Social Worker Resume Examples

Social Worker Resume Skills List

The competencies expected of a Social Worker skills list will vary based on the requirements of the job. You will notice that in our Social Worker resume sample, we did our best to differentiate the set of responsibilities that Elizabeth handled throughout her career.

Make sure you read the job posting carefully and focus on the qualifications listed by the employer. Skip any credential or ability that is not related to social work because the recruiter will only pay attention to applicable skills.

Educational Attainment

You have to be a degree holder to become a Social Worker. Make sure that you take up your Bachelor’s Degree in Social work in a CSWE accredited school. Some states will require you to obtain a professional license before you can practice. A Master’s Degree in Social Work is required for those who wish to move on to managerial or supervisory level.

Certification

Continuing education is the best way to stay up to date on the best practices in your chosen career. Certifications in special areas of Social Work will help you advance in your career. Most programs require that you complete a fixed number of work hours before you can take the course. If you are aiming for advancement or a specialized area of Social Work make sure to get the appropriate Certifications before applying.

Additional Skills

You will be able to differentiate yourself from a similarly qualified applicant when you include your special skills in your resume.For example, social workers are assigned to field duties and in some cases, use their own cars to make home visits. It would be advantageous for you to have a valid driver’s license. Language skills are also important in this line of work and will earn you plus points from the organization. Chances are you will be working with people of different nationalities.

Administrative Skills

Social workers always perform different types of administrative tasks such as extensive documentation, recording case files and preparing tons of reports. Use your hands on experience to demonstrate your ability to organize, multitask, collaborate with other members and solve problems. This will show that you are reliable to cover such tasks since you have done them repeatedly over the years.

People Skills

Social work is extremely stressful and demanding so you have to be resilient. You are expected to work well with little supervision and maintain your morale despite challenging circumstances. There will be highly emotional situations like entering the home of a violent or repeatedly abusive person. Can you maintain your composure and work under those conditions? Employers seek people with above par people skills so include them in your resume.

Social Worker Resume Objective

The resume objective for a Social Worker must be able to elicit interest and a good first impression. Remember that the hiring manager goes through a large volume of resumes for social workers, use the resume objective to bring your qualifications front and center.

Here is a simple formula for writing your objective statement:

• Start out with valuable soft skills. You are working closely with people; most of whom you haven’t met. Having strong people skills are paramount for social workers. Good choices are compassionate, resilient or dedicated.
• Qualify yourself. Are you licensed or certified? Let the Hiring Manager know right away.
• Highlight your experience or tenure. It takes time to develop effective social communication skills.
• Tell them what you want.

Review our Social Worker resume objective for Elizabeth. This formula was applied brilliantly and to great effect!

Be clear about your intention and give the prospective employer a reason to give you a more thorough look. The last thing you want is to confuse the organization because it will result to rejection.

Social Worker Resume Format

A common misconception is that anybody can be a Social Worker. Nothing could be further from the truth! The objective is to drive home the message that you are the most qualified and the recruiter no longer needs to look further than your application. This is why we recommend the combination for your Social Worker resume format.

The combination format gives you the ability to be flexible when it comes to showcasing your qualifications. In our sample resume for social worker, we structured Elizabeth’s in this manner:

• Contact Information
• Resume Objective
• Skills
• Certifications
• Education
• Work Experience
• Personal Information

As a social worker, your assignments might be contractual or limited in tenure. It is easy to have gaps in your work history. The combination is a great way to downplay the gaps while highlighting your strengths and competencies.

Entry Level Social Worker Resume

Many states strictly require licensure to be eligible for social work so it would be quite difficult to gain entry immediately after graduation. However, there are options for those who want to gain experience as they work on obtaining their license or master’s degree.

Here are the entry level positions for consideration:

• Group Home Worker – The job is focused on assisting people residing in group homes. Counselling, daily interactions and arranging transportation for the residents are some of the tasks involved. The goal here is to help individuals develop life skills to help them live independently.
• Substance Abuse Counselor- It is your duty to support client/s who are struggling with their addiction and rehabilitation therapy. You will also work with their families to help them cope with stress and challenges of having a loved one suffering from addiction.
• Mental Health Social Worker – Your role will be to provide guidance and therapy to individuals with mental illness such as personality disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. The main goal here is to empower these individuals so they can get back on their feet again and lead fulfilling lives.

Social Worker Resume Writing Tips

Many applicants who are highly qualified do not make it past the first stage because of poorly written resumes. It will not matter how many Social Worker resume examples you go through. You should do your best to convince the recruiter beyond doubt that you are the best candidate for the job.

Keep it targeted to the job position. Remember that you are responding to a job post so your objective, skills, education and work experience should match the requirements of the employer.

Don’t scrimp on the details but at the same time make it an easy read for the recruiter by organizing information using bullet points. If your experiences require a second page, go for it! This could be your first and only contact with the Hiring Manager.

If you have limited work experience, realign your resume’s focus and highlight your achievements in school, people skills and volunteer work instead. Finally, avoid resume padding in order to impress. Dishonesty is inexcusable.