Michelle Reaves. Photo courtesy of the Democrat and Chronicle.

Social work is  a fast growing career, but social worker Michelle Reaves said a supervisor early in her career advised her to stay fresh in order to thrive in the profession.

Reaves, 51, is a social worker and a case work trainer for the Monroe County Department of Human Services. During her 25-year career she has worked with abused and neglected children, juvenile delinquents, adult victims of domestic violence and senior citizens.

“She said I needed to take a look at doing something differently every five or six years, to always make sure that I’m helping everyone to the fullest,” Reaves said in this article in New York’s Democrat and Chronicle.

The New York Labor Department said the number of social work jobs is expected to grow by 11.4 percent in west-central upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region between 2008 and 2018, with 60 openings each year.

Nationally the number of social work jobs is expected to grow by  25 percent from 2010 to 2020, especially in healthcare and social services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

To learn more about the social work force visit the National Association of Social Workers’ Center for Workforce Studies. You can also search for job openings through NASW’s JobLink.