Modify your resume and get the behavior specialist job you want! A social services behavior specialist helps people with behavioral issues learn the skills needed to improve their lives. Some behavioral specialists work with adults suffering from addiction, while others work with children and teens to help them modify problematic behaviors. Start by listing your professional experience and education. Next, add bullet points that highlight your soft skills, like strong communication skills, compassion, and patience. Also, include any specialized experience, such as making referrals to drug and alcohol treatment centers. For more ideas on how to stand out from the competition, see our behavior specialist resume example.
Resume Tips for Behavior Specialists
Locating jobs as a behavior specialist requires a balanced combination of developed job-search skills and a strong mindset. These tips can help you navigate the job search and find the right position for you.
1. Make the most of your screen time. The Internet is one of the best tools you have, but you want to make sure that you are using it for more than traditional job searches. Make the most of your online networks and participate in a range of industry social media pages, blogs, and forums. Broadening your connections will help substantially.
2. Balance online and real world connections. While the Internet is an important piece of networking, you also want to make an effort in getting to know individuals face to face. Personal interaction can give individuals a deeper understanding of your skills and personality and can give you an edge in the search.
3. Be patient. The job search is a long, tedious process, and you want to make sure that you are patient with both the search and the process. Don’t be tempted to give up on yourself just because it takes some time. Understand that it is a long process, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
4. Stay positive. With a range of rejection and missteps, it can be easy to feel a little down and depressed, but the more positive you can stay throughout the journey, the more opportunities you will be able to take. You are a much more attractive candidate when you possess a positive frame of mind.
5. Be proactive in the search. It might be tempting to simply wait for responses from potential employers or wait for a company you are interested in to post a position, but following up on leads or contacting companies you would like to work for allows you to find otherwise hidden positions and demonstrate your persistence.
Behavior Specialist Advice
One of the most important pieces to successfully finding jobs as a behavior specialist is a solid resume. Use these do’s and don’ts to craft a resume that stands above the rest.
1. Do create an easy-to-read format using bullet points to quickly highlight your skills. You want potential employers to quickly identify your aptitude.
2. Don’t write in paragraph form. You want to avoid using first-person pronouns and explaining experiences in paragraphs instead of list items.
3. Do highlight quantifiable achievements, as they will demonstrate your skills even more clearly.
4. Don’t use generic words like “work” or “responsible for”, as these will distract from your unique experiences and skill set.
5. Do use clear action verbs like “aided” or “led” to demonstrate the concise experiences that you gained in your last job.
Behavior Specialist Job Seeking Tips
A behavior specialist helps young people with behavioral issues learn the skills needed to improve their behavior. To become a behavior specialist, it will take experience working with young people, plenty of patience and compassion, and a resume that gives institutions confidence in your abilities. That’s where our resume examples come in. Designed to show you the elements of an effective behavior specialist resume, these resume examples are the perfect first step toward building a job-winning resume of your own.
