Social Worker Resume Examples
Let our Social Worker resume examples lend you a helping hand during your job search! We have professional samples you can personalize to create your resume and land the job.
:
Average time to create a resume with LiveCareer!
1/6
As seen in:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Social Worker resume
summary examples
To make your resume pass the seven seconds recruiters spend eyeing a resume, write an impactful resume opener.
The resume summary consists of a two to three-sentence paragraph introducing yourself to potential employers by featuring your top skills and professional abilities.
Think of it like a business pitch. Your knowledge and experiences are the product you have to sell to the investor, in this case, the employer.
If you have plenty of work experience in your desired field, choose the professional summary approach.
If this is your first time applying for a Social Worker position, use the objective statement, which allows you to share your skills as they relate to your career goals.
You can compare these two approaches in the examples below to determine which is better for your situation.
Good example:
“ A passionate and dedicated Social Worker with 5+ years of experience providing counseling and support services to individuals and families. Possess a strong aptitude for developing and implementing effective interventions to help clients achieve their goals. Proven track record of successfully advocating for clients and working collaboratively with other professionals to provide holistic care.”
Why this example passes:
- Feature candidate’s success statistic to grab attention. Numbers add detail about how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
- Shows career length, 11 years.
- Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
Bad example:
“ Experienced social worker with a passion for helping others. Committed to providing compassionate care and support to those in need. Dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of those I serve.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify social worker’s performance
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.
The fastest way to write your
professional summary
If you want an edge writing to help write your professional summary, check out our Resume Builder. It features pre-written content for Social Worker roles that you can select from, personalize and use!
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
- 2
Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
- 3
All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
You can take advantage of the expert-written phrases you’ll find in our Resume Builder or go the extra mile and use our professional resume-writing services. LiveCareer offers many options for all applicants wanting an effective resume that lands jobs!
The reviews are in!
See what they’re saying about us on Trustpilot.
Social Worker resume work
experience examples
A big part of your resume’s content will live in your work experience, so you’ve got to put in the extra effort to make it stand out. This section should feature achievements that show recruiters you have what they’re looking for if you want to write a good resume.
Good example:
Rolling Meadows Middle School I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current
- Developed and implemented individualized care plans for at-risk youth in foster care
- Collaborated with families, school personnel, and other community partners to ensure client needs were met
- Provided crisis intervention services to clients in need of immediate assistance
- Facilitated weekly group therapy sessions to address mental health and behavioral issues.
Why this example passes:
- Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this social worker delivers: 4% improvement and a class size of 20-25.
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- References specialized value cahier provides with “individualized lesson plans.”
Bad example:
Emily Dickinson Elementary I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present
- Worked with clients to develop goals
- Assisted with paperwork
- Collaborated with other professionals
- Facilitated group sessions.
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.
Social Worker resume skills examples
Here are 18 sample skills for social worker:
- DSM-V and ICD-10 diagnoses
- Sexual assault victim counseling
- Conflict Resolution
- Risk Assessment
- Records Management
- Treatment Planning
- Staff Development
- Educational Support
- Crisis Intervention
- Client Advocacy
- Client Needs Assessment
- Case Management
- Life Skills Development
- Intervention Planning
- Discharge Planning
- Analytical Thinking
- Case Documentation
- Clinical Supervision
You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
Every Social Worker resume should have at least five sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. It can also be helpful to add extra sections if they show you’re a fit for the job.
Here are some examples of optional social worker resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- Languages
- References
- Certifications
- Additional skills
- Interests
- Accomplishments
- Professional skills
- Additional information
Ensure you only share relevant qualifications in your resume’s additional sections. Better to have a concise resume that’s quick to read!
Examples of resume formats
The way you organize your Social Worker resume is called a resume format. There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. Here are examples of each:
The main difference among them is whether or not they give more visual weight to your work history or to your skills section. The format you should select for your resume is based on your years of work experience as a social worker.
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time social worker who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career social worker.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for social worker with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to pick a social worker resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!
Don’t forget your social worker cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
You can use a cover letter to share even more professional accomplishments as a Social Worker and stand out as the ideal candidate for the restaurant team member position.
A cover letter is a companion to your resume where you can provide more context to those resume achievements.
Additionally, a great way to connect with employers is by using the cover letter to tell your unique story about where you are in your career and where you envision going.
If it seems like a lot of writing, worry not because our Cover Letter Builder will help you create a personalized cover letter in minutes!
Get inspired with expertly written content with our cover letter examples, and find the ideal design in our cover letter templates library.
To get all the details on writing an impressive cover letter, check out our cover letter writing guide for 2023.
Similar resume examples
Want to see more resume examples for jobs related to social worker?
Follow 
Read more stories by LiveCareer Staff Writer
As seen in*
*The names and logos of the companies referred to in this page are all trademarks of their respective holders. Unless specifically stated otherwise, such references are not intended to imply any affiliation or association with LiveCareer.