I AM MY OWN CASE STUDY: Define social work career success on your own terms
- Social work students
- New social workers
- Experienced social workers
- Licensed social workers
- Unlicensed social workers
- Social work leaders
- Macro social workers
- Social work entrepreneurs
- Social work professors
- Environmental social worker
High-performing Women of Color in social work leadership.
Discover your niche, then own it!
Someone is waiting for you to master and monetize what you do well and love to do…and that person is YOU!
What are you waiting for?
Before you go back to solving other people’s problems, showering others with resources and encouragement, and advocating for others’ needs, put yourself at the top of your priority list and gift a new quality of life to yourself. It’s your time to thrive!
Prioritize yourself. Become your own case study.
I am my own case study, but I am great at what I do because I have also researched, coached, and interviewed social workers which strengthened my social work ideology and my beliefs about our career advancement opportunities and possibilities.
Nicki’s Social Work Ideology:
Belief 1: Graduating from an accredited school of social work makes one a social worker – not a test. The licensing exams only make one a licensed social worker. Yep, still willing to stand on that one!
Belief 2: All clinicians/therapists should be licensed to provide therapy. I’m not against licensing, I just don’t believe every social worker needs to be licensed. I also believe that providing clinical services is a different skill set and those who undertake it should be licensed and regulated.
Belief 3: Social work licensing should be the same across all 50 states and US territories. This not only makes it easier for social workers to work, it makes it easier to monitor the impact social workers are making overall.
Belief 4: BSW and LMSW licenses are gatekeeping, not title protection. These licenses are general and could maybe even be considered introductory. These exams are expensive and many new social work graduates are not earning a living wage right after school. I believe that one’s degree and an application are what should be required to begin the licensing process for higher-level licensing. See numbers 1 and 5.
Belief 5: Social workers deserve to be paid well for our education, experience, and expertise. This one needs no explanation but it needs our efforts and voices to change the narrative that social workers are only in this field for the outcome and not the income. We are professionals.
Fact: Social workers don’t take a vow of poverty and your social work skills are highly transferable, high-income skills.
Part of my mission as a social work leader and Social Work Career Empowerment Coach is to challenge the outdated, narrow view of social work.
If you are ready to develop and live by your own social work ideals and mission, let’s talk about how I can support you on your leadership journey.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, supports high-performing women of color in social work leadership in developing careers that feed their hearts, minds, and wallets. As Founder and CEO of Nicki Sanders Leadership Consulting, her mission is simple – to eliminate toxic workplaces by developing skilled, empathetic, and goal-oriented leaders who have the vision, support, and resources to create a culture where business prospers, and employees thrive individually and collectively. Nicki has an extensive background in nonprofit management leading high-functioning, multi-disciplinary teams, volunteer recruitment and retention, and social impact programming. She is an accomplished professor, coach, trainer, and group facilitator who has combined her gift for authentic relationships, Master of Social Work degree, and over 20 years of diverse work experience to create a life and career aligned with her values and purpose. Nicki is a lover of cupcakes, travel, and 80’s hip hop and R&B music.
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