Key Steps to Building Confidence as a New Social Worker

by Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW

     As a new social worker, do you ever feel insecure in your role? Have you wanted to contribute to discussions in meetings, but thought you would sound unprofessional? Are there times you wanted to ask questions, but you did not know who or how to ask? If so, you are certainly not alone.

     I remember my first social work position after attaining an undergraduate degree. I was fresh out of college, excited, nervous, and ready for the opportunity to be a case manager for Northern Chester County in Pennsylvania. According to the job description, there were several tasks to fulfill, including conducting home visits, attending treatment team meetings, and more.

     I enjoyed the many opportunities to provide services to community members and engage with experts across professions. Further, as the newest employee at the agency, I also experienced feelings of low confidence when attending meetings with those who carried vast knowledge about services, diagnoses, medications, and other systemic processes. Soon enough, I realized to properly fulfill my role and provide strong services, I would need to be intentional about building confidence in the workplace. Here are a few steps I took as a new social worker.

Take Inventory

     To build confidence, begin by taking inventory of the knowledge and skills you would like to enhance or develop. For example, have you ever sat in a meeting and felt lost, uncertain about terminology, or unfamiliar with referral resources in the community? If so, these are the types of experiences that you should document. Take inventory about “when” you have felt lost or insecure, factors that contribute to feelings of insecurity, and the types of information or skills that would help to enhance your confidence. In other words, assess the gaps in your knowledge and skills. Consider this: In what areas have you found yourself lacking confidence? Is it:

  • coordinating services?
  • developing treatment plans?
  • writing progress notes?
  • using professional terminology?
  • realizing the role of policy?
  • understanding diagnoses and medications?

     During the process of determining the areas where you would like to enhance your knowledge and skills, maintain a notebook to record your observations, and enhance your self-awareness.

Develop Goals

     Next, put the results of your observations into action by developing goals. For example, if you observed a lack of confidence in writing progress notes, you may develop a goal such as: To enhance my knowledge about progress note writing. After reframing your observation into a goal, identify specific action steps that will move you toward goal attainment. For example, I will meet with colleagues twice per month to review their progress notes and discuss key information to include.

Implement Your Learning

     At the next opportunity, implement your learning. For example, imagine you find that you lack confidence during meetings. As a result, you abstain from contributing to the discussions. This was an area where I lacked confidence. Therefore, I set a goal to increase my ability to contribute purposeful information during meetings. Then, I engaged in action steps, including participating in one-to-one meetings with the psychiatrist, who explained the various psychotropic medications and the relation to specific diagnoses. I also visited various agencies throughout the community to enhance my knowledge about referral resources available.

     Prior to the next meeting, I would review the agenda, which consisted of topics to be discussed. Then, I identified areas where I could contribute to the discussions and made notes about information I would share.

     To build confidence, take an inventory, reframe your observations into goals and action steps, and implement your learning. Your degree program provided you with a foundation, and your résumé communicated knowledge and skills that were in alignment with the required qualifications for the position. As a result, those on the hiring team believed you had the skills necessary to fulfill the job responsibilities. Overall, when experiencing feelings of insecurity, remember why you were hired and the many ways you add value to the workplace.

Dr. Veronica L. Hardy, LCSW, is a Professor of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Dr. Hardy is a social justice advocate, professional consultant, author, and mentor to new social workers and junior faculty members. She is the creator of The Social Work Lounge, a mentorship group facilitated via Facebook.