1.

When one hears about a social work vacancy in a public, merit system agency, it is important to make application promptly.


FALSE


One should apply for merit system positions as soon as one graduates. When vacancies arise for which you qualify, your name will be referred for consideration. If you wait for a vacancy to apply, you may be too late.




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2.

Research shows that the clothing one wears for an employment interview makes little or no difference in whether or not one is offered the job.


FALSE


Most experts on employment believe that oneีs appearance is a major factor in the success or failure of an employment interview.

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3.

Affirmative action rules have made it almost impossible for white male social workers to find work.


FALSE


White male social workers probably have better opportunities for some kinds of work in social work than any other group. It is true that because so many social work clients are members of minority groups and women that there is a great need for social workers from those groups. However, there are also many social workers who are members of mies.

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4.

Most government social work jobs are covered by merit or civil service systems and are not subject to politics.


TRUE


Most social work jobs at the local, state, and federal levels are covered by civil service systems and filling them is not influenced by politics.

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5.

Networking is an important way for locating social work jobs.


TRUE


Social workers often find their jobs by working with and talking to others who know about jobs, rather than simply following newspaper ads or otherwise searching for work through formal channels. The informal social work networks are an important resource for those looking for employment.

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6.

Sometimes, the benefits available on a job are as important or even more important than the salary one is paid.


TRUE


Sometimes benefits such as retirement, health insurance, and other coverage are sufficiently generous to make up for a lower salary one might find in another job.

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7.

Equal opportunity and affirmative action programs do not necessarily guarantee that members of minority groups will be selected over non-minority applicants.


TRUE


Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action policies simply guarantee that people will be given fair consideration, regardless of their characteristics, and that if the organization is operating under affirmative action regulations, if there are equally qualified candidates and one is a minority, the minority person will be offered the job.

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8.

Equal opportunity and affirmative action programs are not only for members of minority groups. They also cover women, people with disabilities, and older people.


TRUE


Equal employment opportunities apply to all these groups in addition to members of ethnic and religious minorities.

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9.

A job applicant with a doctorate in social work would obviously be chosen over a candidate with a Bachelor of Social Work degree, even if the job requires the BSW and no additional education.


FALSE


Persons who fill jobs have to be selected on the basis of meeting the minimum requirements for that job. Those with higher than the minimum requirements are not necessarily selected over those who meet the basic qualifications.

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10.

Rules against nepotism are likely to prevent an employee in social work from hiring a relative, even if that relative is qualified for the job.


TRUE


Anti-nepotism rules are designed to prevent people form selecting their relatives for jobs.

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11.

In employment applications, bonus points may be given for those who are veterans, people who live in the county where the job is located, and in other circumstances, depending on the agency rules.


TRUE


Bonus points can be awarded under a variety of circumstances to those taking merit examinations under the laws of most states and the federal government.

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12.

The typical probation period in social work for those appointed to jobs is six months. The time can be extended, however, if the employer wants more time to evaluate the employee or if the employee needs more time to demonstrate his or her ability to perform the job.


TRUE


The typical probationary period is six months. But that period can be extended to a year and sometimes to a year and a half in many organizations.

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13.

A good source of information on jobs with state by state listings is NASW News, a national publication which comes out almost every month.


TRUE


NASW News runs a state by state listing of available jobs in each issue.

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14.

The Encyclopedia of Social Work is a good source of information about jobs?


TRUE


Although the Encyclopedia of Social Work does not provide specific information about jobs for which people can immediately apply, it has descriptions of almost every kind of agency setting, the kind of work done, and the kinds of qualification required for that work.

Always look for the most current edition of the Encyclopedia of Social Work, because social work changes frequently. The Encyclopedias are published every 5-10 years. They are also available in more up-to-date versions on CD-ROM.

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15.

When a potential employer tells an applicant that "this salary is absolutely the highest we can pay" it is worthwhile to ask the employer to reconsider and try to raise the salary.


FALSE


Generally, negotiations can go on until the employer says that the salary is as high as it can be. At that point, the applicant should give up any efforts to obtain a higher salary. The employer may decide to hire someone else who will be more satisfied with that salary.

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16.

A vested retirement plan is one that will allow the employee to retire, after reaching retirement age, even though he or she may have left employment with the organization many years before.


TRUE


Those who are vested in a retirement plan can benefit from it even after they leave the employment that provided the plan.

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17.

Retirement for most employees is only useful once they are no longer able or willing to work because of age.


FALSE


Retirement can also function as a savings account for employees of any age.

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18.

For job interviews, it is advisable for men to wear coats and ties and for women to wear dresses or skirts and blouses.


TRUE


Unless one knows a good bit about the organization, conventional dress of the kind described in this question is advisable. There are exceptions. The organization may prefer less formal dress or the job may be in an outdoor program, where business attire is inappropriate. But, in general, sport coats, slacks, and ties for men, and skirts and blouses or dresses for women are advisable.

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19.

The JOBS offices in most states do not list social work jobs or help people find them.


FALSE


The JOBS Office which is the state employment service name in many states, lists most social work jobs and is a good place to start a search for a position in social work.

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20.

Classified advertisements in local daily newspapers are one useful way to locate social work jobs.


TRUE


Many social agency jobs are advertised in local newspapers, although many are not. It is worthwhile to read classified advertisements. However, limiting one's job search to such advertisements can be a mistake.

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