Searching for a job consists of multiple steps, and often the first one is drafting a resume that catches the eye of potential employers. When looking for the job you want, format your resume in an effective way, and make sure the information is relevant to the position you are applying to. Oftentimes, looking at a sample resume in your industry helps keep you focused and on track for what you should include in the summary, qualifications, work history, and education sections.

Below you can see our social worker resume sample, which includes detailed examples of the types of skills and work experience this position requires. Use this as a guide to craft your own professional document, comparing it to the sample as you go along. The more thorough you are, the better your chances are to get an invitation for an interview and become a candidate for the job.

CREATE MY RESUME

Social Worker Resume Sample

Karen Smith
Colorado Springs, CO 11111 • [email protected] • 555-444-4444

Summary

Empathetic social worker with extensive experience working with a variety of clients. Organized with great time-management and problem-solving skills. Strong listening skills with ability to foster productive and healthy relationships.

Skills

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Extremely compassionate and empathetic to others’ situations
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Outstanding ability to effectively manage time and juggle multiple tasks
  • Ability to develop innovative and practical solutions to problems
  • Skilled in conflict management
  • Very trustworthy and value-oriented
  • Current CPR and BLS certifications

Work Experience

Clinical Social Worker – Colorado State Medical Facilities
March 2013 – present
  • Work with an average of six patients a day and use psychological theories, social work systems, and specialty techniques to assist in their care
  • Develop treatment plans for each patient based on psychiatric diagnosis, bio-psychosocial assessment, treatment needs, and previous clinical issues
  • Coordinate with social service agencies, specialty clinics, the patient’s work and home environment, and other community organizations to promote support and service to clients in crisis
  • Provide case management to mitigate crises and improve occupational and family function
  • Collaborate with other healthcare providers to determine medication needs, mental stimulation, dietary modifications, and other treatment services to help improve clients’ situations
Community Social Worker – Colorado Springs Outreach Center
February 2010 – March 2013
  • Met with clients and identified issues in need of help and developed care plans for the best possible outcome
  • Helped clients adjust to challenges and changes such as divorce, unemployment, or illness; responded to crisis situations such as mental health emergencies or abuse
  • Developed services and programs in the community to ensure the meeting of basic needs of clients and others
  • Advocated for community resources, such as childcare, food stamps, healthcare, and shelters, for mothers and children; helped 20 previously homeless families move into a new shelter and gain access to basic needs
  • Evaluated services to ensure their effectiveness and followed up with clients to make sure their circumstances had improved

Education

Master of Science in Social Work – 2009
Colorado State University
Courses in case management, bio-psychosocial evaluations, and clinical assessment

Bachelor of Science in Psychology – 2006
Colorado State University

Write a Professional Resume Now!

CREATE MY RESUME

Is This a Good Social Worker Resume? Let’s Check

Is this social worker resume sample simple and quick to read?

Yes. This is a good example of how your resume should look if you want to stand out. Hiring managers don’t take much time before they move on to the next document, so making things concise and clear is very helpful. Use bullet points to list skills and work duties and use succinct language.

Does the professional summary of the social worker resume sample give a good example of the overall aptitudes the candidate has?

Absolutely. This may be the only part of your resume a potential employer reads, so it needs to quickly point out the most relevant skills and traits. Aptitudes such as empathetic, organized, listening skills, and time-management and problem-solving skills are traits of a successful social worker. It also points out the jobseeker’s ability to work with a variety of people and situations. Lay these qualifications out in three statements or bullet points, and then you can demonstrate these in more detail in other areas of your document.

Does the applicant demonstrate her qualifications for this position in the skills section?

The job candidate in this social worker resume sample lists the important skills included in the professional summary. It also lists additional competencies, such as trustworthy, compassionate, conflict management, and communication. Being certified in CPR and BLS also shows future employers she is a fully qualified candidate.

Take a look at the experience section of the social worker resume sample. Does it contain a variety of tasks and use the right language to point out achievements?

When listing your current and past positions, you want to use strong language and examples to point out your value, which this sample does. Action verbs, such as develop, coordinate, provide, collaborate, advocated, and evaluated, give the hiring manager a good idea of the types of task the applicant has done. Using numbers is also effective. For example, this jobseeker points out that she works with an average of six patients per day and she helped 20 families move into a shelter. This helps paint a clear picture of success.

Does the education section demonstrate the qualification of the applicant?

Yes, it does. Most social worker positions require a college degree. While some only need a bachelor’s degree, adding the master’s degree qualifies the applicant for additional jobs and helps her stand out. Including specific courses that relate to the job is helpful as well.

Write a Professional Resume Now!

CREATE MY RESUME

The Most Important Social Worker Resume Sample Takeaways

It can be intimidating to plan out what to put in an effective resume, but this social worker resume sample gives some great ideas. It is not the time to be modest, so pointing out all skills and abilities is imperative in this competitive market. Use action verbs, numbers, and a variety of examples to show your breadth of experience. It is also important to format it in a way that is easy to read in a short amount of time. Consult our resume builder for more tips.