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I think because you already have a bachelor's, experience is more important.

I think the answer is both...but then again my experience is in the business world so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Can you do both, volunteer and begin your masters, part time?

I think it depends on the job you want. Will you be happy working at the level that a bachelor's will allow you to?

Or will you be looking to work in a job where it will be necessary to have your MSW and/or be a licensed clinical social worker?

You might also want to keep in mind, that you could end up doing both. I know a lot of people who start working before they get their MSW and then have a hard time fitting in the internship hours it requires. If you're open to volunteering, it could become part of earning your degree.

I would start looking at job postings and see what qualifications are required. Some may really required the masters and others not. I think thats your deciding factor.

Oh man, kind of impossible to say. Will the position you want require a masters? Would you be likely to be competing against people who are all likely to already hold a masters? Is there any additional teaching certification you could get that would be like mid-way between what you have and a masters? (Like, I'm thinking continuing education, etc. that you might have access to that others wouldn't).

Generally, I think it’s education that gets your foot in the door; but, I’m sure this varies too. Ideally, I would say to try to do both, even if that means just 1 class a semester, so you can honestly say you are working towards your masters.

I voted experience, you can always add the masters on! (Never too late.) With experience you are directly there and you'll also gain insight into whether you like/dislike the field.

There are companies that will pay for your education. So you could potentially get an entry level position and have them pay for your masters to be eligible for a promotion. Of course that would require working and being in school at the same time.

@Mrs. Lion: I have my MSW and would be happy to chat more about the different types of things you can do with and without a masters. I work in early childhood mental health and we work closely with the child welfare system. Wall me if you want to chat more.

With a BA in education you could be hired for our case management staff without additional experience.

@Mrs. Lion: California

@Mrs. Lion: is there a certificate like this that you could get without the full masters? If so, I say go for that. If not, I say experience.

I have spent my career (except for my first year out of undergrad) in the nonprofit field. However, I am not a social worker. I have found in multiple interviews that people care much more about my experience than my academic credentials.

Agree with the suggestions to talk to people at the organizations you want to work for. You can probably find an appropriate contact on their website or by calling, and see if you can take this person to lunch or coffee to learn more about their career path and what they're looking for.

In my industry, BS degree is usually the minimum but having experience gave me the edge above the rest to get my foot in the door. Now, that I'm here, that is when you can get your masters... And my company will pay for it.

But if you want to get a Phd, you can definitely do that and get into my field.

For me, my undergrad research and the internships put me a step above others that just had BS degree.

@Mrs. Lion: just to speak to the question of having an employer pay for your degree, in my experience non profits do not typically have the funds for this. In my state you can only get a MSW paid for by the state child welfare agency in exchange for working for them for several years. It is also difficult to find paid internships outside of government agencies like CPS or the VA.

I think it depends in the profession. In my profession a masters is just a piece of paper. Everything is theoretical and they do nothing to prepare you for on the job knowledge. Someone 25 coming out with a masters degree versus someone who's been working for 3 years, likely the one with experience will get hired. And be better at the job.

But I think in your profession, a masters makes a lot of sense.

@Mrs. Lion: I just thought of something else...are you on Linkedin? I think sometimes, it's useful to look up people that you know in the field to see their resumes. Gives me a lot of insight.

I think grant writing is a key skill for a lot of non-profit jobs - if there is a way to learn more about that through volunteering and doing it or through a certificate program, I would look to get that experience.
Also - I am not sure if you considered it but joining and volunteering with the JLR is a great opportunity to volunteer, connect locally, and develop the skills for your next career.

@Mrs. Lion: So in my field it wouldn't matter if it was volunteer or paid. As long as the actual tasks were work-related.

@Mrs. Lion: I don't have experience in this field, but it kind of sounds like you can at least get your foot in the door by experience, and then you can decide whether or not you want to pursue more schooling.