The diverse profession-specific challenges faced in Social Work are affected by societal trends on the macro level. When working with vulnerable groups, changes and gaps in a society’s safety net become apparent very quickly and directly.

Both as a profession and a discipline, Social Work acts in an illustrating and balancing capacity on behalf of social peace and human rights. This means a great burden because efforts for visible results are often a long time coming or fail outright, particularly on the macro level.

On the micro and meso levels, professionals are also challenged to contribute a high degree of (self-)reflectivity and resilience. For quite some time now, these challenges have been exacerbated by a lack of specialists.

Nevertheless, many people decide to pursue a career in this field. Studies show that “meaningful” activities are on the rise when it comes to vocational choices (of both career starters and career changers). What is deemed “meaningful”, however, depends on many factors. Another reason is the certainty of finding a job. At the same time, life situations are becoming more diverse, and the wish for individualization in private and professional life is increasing along with the demand for more flexible and needs-oriented working conditions.

High application numbers for study programs in Social Work in Austria are proof of a strong interest in this field that has been unbroken for many years. In this context, the relevance of a close relationship and communication between actors in training institutions and providers of practical training as potential employers comes to the fore. The objective of this teaching/research project is to examine offers by training institutions and workplaces with regard to the needs of today’s career starters and changers as well as recommendations for adjustments that can be made on the micro, meso, and macro levels.