Looking on the bright side.

As much as I complain that I'm over my current paraprofessional position and am ready for a real social worker job, I have to admit I'm lucky and happy (most of the time.) The pay is decent, I have a lot of freedom to be creative (my boss has no idea what I really do), and I have a lot of resources at my finger tips that I can absorb and use later on in my career.

Today is a good day. It's also Friday.

Confidence doesn't always equal success.

So yeah, I failed the child support officer exam I was yaking about in my post below...by ONE point! I actually studied for a few days prior to it too even though they said I didn't need to. Boo. It was an intense multiple choice exam on a computer but I gave it my all and thought, 'hey! I totally aced it!'...only to have the human resource lady come back with a sad look on her face.

Sigh.

So we are back to square one in the job hunting process. I'm still waiting on another job I had applied for to respond back. It's killing me waiting. I'm impatient. Just a yes or no will do please.

Can't believe it's only Tuesday.

Take what you can get?

So here I finally am with my BSW in hand, ready to be a "real" social worker and put all that I have learned and do all that I have watched, into use. Except...social work jobs are...nowhere to be found. You see when I was still in school (and even when I had graduated but was 9 months pregnant), social worker jobs seemed to pop up left and right. It killed me that I couldn't apply. And now that I can, I can't because they are no longer "popping." What the heck! Okay, okay- in all honesty, there are some social worker or similiar positions avaliable but either they are like 70 miles from where I live or pay lower than someone working at Walmart. And I won't get started on the social worker job salaries I have been seeing posted. I'll save that rant for another day.

Anywho back to my point, now that I'm ready, there's barely anything to be ready for.

I have applied and applied for whatever there is avaliable. I have applied for 5 positions. 3 of them are not "official" social worker positions. And of course the 2 that I am hearing back from are 2 of the non-social worker jobs. They are similiar: county child support officers. The first one, I turned down because the pay was blah. I make more at my current paraprofessional job now than what they were offering. Now the second county child support officer job is paying decent....about two dollars more than what I am making. Not what I am seeking as far as the position, work, and pay goes but ya gotta take what you can get, I guess. I have no experience in child support (or much interest in it either) but it is at a county agency which I currently am in and am seeking. Ideally, I don't want to work for the county for so many reasons that it could (and probably will be) another post by its self but the benefits and job security is great. Plus for where I am in my personal life right now (young adult, first time homeowner, hubs wants to go back to school, have 2 kids under 5), a stable county job is perfect.

So wish me luck. What happens first is an exam (ike a real exam with a calculator and pencil and bubble sheet which I suppose to work in child support, you must know basic math and laws), then I'm assuming they take the top scoring applicants and do a formal interview. And although I'm bitching about how this position isn't a real social worker position, I do hope I get it.

I take the exam on Monday. Will keep you posted.

Social Worker-That's so messed up.: Social work blues

Love love love this post about the public's view of CP social workers.

Social Worker-That's so messed up.: Social work blues: "I had to re-think posting such case specific blogs. I never use real names when discussing people but being that specific about my cases is ..."

I'm back.

I'm alive.

Just had a baby so I'm trying to make the transition from burping and onesies to the social work world.

Be patient with me here ;)

Thanks. Will be back this week (hopefully) with an update on what's been going on (or at least a complaint about lack of.)