INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Worker positions are at a 12% growth rate, which is faster than average. With that said, there are currently 715,600 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 89,200 to 804,800 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Social Worker jobs was $51,760 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $33,020, and the highest 10% more than $85,820.
Our conclusion? The Social Worker job market is wide open for candidates.
Top Social Worker sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your Social Worker resume experience section
Social Worker Resume Experience Section Checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Social Worker resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Planning, execution and evaluation of welfare social programs.
- Supervision and management of occupational workshops for worker' spouses and children.
- Instituted health campaigns - control and prevention.
- Followed up 80+ kids’ health condition & organized their HIV tests;
- Prepared legal files for the recovery of the properties stolen from the children.
- Raised private funds and enroled 27+kids into school.
- In depth assessment with families and children suffering from a myriad of issues such as addiction, mental health and homelessness.
- Case management
- Report Writing and follow up with case notes.
- Taking the lead on Child in Care reviews and Case conferences.
- Admission coordination including clinical review of referrals and payor source verification.
- Discharge coordination including transfers to other facilities, completing referrals for home health providers, follow up MD visits, and pharmacies.
- Create person-centered care plans for patients based on treatment goals.
- Assist with Medicaid application process including completion of the FL2.
- Complete all psychosocial assessments, screening instruments, andrelevant MDS/CAA sections
- Worked as a part of an interdisciplinary team to facilitate treatment, case management, and discharge planning for acute SPMI patients in the admissions complex.
- Provided supportive counseling and facilitated group counseling to orient clients to positive life choices and behavior modification.
- Advocated for the dignity and respect of each client and their families to ensure properly individualized and prompt service delivery.
- Received commendations for excellent service delivery through creative modes of rapport building.
- The civil council in Italy have to work to increase the social welfare.
- Case by case investigation
- Direct handling of foster care cases
- Networking with institution and assotiation
- Assisted with the relocation of a Syrian family in my community
- Accompanied the family to doctor's appointments
- Helped them adjust to the country and connect with other Syrian people living in Portugal
- Aided with the practical aspects of moving to a new country (bank accounts, public services, law)
- Worked on the wards visiting patients and helping the Coordinator from Social Services with her duties
- Accompanied patients to religious services
- Assisted with meal times
- Visiting Schools to measure weight of school kids.
- Taking Blood Samples for tests.
- Conducting eye tests for kids and keeping eye on infections.
- Developed and executed the plan for Little Rock’s homeless Day Resource Center.
- Promoted Center through various media outlets and managed organizational website.
- Managed a large caseload of homeless individuals and families; including counseling, substance abuse and mental health treatment.
- Coordinated and administered psychological testing for 130+ refugees
- Improved working efficiency by Integrating mental health and behavioral health service
- Developed gambling & substance abuse prevention program specifically for Asian population
- Being trained by a high-performance team of social workers and psychologists;
- Working with victimized children and teenagers;
- Arranging logistical issues.
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action Verbs for your Social Worker Resume
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Top Social Worker Skills for Your Resume
Social Worker Resume Skills Section Checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Social Worker resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top Skills for your Social Worker resume
Linux
Windows
Microsoft Office
Wordpress
E-Commerce Software
XRM
CRM
Linnworks
Mac
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
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Social Worker Resume Header: Tips, Red Flags, and Best Practices
CHECKLIST For Your Social Worker Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have non-discrimination policies about what kind of information can be included on your Social Worker resume. This might include a photo (which is often included in a resume header and might be on personal web pages you link to). You can always email the company’s HR department to ask about their policies before you apply.
Craft a Strong Social Worker Resume Summary
Social Worker resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume Summary Formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
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Highlight Your Education, Certifications, and Courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top Certifications for your Social Worker resume
Social Worker 101 - Basic Training for Helping Professionals
Modular Social Work Academy/MSWA - Introducing the basic concepts of Social Work practice for those new to the field.
How to Become a Social Worker Training
Crash Course
Community Analysis for Social Work and Health Workers
Basics of Community Practice including Collective Impact, Process and Impact Evaluation, and Fundraising
Social worker and Counselling
Sociology
Social Work 202 - The Foundations of Social Work
The Core Principles of Social Work Practice - A Comprehensive Understanding
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PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Drafting a Job-winning Social Worker Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Social Worker resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
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PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections worth including in your Social Worker resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A Social Worker Resume that Stands Out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What Makes a Great Social Worker Resume: Key Takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
