A career in social work is undoubtedly one of the most fulfilling paths one can take, as it involves a wide range of roles helping individuals, families, and whole communities of people in their time of need. It also often involves heavy caseloads and a need to manage priorities and work-life balance well.
For that reason, a great deal of the training given to social workers focuses not just on their professional abilities, but also their personal development. It is one of the careers that places a high value on soft skills, not just technical prowess.
In addition, when training to be a social worker, one needs to become competent and confident in different organizational skills which they would then apply in micro, macro, and mezzo social work situations.
What does that mean?
The diverse nature of social work
As background to explaining the concept of micro, macro, and mezzo social work, it is important to point out this is a substantial area of employment in the US, and in fact globally. It is a career involving many different types of organizations and private companies, that need social workers to do a wide range of social care tasks.
One only has to look at a list of the broad categories within social work to appreciate that they could find themselves working with individuals or families from any part of society. The work can involve being based in a school, hospital, clinic, elderly care center, mental health facility, rehabilitation center, private practice, or a social work agency. Social workers could also specialize in social care within prisons or the military, for instance.
Such is the demand for social workers to help people through a crisis or issue in their life, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the number of vacancies will rise by an impressive 7% in the 10 years to 2032. Truly a growing employment sector, and certainly one that offers a great many opportunities to specialize.
Understanding working systems
The diversity of social work — and the multifaceted demand for new recruits — explains why broad learning is so important, especially a social work qualification program that supports both professional and personal development.
That has to include the sort of high-quality leadership and organizational abilities one gains from an online Master of Social Work degree from Keuka College. Students are also able to build versatile social work knowledge and valuable experience, which will lead to a much smoother transition into a post as a social worker.
One of the things social workers in training will certainly need to appreciate quickly is the advantages and limitations of micro, macro, and mezzo social work.
These terms of reference denote the focus of a social worker’s tasks. Having a clear view of the differences will help one choose which job posts most suit their particular personality and experiences, but also their preferences.
Knowing the difference will also frame working days, so social workers know what their overarching goals are and the sort of aims and objectives that will shape their working day.
Micro
Micro social work is when a post involves helping families and individuals to move forward in a meaningful way. So, this could be helping them to rebuild relationships, or recover from substance misuse, divorce, or a mental health issue for example.
It is a deeply personal type of social work. A social worker has to build a meaningful relationship with people, show a great deal of empathy, and establish trust with their guidance. They also have to work well with other agencies and social care providers, to find the best outcomes for people in their caseload.
Mezzo
A job role in mezzo social work has wider-ranging tasks and goals. For instance, a social worker could be supporting a whole community, a school, or a healthcare facility, with a varied and ever-changing range of tasks. This may require that they identify common difficulties and find solutions that benefit multiple clients.
Interestingly though, some days doing mezzo social work could also involve micro social work. For instance, a patient with long-term care needs following a substantial injury may need a social worker to build a relationship with them, to support their transition out of a rehabilitation setting.
Macro
Macro social work is the category where leadership skills and experience may be most relied on. This term indicates that the social worker is involved in management within a large organization or has an influential role in developing policies or bringing about professional change and improvement.
If engaged in macro social work, one is creating the framework, policies, and procedures that micro and mezzo employees will follow in their roles.
Clearly, a well-qualified and ambitious social worker does not have to spend their entire career within one of these groupings. There is no reason why someone doing micro social work for some years should not use that valuable experience to then influence community social care or even institutional and legislative transformations.
Getting first or future jobs
Having a good grasp of the different work demands and systems could well help social workers very early in their careers.
During a job interview, employers look for recruits who can ‘hit the ground running’ following their induction. Even if this is a social worker’s first post after qualifying in social work, their knowledge of the realities of their daily routine and goals could impress an employer. That is just one of the career guidance facts that not everyone understands.
However, whichever category of social work one decides to pursue in their career, the basic attributes they need remain unchanged. Whether it is one person or a whole professional trend they are influencing, they must fully appreciate the lasting and important contribution they are making.
Social workers will also need to show emotional intelligence and understanding, and a strong commitment to finding positive solutions, whichever social work path they travel down.
