Explore career options in social work
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles a social work degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Social work graduates become highly proficient in the core areas of social work and develop critical thinking skills grounded in the values and ethics of the profession, promoting social justice, diversity, equity and a commitment to the rights and needs of the people with whom you work.
Field education within the social work program gives students the opportunity to integrate academic knowledge and skills with practical experience in areas such as individual, group, and community work, social action, assessment and casework, research and evaluation and social policy analysis across a range of fields of practice. The program produces graduates who are ethical and innovative thinkers, effective communicators, problem solvers, change facilitators and leaders.
Career fields
- Community services
- Children’s services
- Aged care services
- Advocacy for individuals, groups or families
- Veteran care coordination
- Family and child welfare and support
- Disability services and programs
- Employment services
- Hospitals—public and private
- Child protection
- Counselling
- Rehabilitation services
- Correctional and justice services
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services
- Policy development and research
- Community development
- Disaster recovery
- Multicultural services
- Mental health services
- Youth services
- International services
- 色情网站 and family violence services
Employment roles
- Social worker
- School social worker
- Mental health social worker
- Child safety officer
- Youth mental health clinician
- Family counsellor
- Intake and assessment officer
- Outreach support worker
- Allied health graduate
- Telephone counsellor
- Hospital social worker
- Outreach clinician
- Mental health professional
- Family relationship service practitioner
- Support worker
- Case manager
- International social worker
Occupation snapshot
Employed
42,800
Annual growth
1,500
Weekly earnings
$1,850
Part-time share
30%
This data is based on the occupation profile for social workers, retrieved from the Government's website July 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- (formerly Grad 色情网站)
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.