Congratulations! You’ve chosen a field in which you help others. Social work also offers many career paths and options. As you prepare for your next steps, you can ensure you have the best chance to reach your career goals by first focusing on developing an impressive social worker resume.
Your social worker resume is the key to unlocking opportunity — if you know how to make the most of it. You have the skills, experience, and education. Resume.io has the library of 350+ resume examples, expertly designed and HR-tested resume layouts, and this guide to help you portray yourself in the best light. We’ll cover these topics:
In this helping profession, you can choose many different areas on which to focus. The demand for your services is growing. Many positions require you to be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) or have a master’s degree in social work (MSW). There are more than 713,000 social workers employed in the United States today. That number is expected to grow 13% to nearly 804,000 — much faster than the average career — by 2029, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts.
Social work is a broad field and some areas will grow faster than others. The University of South Carolina School of Social Work says substance use and recovery treatment, mental health, and marriage and family counseling social are the biggest social work growth areas. Social workers do their jobs in many different environments, including:
Social workers also take on many different roles. They:
Social work practices also differ in scope, according to the National Association of Social Workers. Micro-practices focus on helping individuals cope with daily life and their problems. Mezzo-practices support multiple individuals within a social system such as a family, and macro-practices focus on the interactions between the systems in which the client functions and larger societal systems.
Get inspired by these other resumes examples from the same social work field:
The median pay for all social workers in 2021 was $50,390, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest-paying social work jobs included roles in the sectors of healthcare and local government. In 2021 the top 10% of social workers earned more than $82,840 per annum.
The first step in writing your social work resume is understanding what sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:
Because the social work field is so broad, you will have to pay close attention to individualizing your resume for each job listing. Investigate everything you can about the job you are applying for: the place and the people. Especially try to put a name and a face to the hiring manager, and whoever will be your boss if it’s not the same person.
Write your resume as if you are answering interview questions that haven’t been asked yet. Who knows? It could open the door to an actual interview that finds you steps ahead of other candidates.
If you decide to open a private practice instead of joining a larger organization, a resume is still in your best interest. You will have to present your credentials and experience to your potential clients. Having an excellent resume will give you a boost.
Recruiters and employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) as a tool to track applicants and eliminate “bad” resumes. ATS software algorithms scan resumes for keywords, phrases and other information important to employers. A ranking is issued to each resume, and if yours misses the mark, it will never be seen by a person. There are more than 100 ATS software options on the market, so there is no single magic bullet for ensuring success, but there are several hacks that can help you.
How do you know your resume is being handled by an ATS? If you’re applying through an online system, it’s a virtual guarantee. Alternatively, the employer’s website (or the ATS firm’s website) may have a transparent indication. In some cases, however, there are no clear clues, so just be extra careful anyway. This hints will help:
Some ATS are sensitive to the sequence of information. They may prefer that you list the company name, the city and state of the company, your job title, and dates you have worked there. Although not all ATS software needs that sequence to parse your information, it is best to keep the order and organization of information consistent.
The most commonly used chronological resume works well for job seekers in almost any occupation, including within a social worker resume, particularly if their work history has followed a linear path in a series of employee positions that show a pattern of career growth.
In that resume section, progressive job experience and accomplishments are organized by employer / workplace in reverse order from most recent to earliest dates. It would likely be a good fit for most social worker job applicants who already have experience in the same field.
Alternative resume formats are sometimes appropriate for those new to the workforce or changing careers, or those with a more varied occupational background. That includes some self-employed professionals with a project-based background well suited to a functional resume format. Other functional resumes emphasize specialized skills or areas of professional or clinical expertise, rather than work history. Social workers in private practice might wish to emphasize a specific aspect of their background or client demographic on a functional resume. In some instances, a hybrid (combination) work history makes sense in adapting chronological and functional elements
The summary of your social worker resume may be the first thing that any hiring manager will read because it sits atop your document. This should be a short and to the point description of your career and how you approach working with clients.
Remember to include keywords highlighting your most relevant or impressive qualities and professional accomplishments. The idea is to hook in the hiring manager and convince them to continue reading.
Dedicated Social Worker with over 10 years of experience providing support to elementary-aged children. Proven track record of working with students, families, and school administration within a variety of settings. Adept in conflict resolution, safe physical management, and counseling methods. Strong understanding of at-risk and special education students. Experienced in managing caseloads in an efficient and effective manner while utilizing exceptional time management skills to successfully advocate for clients.
Even if you are searching for your first job, you have internship experience that counts here. The employment history section of your social worker resume tells the story of your professional growth from your internship on and offers examples that show you are ready for the next step.
Think about your first job or internship and what you did there. Then show a pattern of increased skill, responsibility, or the variety of clientele you served.
The availability of social workers varies greatly among states and regions. Social work demand is expected to be highest in Oregon, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Alaska, and California, according to Spring Arbor University.
Use strong action verbs as you describe your achievements, successes, and the challenges you have overcome in each job. Do not simply list responsibilities but explain how you used your skills to do a great job. Be as detailed as possible and include data wherever it is relevant. Human resources personnel want to be able to easily tell what you achieved.
Here are a few questions to get you thinking:
If you are applying the most common chronological resume structure, list your jobs in reverse chronological order with your current position first. As always, match your descriptions to the keywords and phrases in the job listing.
Social Worker at Radnor Township School District, Philadelphia
September 2012 - Present
Social Worker at Springfield School District, Philadelphia
September 2008 — February 2012
Social Worker at Brookline Public Schools, Boston
March 2005 - August 2008
The skills listed on your social worker resume make it easy for human resources to scan the document and readily discover your talents. Social workers need emotional intelligence, but that category encompasses a broad range of skills. How should you go about breaking it down?
According to DataUSA, 81% percent of social workers are women.
First, brainstorm a master list of all your job skills, professional personality traits, achievements, and successes. Don’t limit it to the ones you think are relevant or only the ones in which you have expertise. Everything counts here because you are the only one who will see it. You will mine this list as you prepare your skills section as well as your employment history. Keep the list and add to it as your professional experience grows.
Second, consider these 10 essential skills and traits of successful social workers from the University of Buffalo School of Social Work. Think about listing some of them in your skills section, and also elaborating on them in your employment history. They are:
Most of these skills are soft skills, or the abilities necessary to deal with people and groups. Don’t discount hard skills, however. Social workers need some technological knowledge for tracking clients, workload, and conducting video sessions. They may be expected to bill their clients or fill out financial paperwork for organizations that offer sliding-scale fees.
Third, consider the job setting. For instance, medical social workers may be collecting and analyzing patient information, helping patients understand medical terminology, or coordinating care among medical professionals.
Finally, for your skills section, choose your top five to 10 competencies, making sure they are aligned with the job description. Look back at your master list every time you revise this for a new job to refresh your memory and pick the most relevant skills to get you past the ATS.
It is possible to become a social worker with a bachelor’s degree in the field. However, many states require social workers to earn a master’s in social work (MSW) and go on to licensure so list all these accomplishments in the education section of your social worker resume.
In some cases, such as healthcare social work, employees must have an MSW. In addition to college, social workers are required to participate in continuing education courses. No matter what type or level of degree you have, include it here. Begin with your MSW, if you have one, and work your way back. If you do have a master’s, drop your high school diploma from your resume.
Half of social workers have bachelor’s degrees in social work, psychology, or sociology. Forty-five percent of all social workers have an MSW, according to Profile of the Social Work Workforce.
You may also have certification as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) or as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). Each state’s licensing procedure is different, but you will need an MSW for either one. To earn an LCSW, you must have some level of experience as well. Also consider including any professional development certificates you have earned, especially if they add a new skill to your repertoire.
If you are licensed and are active in professional organizations, you may want to add a Licensure and Professional Activities heading for these listings.
Master of Social Work, Smith College, Northampton
August 2008 - May 2010
Bachelor of Sociology, SUNY Albany, Albany
August 2004 - May 2008
The rule of thumb here is to keep your design from getting in the way of your information. Neatness and legibility are the buzzwords for your social worker resume. The first visual impression you give will last, so make it a good one.
Recruiters see dozens of resumes for each position, so don’t give them a reason to eliminate yours. The best designs contain these elements:
They avoid:
Always save your resume as a PDF file. Our intuitive resume builder prompts you to do just that to avoid formatting glitches that can occur with different word processing software. When that's done, double-check to make sure alignment, lists and spacing have remained consistent.
Some specific online application systems require you to upload a Word file and may not even accept PDF files. But in all other cases, avoid Word or other text-editor formats whenever possible when saving the final version of your resume, They tend to be “buggy” in terms of formatting and design.
If you want to spend your time on content and not design, Resume.io has you covered. Consider checking out our expertly designed resume templates.
After following the tips in this guide, you will be on your way to securing your dream job as a social worker!