Career Development in Social Work
Uniting passion with lifelong purpose.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, social work employment is expected to increase through 2029. The aging baby boom generation is driving the demand for social workers. Likewise, the need for social workers specializing in children and family, school social workers, substance abuse, mental health, and healthcare is projected to rise. Social Work jobs are projected to have an average 13% growth rate –faster than the average growth that is projected for all occupations from 2019 to 2029.
Graduates of the Simmons School of Social Work are among the most prepared and sought-after professionals ready to meet these needs.
Throughout the year, the School of Social Work and the Career Education Center host events to support student career planning and preparation. Career Connections in January features several workshops on writing a professional social work resume and creating a successful job search strategy. In mid-Winter the SSW hosts a recruitment fair attended by over 40 local employers; in early Spring we co-sponsor with the State registration board several workshops on the LCSW licensing process. Students can also access the career counseling services at the University’s Career Education Center. Professional Social Work Job openings are posted on the School of Social Work job board and on the University’s Handshake online career resource. Employers can submit new job listings through our online form.
First jobs for recent SSW graduates
- Clinical Social Worker, Emergency Department of Boston Children’s Hospital
- Child and Family Social Worker, Home for Little Wanderers
- Clinical Social Worker, Cardiovascular Medicine Division of Brigham and Women’s Hospital · Clinical Social Worker, Fenway Health
- Clinical Social Worker, Seasons Hospice, Norwood, Massachusetts
- Clinical Social Worker, Neurology Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital
- Clinical Social Worker, Veterans Administration Boston Health Care System
- Clinical Social Worker and Intake Coordinator, Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center, Boston, Massachusetts
- Emergency Services Clinician, BEST Team
- Inpatient Psychiatry Social Worker, Worcester State Hospital
- School Social Worker, Revere Public Schools
- Sibling and Group Social Worker, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Social Work Supervisor at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Children and Families
- Behavioral Health Integrated Therapist, Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Child and Family Clinician, Whittier Street Health Center, Roxbury, Massachusetts
- Clinician Care Coordinator, North Suffolk Mental Health
- Bilingual Dual- Diagnosis Clinician, Casa Esperanza, Boston
- Director of LGBTQ Services at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Division of Student Life
- Fellow, Ruderman Fellowship in Gerontological Social Work at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Clinical Social Worker, Smart Team, South End Community Health Center
- Clinical Social Worker, The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights
- School Social Worker, Victor School, Justice Resource Center
- Counselors in the Simmons Counseling Center
- Medical Social Worker in Cardiology at Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital
- Addictions Specialist at the North Charles Institute for the Addictions in Somerville, Massachusetts
- Social Worker and Family Services Manager, City of Somerville, Massachusetts
Social Work Career Resources
Job board
Check out our job board for job opportunities.
Submit a job
Do you have a job to post? Employers can submit new job listings through our online form.
Meet Our Alumnae/i
Simmons Alumna Centers Survivorship
Kenyora Lenair Johnson ’10, CEO of End Rape On Campus (EROC), is dedicated to elevating survivorship and centering marginalized populations. To honor Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we spoke with her about EROC’s bold initiatives, as well as Simmons’ intergenerational community.
SLIS Alumnus Co-Curates Major Jane Austen Exhibition
In February 2024, Dale Stinchcomb ’16MS, became the Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts at the Morgan Library and Museum. We spoke with him about this unique role, his forthcoming co-curated exhibition on Jane Austen, and the essential training that he received at Simmons.
Alumna Delivers Trauma-Informed Care at Boston Children’s
Rachel Nyakako is a clinical social worker in the Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC) at Boston Children’s Hospital. She serves as a link for patients and families in need of mental and behavioral healthcare and resources. Such support, she...
Cambridge Director of Libraries Fosters Learning and Community
Maria McCauley ’17PhD says some of her fondest childhood memories are of visiting her local public library. This lifelong passion for knowledge is part of the reason she decided to pursue library and information science as a second career.
Thriving in Simmons’ Online Degree Completion Program
A flexible and student-centered environment were two reasons why Libby Lassiter ’24 chose Simmons’ online degree completion program, which helps adult learners achieve their goal of graduating from college. “It was a great experience,” Lassiter says. “If I had my...
Integrating Forest Spirituality into a Social Work Mindset
Grant Pike ’18MSW ’24DSW shares how the vitality of nature can be combined with social work and social justice, with a positive impact on humans and the planet.
An Advocate for Women and Children
Esta Soler ’68, ’06HD is the President of Futures Without Violence (FUTURES). Based in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C., this nonprofit organization aims to prevent violence against women and families.
Gregory Maguire ’78MA Defying Gravity
Gregory Maguire '78MA, best-selling author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, reflects on his time as one of the first graduates of the Master of Arts in Children’s Literature program at Simmons, now celebrating its 50th anniversary.