- What should your social worker resume include?
- How can you create a professional summary?
- How should you describe your work experience as a social worker?
- Include a fitting social worker resume education and certifications section
- Which key skills are relevant for a social worker resume?
- How to select the most impactful social worker resume template
- Copyable social worker resume example
- Key takeaways for writing a social worker resume
Whether you’re applying for your first social worker job or you’re looking to move up in your career, it’s essential to have a well-written resume. Follow these tips and our resume example to create a social worker resume that gets you an interview.
Social workers serve people who are struggling or at risk. If you’ve chosen this noble profession, you’re probably ready to get through the job application process and move on to what matters: helping others. The best way to expedite the process is by creating a top-notch social worker resume that displays your skills and education.
This resume guide and corresponding example will cover the following topics:
What your resume should include
How to describe your experience and education
The best skills to list on your resume
What resume template you should use
What should your social worker resume include?
A social worker resume should reflect your commitment to helping individuals and communities in need. It should describe your specialization in social work, such as counseling, case management, or administration. Along with your knowledge of regulations and policies, your resume should highlight your relevant interpersonal traits, such as empathy and active listening.
Your social worker resume should have the following sections:
A resume header with your contact information
A resume summary
An employment history section
An education section
A resume skills section
How can you create a professional summary?
A professional summary is a short statement at the top of your resume that introduces yourself to the hiring manager. It should instantly grab an employer’s attention by tailoring your skills and experience to the role.
Briefly explain how you can make a difference to clients or communities in the new job. Describe successful outcomes you’ve had in other roles, such as expanding access to resources or improving client retention. Emphasize the relevant experience you have working in similar settings or specialties. For example, our social worker resume highlights the candidate’s expertise in working with at-risk youth.
Check out our adaptable social worker resume summary below.
A compassionate, dedicated, and highly skilled social work professional with expertise in counseling at-risk-juveniles and their families. Superior client intake/evaluation skills coupled with the ability to quickly establish rapport with clients.
Expert Tip
Include a separate expertise section at the top of your resume, as we’ve shown in the example resume. Highlight your relevant technical and soft skills so recruiters can quickly skim your key qualifications.
How should you describe your work experience as a social worker?
Your work experience section should explain how your past jobs have prepared you for a new role. It should describe both the duties you’ve performed and the accomplishments you’ve had in your career as a social worker.
List your work experience in reverse chronological order with your most recent job at the top. For each position, list your employer, job title, and employment dates. Briefly describe your responsibilities with a focus on the results of your work.
Use quantifiable data, such as numbers and percentages, whenever possible. Some metrics you might highlight on your resume include the number of caseloads you managed, your client satisfaction scores, or program success rates.
Here’s an example of a bullet point emphasizing the outcome of a social worker’s role:
Reduced the family support case backlog by 23% within four months by streamlining case management procedures with a focus on interagency communication
Take a look at our adaptable social worker education section below.
Social Worker , King County Health & Human Services, Seattle, WA 2015 - Present
Use an in-depth knowledge of Federal, State, and local guidelines, regulations, and statues governing the delivery of human services to conduct individual and group counseling to children, adolescents, and adults afflicted with depression, anxiety, court involvement, substance abuse, and unemployment.
Provide intervention and case management services in conjunction with social, community, and mental health services.
Ensure the safety of vulnerable children/adolescents; provide promiscuity awareness/support to assist children and families.
Help teenagers with high school graduation and transitioning into adulthood.
Use crisis intervention and resolution techniques to support escalated clients; remain calm in crisis or other high-pressure situations.
Adhere to strict legal protocols; work frequently with Statues 938 for juvenile codes, Statues 48 for children in need of services, and Chapter 51 for mental health commitments.
Complete detailed oral/written reports.
Successfully lower recidivism rates in teens with delinquent/out-of-control behavior.
Assisted clients with meeting their mental health needs by informing them of available programs/services including therapy, medication management, drug treatment programs, court support, and community services.
Encouraged active participation in programs and verified attendance at that court-mandated activities.
Initiated and maintained contact with courts, schools, mental health, and community agencies to assist individuals and family in need.
Family Social Worker, St. Patrick Youth and Family Services, Redmond, WA 2010 - 2015
Worked in an alternative school setting with at-risk students; assisted with graduation issues and delinquent behavior.
Counselled kids struggling with multiple issues, including school anxiety, self-harm, criminal thinking, trauma, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, family disruptions, and drug/alcohol issues.
Mentored at-risk youths and taught social/living skills; encouraged positive life choices.
Assisted students with the transition from high school into adulthood.
Documented daily client interactions.
Recognized for a genuine compassion and concern for students, and an advanced ability to connect; collaborated with county social workers on treatment plans.
Used alternative therapy including art projects, learning-based field trips, and guest speakers to reach students; held family meetings as required.
Include a fitting social worker resume education and certifications section
An employer will review your education section to make sure you have the right credentials for the job. Provide details about your formal postsecondary education, as well as any specialized training you’ve completed.
Follow these tips when writing your education section:
List your education in reverse order. If you have both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work, list your master’s degree first.
Provide your license, if applicable. Some states or employers may require you to have a license to practice social work. Include information about your license in this section.
Include ongoing training or certifications. Provide information about additional training or certifications you’ve completed. For example, you may list training you’ve completed in trauma care, family mediation, or cultural competency.
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at the University of Washington
Which key skills are relevant for a social worker resume?
Social workers specialize in counseling and public services, but they also require excellent interpersonal skills. Including these competencies on your resume is a great way to grab recruiters’ attention.
Your skills section is also a good place to include resume keywords. Employers may scan your resume using applicant tracking system (ATS) software, which ranks resumes based on keywords. Review the job description and look for the skills an employer has identified as valuable. Highlight those same skills on your resume if they apply to your work history. (For more help, check out our article on resume ATS optimization.)
Here are several relevant skills that you can list on your resume:
Crisis intervention
Conflict resolution
Documentation and reporting
Legal compliance
Individual and group counseling
Client advocacy
Communication
How to select the most impactful social worker resume template
Social workers need to convey information in an organized, logical way. The same is true for your resume. Use a clean, modern resume template to make it easy for hiring managers to review and understand your qualifications.
Your resume should have standard margins with plenty of white space between sections. Use bold headers for your areas of expertise, experience, education, and skills sections.
Unless you have over a decade of professional social work experience, keep your resume to one page. Write concisely so an employer can quickly read about your skills and experience.
If the thought of starting a resume from scratch intimidates you, use our resume builder to find a template that fits your situation. You can also get inspiration from over 100 resume examples we have available.
Copyable social worker resume example
Summary example
A compassionate, dedicated, and highly skilled social work professional with expertise in counseling at-risk-juveniles and their families. Superior client intake/evaluation skills coupled with the ability to quickly establish rapport with clients.
Employment history example
Social Worker , King County Health & Human Services, Seattle, WA 2015 - Present
Use an in-depth knowledge of Federal, State, and local guidelines, regulations, and statues governing the delivery of human services to conduct individual and group counseling to children, adolescents, and adults afflicted with depression, anxiety, court involvement, substance abuse, and unemployment.
Provide intervention and case management services in conjunction with social, community, and mental health services.
Ensure the safety of vulnerable children/adolescents; provide promiscuity awareness/support to assist children and families.
Help teenagers with high school graduation and transitioning into adulthood.
Use crisis intervention and resolution techniques to support escalated clients; remain calm in crisis or other high-pressure situations.
Adhere to strict legal protocols; work frequently with Statues 938 for juvenile codes, Statues 48 for children in need of services, and Chapter 51 for mental health commitments.
Complete detailed oral/written reports.
Successfully lower recidivism rates in teens with delinquent/out-of-control behavior.
Assisted clients with meeting their mental health needs by informing them of available programs/services including therapy, medication management, drug treatment programs, court support, and community services.
Encouraged active participation in programs and verified attendance at that court-mandated activities.
Initiated and maintained contact with courts, schools, mental health, and community agencies to assist individuals and family in need.
Family Social Worker, St. Patrick Youth and Family Services, Redmond, WA 2010 - 2015
Worked in an alternative school setting with at-risk students; assisted with graduation issues and delinquent behavior.
Counselled kids struggling with multiple issues, including school anxiety, self-harm, criminal thinking, trauma, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, family disruptions, and drug/alcohol issues.
Mentored at-risk youths and taught social/living skills; encouraged positive life choices.
Assisted students with the transition from high school into adulthood.
Documented daily client interactions.
Recognized for a genuine compassion and concern for students, and an advanced ability to connect; collaborated with county social workers on treatment plans.
Used alternative therapy including art projects, learning-based field trips, and guest speakers to reach students; held family meetings as required.
Education example
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work at the University of Washington
Skills example
Client Advocacy/Support
Individual/Group Counseling
Crisis Intervention/Referrals
Client/Family Education
Social/Educational Adjustments
Recordkeeping/Documentation
Treatment Plans/Enforcement
Key takeaways for writing a social worker resume
Your resume should provide a balanced overview of your qualifications, including your technical expertise and your interpersonal skills.
Tailor your resume by including keywords from the job description, particularly in your skills section.
Choose a clean, organized template and keep your resume to one page.
