Thrown into the Water: Early-career Social Workers’ Job Challenges and Time Management Coping Strategies

The present study examined the early-career experiences of Israeli social workers in their first years in the profession. The study also sought to examine the participants’ coping with the challenges posed by entering social work. Using a qualitative methodology, two focus groups of eleven social workers with eighteen months of work experience were conducted. The participants were asked about their professional role and workplace experiences. The findings pointed to two main challenges: stress and emotional overload, and dissatisfaction with organisational and employment conditions. The participants felt that social work education had not prepared them adequately for the complex reality of their practice. At the same time, they also described coping strategies related to time management. The implications discussed include requisite preparations of social work education and employing organisations to support early-career social workers.