Social Worker resume examples & templates

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. 

Social Worker resume examples by experience level

Entry-level

Mid-career

Senior-level

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Related Resume Examples

Youth Services Specialist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Youth Services Specialist as it highlights a robust educational background in Psychology and Criminal Justice, paired with over five years of hands-on experience in social services. The detailed account of previous roles showcases expertise in counseling, crisis intervention, and case management, making it highly relevant for positions focused on improving the well-being of youth and families. Additionally, the template emphasizes advanced interpersonal communication skills and a commitment to safeguarding America's youth, aligning perfectly with the responsibilities and values associated with the role.

Juvenile Counselor resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Juvenile Counselor role, showcasing a decade of dedicated experience in transforming juvenile offenders into productive citizens through personalized rehabilitation plans and effective mentoring. With a strong focus on integrity, safety, and mental health, the template highlights proven success in crisis intervention, vocational training, and collaborative teamwork, making it highly relevant for positions requiring expertise in counseling, mediation, and regulatory compliance.

Caregiver resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Home Health Caregiver role as it highlights a blend of compassionate care and extensive experience in providing optimal healthcare to individuals with diverse needs, including the elderly and those with disabilities. Featuring a clear layout that emphasizes relevant skills such as multitasking, physical endurance, and household management, it effectively showcases the candidate's ability to enhance the quality of life for patients through personalized care, medication administration, and daily assistance, making it highly relevant for employers seeking dedicated and skilled caregivers.

Nanny resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Nanny position, showcasing a decade of dedicated childcare experience with a focus on safety, reliability, and adaptability to individual family needs. Its clear layout emphasizes key skills such as excellent communication, multitasking, and organizational abilities, making it highly relevant for prospective employers seeking a compassionate and skilled caregiver who can seamlessly integrate into their household and provide exceptional care for children of various ages.

Child Psychologist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Child Psychologist role, as it effectively highlights the candidate's extensive clinical experience and specialized skills in assessing and diagnosing mental and behavioral disorders in children. With a clear emphasis on therapeutic interventions and parental support, the template is tailored to showcase the candidate's commitment to fostering healthier and happier lives for children, making it highly relevant for professionals seeking to make a meaningful impact in the field of child psychology.

Psychotherapist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Psychotherapist role, showcasing a wealth of clinical experience and a strong commitment to patient care. Its detailed layout highlights key competencies such as effective counseling skills and addiction counseling, making it highly relevant for positions requiring advanced therapeutic techniques and collaborative goal-setting with clients. The template's emphasis on professional development and educational background further underscores the candidate's expertise and dedication to mental health improvement.

Psychologist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Psychologist role, as it effectively highlights the candidate's extensive experience in innovative treatment and collaborative care, ensuring comprehensive patient support. The template's clear structure emphasizes key skills such as neurological assessments and cognitive behavioral therapy, making it highly relevant for positions requiring a deep understanding of psychological theory and practical application in diverse healthcare settings.

Case Manager resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Case Manager role as it highlights a robust blend of experience and skills tailored to the demands of the position. With a focus on client advocacy, coordination of care, and comprehensive treatment planning, the template effectively showcases the candidate's ability to manage complex cases and ensure quality patient care. The detailed work history, emphasizing mental health specialization and compliance with regulatory standards, underscores the candidate's commitment to privacy and well-being, making it highly relevant for roles that require meticulous documentation and crisis intervention.

Marriage and Family Therapist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Marriage and Family Therapist as it highlights extensive experience in both individual and family counseling, showcasing a proven track record in conflict resolution and trauma-based therapy. The detailed employment history emphasizes the candidate's ability to conduct thorough assessments and implement effective treatment plans, making it highly relevant for roles focused on nurturing successful relationships and addressing complex mental health issues.

Drug and Alcohol Counselor resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Drug and Alcohol Counselor role, showcasing extensive experience and a proven track record in managing large-scale treatment programs and developing personalized care plans, essential for addressing complex addiction issues effectively.
Highlighting over a decade of dedicated service in addiction counseling, this resume template emphasizes key skills such as effective communication and relationship building, crucial for fostering trust and collaboration with patients and their families in the recovery process.
Tailored for the Drug and Alcohol Counselor position, this resume template underscores the candidate's expertise in addiction therapy treatment and mental health knowledge, aligning perfectly with the role's requirements for creating impactful patient treatment plans and facilitating comprehensive recovery strategies.

Geriatric Social Worker resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Geriatric Social Worker as it effectively highlights key features such as extensive experience in advocating for elderly clients, proficiency in conflict resolution, and adeptness in managing large caseloads. The detailed work history emphasizes the candidate's ability to assess client needs, collaborate with families and medical professionals, and utilize community resources, making it highly relevant for roles focused on enhancing the well-being of the elderly. Additionally, the educational background and skills section underscore the candidate's commitment to ethical practice and knowledge of senior benefits, ensuring a comprehensive presentation tailored to the demands of geriatric social work.

Healthcare Social Worker resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Healthcare Social Worker role, as it effectively highlights a decade of experience in patient care and advocacy, emphasizing skills in conflict resolution and family counseling that are crucial for navigating complex healthcare scenarios. The detailed employment history showcases a proven track record of collaboration with medical staff and successful resource coordination, while the educational background and specialized skills such as crisis intervention and mental health assessments align perfectly with the demands of the healthcare social work field.

Behavioral Therapist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Behavioral Therapist role as it highlights a strong commitment to patient well-being and showcases extensive experience in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders through individualized programs. The detailed account of past roles, including the ability to analyze behavioral patterns and collaborate with families, underscores the candidate's proficiency in Applied Behavioral Science and advanced communication skills, making it highly relevant for positions focused on fostering positive change in patients' lives.

ABA Therapist resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for an ABA Therapist role as it highlights extensive experience in clinical settings, showcasing a strong foundation in evidence-based practices and skill acquisition strategies. The clear emphasis on relationship management and collaboration with parents, teachers, and clinicians underscores the candidate's ability to formulate effective behavioral strategies, making it highly relevant for roles focused on developmental and behavioral disorders.

Clinical Research Coordinator resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Clinical Research Coordinator role, showcasing a detail-oriented and resourceful candidate with extensive experience in managing clinical trials and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The template highlights key skills such as clinical trial coordination, regulatory compliance, and data management, making it highly relevant for employers seeking a candidate who can effectively oversee research projects and collaborate with internal departments to ensure smooth operations.

Counselor resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a Counselor role as it highlights key features such as extensive therapeutic experience, proficiency in developing personalized treatment plans, and expertise in various therapy modalities like CBT and DBT, which are crucial for addressing diverse mental health challenges. Its structured format effectively showcases the candidate's relevant experience in both individual and group therapy settings, making it particularly suited for roles that demand empathy, active listening, and collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

Life Coach resume example

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This resume template is an ideal choice for a life coach role as it effectively highlights key competencies such as active listening, goal setting, and motivational interviewing techniques, all crucial for fostering personal and professional growth in clients. The structured layout emphasizes relevant experience and educational background, showcasing a commitment to empowering individuals through personalized coaching and collaborative support, making it highly relevant for positions focused on personal development and transformation.

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:

• What does a social worker do?
• How to write a social worker resume (tips and tricks)
• The best format for a social worker resume
• Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
• Professional resume layout and design hints.

What does a social worker do? 

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:

• Schools
• Hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities
• Mental health clinics
• Senior centers and nursing homes
• Prisons
• Military service or veteran’s assistance
• Corporations
• Government.

Social workers also take on many different roles. They:

• Conduct research
• Advise corporations on social responsibility
• Help develop government policy and planning
• Become political leaders as an outgrowth of their advocacy
• Act as human resource coordinators or specialists
• Function as managers and administrators in public and private agencies.

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.

How to write a social worker resume

The first step in writing your social work resume is understanding what sections to include. Your CV should contain the following elements:

• The resume header
• The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
• The employment history section
• The resume skills section
• The education section

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.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

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:

1. Analyze each job description looking for the keywords and phrases listed. Highlight them so that when you begin to individualize your resume, you make sure you organically insert these words. If a job listing is too wordy or vague and you are having difficulty deciding which keywords to focus on, try a word cloud. Paste the listing into a program such as wordle.com or wordart.com and it will generate a word cloud. The biggest words in the cloud are the ones that appear most frequently and are likely to be the most important.
2. Use both acronyms and spell out what they stand for to make sure the ATS catches one or the other.
3. Do not put any important information in headers or footers that the ATS may not be able to read.
4. Stay away from fancy fonts and formatting such as tables.

Choosing the best resume format for a social worker

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

Resume summary example

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.

Employment history sample: Elaborate on your skills list

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.

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:

• Did you increase participation in a community group? If so, by how much?
• Did you streamline the intake process? How many more clients were you able to serve?
• Did you see a community need and develop a solution? What was the problem, what actions did you take? What was the outcome?

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. 

Skills example section: Your best abilities on display

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?

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:

1. Empathy:  Are you great at putting yourself in anyone’s shoes or do you gravitate toward certain groups or issues?
2. Communication: Parse this even further by listing the type of communication. Are you good at advising colleagues? Sharing case studies? Explaining policy and procedure?
3. Organization: Again, be more specific. Do you get your paperwork done on time? Do you keep meticulous client notes?
4. Critical thinking: Are you a big-picture thinker? Excellent at using data to evaluate problems?
5. Active Listening: Give an example or explain what this means to you.
6. Self-care: Make clear that you know you can’t help others if you don’t reduce your stress in this demanding job.
7. Cultural competence: How do you show your understanding of and respect for different cultures and their customs and traditions?
8. Patience: Progress comes at different rates for different clients.
9. Professional commitment: What are the professional development activities in which you participate?
10. Advocacy: How do you work with communities to further social justice and empower citizens?

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.

Social worker resume education example

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.

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.

Resume layout and design

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:

• Easy-to-find contact information
• Well-labeled sections
• A variety of line lengths to leave white space
• Consistency of font sizes and styles
• 1-inch margins on all sides

They avoid:

• Too much color or bright colors
• Big blocks of text
• Column and table formatting
• Information in headers and footers

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.

Key takeaways for a social worker resume

1. Social workers can choose from many career paths.
2. Your resume must get you past Applicant Tracking Systems before it reaches a person.
3. Keep the layout legible and professional.
4. Use your profile to express your professional personality and highlight your biggest achievement.
5. Customize your skills section for each job listing using your master list.
6. Turn your employment history into a story of growth.
7. Don’t leave anything up to chance: Use the free resume generator tool to avoid any formatting glitches.

After following the tips in this guide, you will be on your way to securing your dream job as a social worker!