How important is it to employers which University you study at?
I have applied to 3. Two are ranked higher but are further away from home. The nearest one is ranked lower.
I do not want to jeapordise my future career prospects by accepting a place at a lesser ranked university despite the fact I will encounter more financial hardship through travel costs and longer days.
I have done all my homework on the individual Uni's and been to the Open days etc.
Any thoughts?
H
Hi,
I had this dilemma earlier this year when I had two offers on the MSW course and also wondered whether the rankings would make much difference to potential employers. I had some contact with a Team manager in a Social Work (Community Care Team) and asked whether this would make any difference, if they were considering candidates from two universities with different rankings. The Team Manager replied that it did not make a difference and that they would not necessarily know at interview stage where the qualification was obtained. He advised that experience was more important from his point of view.
I just weighed up the pros and cons with each university and chose my place of study based on what my needs were and which one suited me best, for various reasons.
Good luck
Thanks so much. That is good to know. Puts my mind at rest.
Hi klumpster,
Just wanted to echo Spin1's post and say that most employers don't care what uni you went to or whether you're a Masters or Bachelors student. The borough I now work for weren't even that fussed when I considered quitting my Masters midway through my dissertation and qualifying on a PGDip once they'd given me a job offer lol (I didn't in the end). Their main concerns will be whether you're qualified, registered and what your placement experiences were like and how you can relate them to the job you will be doing.
I would suggest, therefore, that you (or any other prospective students with the same dilemma) work out what university is best for you to study social work. Is there any area of the country you really want to live in or really don't want to live in? Do you want to live at home or move out? What are placement opportunities like at particular universities - do they offer a guaranteed statutory placement? do they have a good record of getting students' placements started on time? will they offer a placement in your field of interest in the final year? What modules are available - do you have any optional modules to pick from? are there any particularly renowned lecturers? can you opt to specialise in children and families social work or adults social work, or will all of your training be generic? What do past and present students think about the course - how it's assessed, how much support is given, the placements they've had? Ask questions on here or on other student forums, but be sure to thread search first as someone might have gotten in before you! You say you've already been to your open days and researched so the above might not apply to you, sorry if it's slightly patronising waffle!
JB1
Hello Jellybean
Thanks, no not patronising. I will check re placement relevance as I think this will be the most important aspect for me.