You've Earned Your Masters Degree...Now What?

By Susan J. Shafer, ACSW, Consultant /Coach
(April 2002)

It's spring, it's that time, and graduation is looming in front of you. No matter what your age, where you've come from, or how many social service jobs you've had, this is a highlight of your life. It's official, it's a fact, it's your entrée into professional status, and you now have a Masters Degree. With this degree, you are signing on to do your best, to make a difference in people's lives, to apply a body of knowledge to real life, and to follow an ethical code of behavior.

You may be staying on in the same agency you've been with for some time, or you may be looking through the papers to find the best job you can. Some of you are filled with relief, thinking that school is over and ready to go out into the world and "help".

By now, you have formed some opinions about where you'd like to work, based on friends' reports, you're past experiences, personal contact with various organizations or their staff, rumor and reputation.

Soon you may be working on your own resume or having a friend help you, and perhaps you're buying your interview suit. Yes, suits still work. If you plan on staying where you are, my question to you is, are you looking at your place in the agency with eyes that are open to a future, or are you convinced that you know exactly how it is, and always will be?

I would like to add another theoretical construct to your bag of tricks, one that may not have been part of the curriculum, but one that I have found to be very powerful personally in forwarding my personal and professional goals. It's called, "My Life is my Business, and I'm the CEO." This means that I declare I'm responsible for my life, that how my life occurs for me is my choice (not mom's, dad's or someone else), and I'm committed to making choices that are in alignment with what I'm good at, what excites me, what I can contribute to society out of my core; you know, what people see when they say, "you light up when you talk about..."

As a good CEO, you're going to engage in strategic planning in order to create your Mission Statement (VISION), look at available resources, plan how to maximize their use, look at the internal and external environments, think about staff development needs, etc. in order to produce excellent service, promised outcomes, and to build in funding streams to keep you going.

What better time to be intentional about your life, taking time for inquiry- or better yet, asking a group of friends and colleagues to come together to kick around some of your ideas together.

The inquiry looks something like this:

1. I've completed courses, internships, had wonderful and not-so wonderful experiences, and wanted to quit more than once. So, taking a breath (perhaps a few), closing my eyes, and sweeping out the cobwebs from my busy head, I see a clearing in front of me- what would I fill it with for my perfect work day? The setting (city, 'burbs', or country), a desk or field job, size of agency, kind of client, and lastly, what am I wearing? Yes, am I a suit or jeans type?
2. What's my passion, and have I been up front about it, or have I been trying to squeeze my size 10 foot into a size 8 shoe? Are you planning on doing something that is in alignment with the secret places in your heart that are crying out for self-expression? Look at what you (or someone else) think you should be. Exactly who has been the captain of my ship?
3. What skills do I have that fulfill my Vision? Are you a great listener, a great planner, a great supervisor? Do you like to get down and dirty, or is your contribution to be made behind the scenes? Do I need to get more training by taking courses, a certificate of some kind, should I find a mentor, or volunteer?
4. Who do I have to be to be the CEO of My Life? My answer to this question is- bold, creative, confident, courageous, responsive- you get the picture? And who in my life can support me in this venture? I've intentionally eliminated the phrases, "I hope", "I'll try", "maybe", and "I just" from my vocabulary. They do not empower me. So I'm thoughtful about who I say I am, and what I do. Do you need to take a risk? Failing is OK, but "maybe" has no future in it.
5. Make a declaration, to anyone who will listen, about who and what you are. Your words will launch an intentional energy that goes out to the world, creating a net that catches like energy and brings it back to you, heightening your awareness so that when opportunity appears, it doesn't have to knock you over before you recognize it for the gift that it is.
6. What's the job market like now? Which areas interest me, which can I eliminate immediately? If my VISION job does not appear in the newspaper or on the usual web sites, how can I create the path to it? Make lists of everybody you've ever met (really), and start calling to let them know you're available. Listen to what they say (everybody likes to help), and don't hang up until you share with them the interest(s) you've uncovered in your personal inquiry. Send introduction letters with your resume to organizations that look interesting, even if your job is not posted. Play the "Interview Game"; it's hardly ever a life or death matter.
7. And, my final words of wisdom for the interview for your dream job- have a fresh, well-written resume with you, be 10 minutes early, wear clothes that fit, and shine your shoes.