to know, and in many states, it’s actually illegal.
As you can see, this event was a discussion full of amazing advice, a safe place to ask questions, and a perfect place to network! We truly appreciate the valuable insights our guest speakers and participants shared during this session. We hope this advice helps in your journey to become a Corporate Social Worker. Make sure you are on our mailing list and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram so you stay informed about all of our events and resources. See you next time!
