Social Workers need great resumes to improve their chances of being invited to an interview. Image source: msw.usc.edu
This article provides useful tips to writing effective resume for the job of social worker, including how to complete the objective statement and other sections of the resume.
It also provides a social worker resume example that can be used as template in making resumes for the post.
Read on:
Are you looking for a job as a social worker? If your answer is yes, then you will need to have a resume ready. A resume is an important document you will need to write yourself or have a professional writer to prepare it for you if you are seeking a new job.
To write a resume for yourself is not so difficult, in fact, by following the tips we share here, you should be able to write a good resume that can get you an interview with prospective employers.
We shall be using a resume format that is composed of the Objective Statement, Core Competence, Work Experience, and the Educational Qualification sections.
There are several formats you can decide to use, no one is better than the other, what makes the difference is how well you complete the sections they contain, and for the resume to show the employer how experienced you are as a social worker, and how much commitment you plan to show if given the employment.
The employer will be impressed if the resume you present is of high impact and it is attached with an equally convincing cover letter.
Now, let’s look at the different sections, starting with the Objective Statement:
The Social Worker Resume Objective Section
The employer sees the objective statement first when reading the resume. In this section, you are expected to state what job you are applying for and the reason for taking interest in it, and why you consider yourself the best candidate for the position.
In this section, you should emphasize how you can benefit and improve the establishment if employed.
First impression lasts longest; so they say. The objective statement will give the employer the first impression about you, and you just must make the best use of it to ensure you give a good first impression.
This part of the resume needs to be engaging. If not, the employer will not be encouraged to continue reading the rest of it, and the resume may be a “Dead on Arrival”.
Why should you be employed as a social worker? What makes you the best candidate for this job? How can you contribute to the growth and development of the organization? And what are the particular qualities and qualifications the employer is looking for? These are some of the issues you should consider when composing this section of the resume.
To write a compelling objective statement, you need to find out if the organization is facing one form of challenge or the other which they need a social worker to help solve.
Having found out the main concerns the organization is needing a social worker for, you should then go ahead to craft your objective statement to emphasize what makes you the best candidate to solve such challenges.
You do not need to consult the employer directly to know what they want; their expectations will be clearly laid out in the job advertisement, where they would publish the description for the job.
In the published social worker job description, the roles the individual is expected to perform will be laid out, including the major area of concern to the employer (which are usually stated in the summary section of the job description), and you can use such information to compose your objective statement.
Such objective statement will be highly compelling because it addresses the major desires of the employer, so they will want to read all of it.
Now, let’s see some examples of objective statements for a social worker resume that can get the employ to continue reading the rest of the document:
Examples of Objective Statements for Social Worker Resume:
Here are two examples of objective statements, which incorporate the “employer’s desires”, an important ingredient that makes the objective statement effective.
Looking for the position of Medical Social Worker in ABC Healthcare for All Inc., bringing 3 years experience providing psychosocial assessment to patients on dialysis treatment.
Looking to be part of a dynamic team in a medical setting as a Social Worker, where I can utilize exceptional knowledge of community resources employed in discharge planning and hospital operations in carrying out effective coordination and implementation of post-discharge plans.
The objective section done, now we go to the next:
Core Competence Section
In this section, you should highlight the experience, abilities, knowledge, talent, and skills that show your competence as a social worker, and which are important to the employer.
For example:
Strong knowledge of community resources, which are used in hospital operations and discharge planning
Excellent presentation and communication skills, as well as computer skills
Strong knowledge of Medicare/Medicaid programs and third party payment systems
Exceptional ability to set priorities, multi-task, and maintain organization
The stated qualities above show that the individual will be able to perform effectively as a social worker and will most likely be given an opportunity to prove themselves in an interview.
The next section of the resume is the professional experience:
Work Experience
In this part of the resume, you should state your work history or professional experience. Any responsibility and duty you have performed in the past or currently performing as a social worker or related positions should be presented here.
The information provided in this section tells the employer how well grounded you are, and also how well prepared you are to take on the job.
The position you held in the past should be presented with past tense, while the ones you are presently holding should be presented in present tense.
And here is the last section:
Professional Qualification
Your educational qualifications should be presented here, same for any training program you have undergone that is relevant to social work.
Social Worker Resumes Example/Sample/Template
With reference to the tips discussed above on how to write a resume for social worker role, we are going to present a resume example below, which you can use as a template in making your own.
……………………..
Anthony Whitestone Saltville Street• Tucson, California• 421E7• Home: (206)857-5759•whitestonetony@socialworkerresume.com
OBJECTIVE: Seeking to work with ABC Care for All Team, bringing 3 years of working experience in serving the homeless and disadvantaged adults and youth, special needs individuals, and emancipated youths.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
Special ability at case management
Complete dedication to the needs of clients, resulting in recurrent work place promotions
Ability to care for clients’ needs, resulting in 100% of the clients being eligible for social amenities like housing
Ability to impact positive change in the lives of individuals
Ability to develop proposals and also deliver winsome presentations for grants aiding in care for the less privileged
Ability to create and introduce new ideas towards improving service delivery
WORK EXPERIENCE
UVW Home for Homeless Inc, San Diego, California.
Service Coordinator 2013 till present
Liaise with a number of interdisciplinary teams to develop helpful case plans that meet clients’ needs adequately
Ensure connectivity and high level of agreement between clients’ families, staff members, and the community
Establish service supporting client’s families to properly address all concerns relating to their needs
Ensure regular visit to homes of clients for counseling and support
Launch services, like current event discussion, holiday celebrations, and Circle Programs to bring clients together
EDUCATION AND CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Louisville High School, San Diego, California, Diploma, 2005
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, Bachelor’s degree in Social Works, 2010
San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, Masters of Social Work (MSW). 2011
Action Organization, San Francisco, California, Intern in Behaviors Therapy & Learning center. 2012
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