MSW switching to Human Resources
I have a Master's in Social Work and am currently working as a mental health therapist for abused children and their families. I 've been a therapist for several years, but since I've had my own children recently, my perspective about the field has changed and I don't think I can stomach the work any longer. I'm thinking of switching to HR; I think I can use my clinical/people skills in this field. It won't be as emotionally draining, plus, the field pays more.
Is there anyone out there in the same boat? Or experienced the same situation? Help please.
EML
HR is a tough field. Many companies now want BS and/or Master's Degrees in the field with SPHR certifications--not to mention bilingual stqtus. In the US, bilingual is not only Hispanic but may include specific Asian dialects. Even that doesn't land you a job if you don't have the HR experience. I would think about this very hard. Don't forget most companies only have ONE HR. This makes your chances slimmer.
You may want to review County and State jobs to see where you can put your current Master's Degree to work.
Best of luck in your job endeavors.
I would think there is quite a significant amount of transferrable skills from social work to HR. HR contains a lot of different aspects - employement law, recruitment, compensation, training, performance evaluation, etc. What aspects appeal to you most?
Perhaps you can start by attending a meeting of your local chapter of SHRM and check out the latest editions on Workforce.com. This will give you an idea of what the hot topics are within the profession and a chance to meet HR professionals. By talking to other HR professionals at a SHRM meeting, you may be able to get some advice on how to make the transition and a way to look at your knowledge, skills and abilities in a new light.
If you like the helping others aspect of your work, you might consider putting together a half hour "workshop" delivering strategies on work/life balance or how to deal with taking care of aging parents while also raising children. You could offer to give these talks during lunch at local corporations, your church, etc. This could be a way to demonstrate your skills and make connections that may lead to an HR job.
Perhaps you could even work for a company that provides EAP services to corporations.
I've also noticed that there is an emerging (or perhaps it's been around for while) field called Organizational /Industrial Psychology (link below). I don't really know what the qualifications/education is for social work but I do think there is some cross-over.
http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/19-3032.00
Good luck, don't give up, and don't believe that it can't be done. I'm sure there is someone in the Universe who has made a similar transition. Just keep putting yourself out there, telling people what you want and asking for advice.