How to Find Work in Social Planning

In our last post, we looked at a career in social planning, as well as a case study of how to go from a sociology degree to managing social planning projects. Today, we deep dive into the types of social planning roles available to sociologists, how to build experience, and how to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.

Career in social planning

Previously, we learned that social planning is the development of laws, policies, and programs to meet community needs and improve infrastructure, services, and social outcomes.

Sociological methods and theory are well placed in consulting with communities, as well as monitoring and evaluating the implementation of social planning projects.

Our case study last week showed the importance of quantitative research skills, as well as formal project management.

This week, we see how qualitative methods and other sociological training can lead to meaningful work.

Jobs for sociologists

Social planning roles are found across many industries, such as environment, urban planning, justice, health, local councils, and the community sector.

At the time of writing, there are 5,300 social planning jobs in Australia, which include sociological requirements, such as research. ¹

More specifically, three social planning jobs are hiring sociologists, and 14 jobs are focused primarily on social research. Other roles do not specify sociology, but the requirements are nevertheless well fulfilled by sociology graduates, as discussed further below.

Students

If you’re interested in moving into social planning but lack work experience, consider internships, graduate programs, and volunteering (click on our resources below).

Alternatively, consider upskilling through short courses on project management. Many universities offer free workshops and programs via their career development services and graduate programs. Otherwise, there are various fee-free courses via TAFE, which can also be completed remotely.

Graduates

Social planning jobs from early-career to executive levels often have a strong focus on project management. If you have undertaken a research project as an undergraduate student, or you have completed a thesis, you can focus your job application on your research methods.

• Highlight how you planned your data collection
• Name the software and analysis tools you have used. E.g. Detail how you used NVivo or Qualtrics to analyse datasets
• Demonstrate your time-planning experience. E.g. Discuss how you created project plans in Excel, or other planning tools, such as Microsoft Planner or Trello

To get an edge for early-career and mid-career roles, explore short courses online, such as PRINCE2 and Agile methodologies.

Social planning roles additionally emphasise consultation. Recent graduates or early-career researchers who have less industry experience, you might focus your job application on:

• How you designed participant matrices. E.g. Who you interviewed/ surveyed and why
• How you marketed your research study and how you recruited participants
• How you reported progress results to stakeholders, such as your supervisor, internal presentations at your university, or at academic conferences. E.g. Focus on potential risks and mitigation strategies
• Speak to ethics considerations. E.g. The ethics application process and how to protect vulnerable groups.

Examples of sociology roles

Further below are some example roles in social planning, available at time of writing. The specific positions may have closed by the time you read this, but you might use these roles and company types to search for similar roles in your country.

Table 1: Example jobs in social planning for sociologists

JOB TITLES	SOCIOLOGY SKILLS 2	JOB LEVEL 3	COMPANIES HIRING
Planning Intern various (Assistant Planner, Social Planning)	Support research tasks Review and monitor urban planning applications Assist in stakeholder management Assist in preparing sustainability strategies, reports and advice	Student	Urbis
Engagement and Social Planner	Social impact assessments Stakeholder engagement plans Community strategies Analyse social data Community consultation	Early-Career	ASR Recruitment (on behalf of a social planning consultancy)
Projects and Research Officer	Qualitative and quantitative analysis Stakeholder consultation	Early-Career	Public Skills Australia
Strategic Project Officer	Lead research ‘Prepare and implement strategic plans, guidelines, policies, and planning projects that meet community needs, examines the social impacts and enhances community’ Community and stakeholder engagement	Early-Career	Campaspe Shire Council
Social Policy & Advocacy Officer	Develop, monitor and analyse policies Undertake research including data collection, surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, social media trends Use systems thinking	Early-Career	Australian Association of Social Workers
Evaluation Officer	Policy advice Develop mixed-methods evaluation projects, including frameworks, ethics applications Quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments Evaluation reports	Early-Career	Department of Justice and Community Safety
Inclusion and Wellbeing Officer	‘Develop and implement strategic community plans, in disability access, public health, or social policy’ Comprehensive knowledge of legislation, frameworks, and trends	Early-Career	Adelaide Hills Council
Social Planning and Advocacy Officer – Health Development	Project management Evaluation of health initiatives Knowledge of social and community issues facing disadvantaged communities	Mid-Career	Fairfield City
Senior Social Planner	Social impact assessment Community consultation Liaise with clients	Mid-Career	Barr Planning
Senior Community Engagement Specialist	‘Community engagement with a focus on minimising impacts on community’ Understanding legal and regulatory obligations Provide advice on issues, community sentiment, and priorities	Senior	Western Power
Associate Director, Urban Planning	Technical knowledge and experience of state planning system (statutory and strategic)	Executive	Planned Resources

Resources

See our Careers in Applied Sociology series, for advice on how to search for jobs, how to write your CV and resume, and how to apply for a job.

Notes

1. These job roles appear in searches with the aforementioned keywords. The term ‘sociology’ may appear either in the text of the ad, or in the backend, where recruiters can specify keywords for candidates
2. Quotes in the ‘Sociology Skills’ column come directly from the job ad. By the time of publication, these roles may be closed.
3. Definitions of ‘Job Level’ as per stipulations in the job ad (e.g. required years of experience): Student – graduate or PhD opportunities, Early-Career – recent graduate with one to five years’ industry experience, Mid-Career – degree plus five to ten years’ industry experience, Senior – degree plus five to ten years’ experience managing projects, teams, stakeholders, programs, or services, Executive – degree plus ten to 15 years senior leadership of large business units, departments, or organisations (e.g. managing budgets, strategic policy, and governance).