Social Worker CV Example: A Guide with Tips

Key Sections to Include in CV

Your social worker CV is your opportunity to make a positive first impression and to show employers you have the qualifications, knowledge and skills necessary for a career in social work. The format of your social work CV is likely to depend on your experience. If you’re an experienced social worker, you’ll want to showcase your previous roles, while newly qualified social workers might prefer to highlight their qualifications, skills and even voluntary work.

Whether you choose to focus on your work experience or your education and skills, most CVs for social work jobs will include the following sections:

Header

Your CV header contains your contact information. Include your full name, your address or location, your phone number and email address. You could include a heading or strapline below your name, such as ‘Experienced social worker’, or ‘Enthusiastic, dedicated social worker’. If you have a well-populated, up-to-date LinkedIn profile, you can also include this in your header.

CV objective or summary

The CV objective or summary is your first chance to make a positive impression on employers, so make sure it’s relevant, referencing your key skills and qualities. While a CV summary focuses more on your skills, a CV objective focuses on your career goals, and can be more suitable for entry-level positions.

Take a look at this example of a social worker CV summary:

A committed social worker with 10 years’ experience in child and family welfare. A strong communicator with a proven track record of building trusting client relationships and achieving positive outcomes in partnership with community services. Seeking to gain experience in youth justice services, to help young people into education and work.

Work experience

If you’re an experienced social worker, the next section of your CV is your chance to showcase your employment history. If you’re just starting out in your career, you can leave this section until later in the document. List each relevant job in reverse-chronological order, starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, employer, location and the dates you worked there.

Under each job entry, add a few bullet points explaining your responsibilities and achievements in the role. Reference the job description to understand what the employer is looking for, and make sure your bullet points reference the key skills and duties of the role.

Here’s an example social worker employment section:

Community Social Worker, Three Valleys Community Services, Sheffield, November 2019 – present

• Working as part of a team of six social workers in the deprived Burnham Estate, engaging with NEET young people to reduce crime and youth unemployment
• Designing programmes and interventions that have helped 30+ children and young people to gain vocational qualifications
• Partnering with local services including the local authority, schools, colleges, police, churches, community centres and NHS to reduce youth crime in the estate by 18%
• Creating career pathways for young people leaving the youth justice system, with a reduction in reoffending of 39%

Education

Social work is a graduate profession, so you’ll need to demonstrate that you have an accredited degree. You could also mention other relevant or recent qualifications. For each entry, add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location and your dates of study or graduation. If you have space, consider adding one or two bullet points, explaining any special areas of study, awards you won or societies you were a member of.

You can use this example education section as a guide:

BSc (Hons) Social Work (2:1), University of Northampton, September 2014 – July 2017

• Produced dissertation on the impact of local government austerity measures on social work services
• Volunteer member of university counselling service

Skills

In your skills section, list any skills you have that are relevant to the role. You could divide this section into hard skills and soft skills, or keep them as a single list. For social work jobs, you may find employers place a greater emphasis on soft skills. Read the job description to understand the types of skills the hiring company is looking for, and make sure your skills section reflects this list.

Below you can read an example skills section for a social worker CV:

Skills

• Relationship building
• Partnership working
• Negotiation skills
• Problem-solving
• Communication, including active listening
• Organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure

Optional sections

If you have space in your document, you might want to add some optional sections to demonstrate key skills and experience. These could include certifications and training, any languages you speak, hobbies and interests or volunteer work. Only add any of these if they’re relevant to the role, and if they prove skills or experience you haven’t already mentioned in your CV.

Tips for Writing the Role-Specific CV

Follow these CV tips to increase your chances of success with social worker job applications:

Choose a suitable format

The best format for your CV depends on your experience. For experienced social workers, use a traditional, reverse-chronological CV format. This places your work experience directly after your header and CV summary, and lists your job history in reverse order, starting with your current or most recent role. If you’re newly qualified and lack relevant work experience, you might choose a skills-based or functional CV, which places education and skills above work experience in the document layout. 

Tailor your CV

It’s essential to tailor your CV for every application. A generic, catch-all CV might seem quicker and easier, but it will be far less effective than a tailored one. Read the job description and make sure your CV includes details of the key skills and experience necessary for the role.

Quantify your achievements

When listing your work experience and achievements, add figures and evidence that proves the impact you made. This could be figures related to your caseload, or performance indicators and outcomes from successful programmes.

Keep your CV clear and concise

The ideal CV length is one or two pages of A4. Keep your document brief and make sure the layout, font and headings are clear and easy-to-read. Use simple, professional language and avoid acronyms and jargon. Always remember to proofread your CV before sending it.

Write a strong cover letter

Your cover letter provides a great chance to further prove you have what it takes for the role. It gives you a little more space to focus on your key achievements and skills, and gives you the chance to mention why you want the job. Jobseeker has various cover letter templates to help you craft an impactful cover letter. You can also review this social worker cover letter example for inspiration.

Use a professional CV design

The layout and design of your CV can play a significant role in your chances of success. Choose a CV design that’s professional, readable, and holds the attention of the reader. Jobseeker’s CV examples can give you a great idea of how to create an eye-catching CV.

Key Takeaways for a Successful Social Worker CV

A great CV can be the first step to successfully launching a career in social work. Make sure your CV includes details of your social work qualifications, any relevant work experience and the key skills necessary for this challenging, yet rewarding career. Tailor your CV for each application, and choose CV templates and cover letter templates that make a strong first impression. Jobseeker’s CV tools and resources can help you to make a beautiful CV that impresses hiring managers. Sign up today and follow the simple steps to create your winning social worker CV.