When it comes to working with youth, hiring managers look for candidates who have the skills necessary to motivate children, foster individuality, handle difficult situations, and teach responsibility. In this field it is particularly important that you show recruiters your abilities to impact our country’s future, which is our youth. The best way to communicate your skills upfront is through a great resume. Just as youth look toward their workers as models for becoming responsible citizens, you can look to a sample resume for guidance in crafting a winning document.
This is where our youth worker resume sample comes in handy. By using it as a model, you can more easily create your own resume and ensure you include all relevant sections, skills you might otherwise forget, and work experience details. If you’re looking for more assistance, try our resume builder for an added level of confidence.
Professional Summary
Professional Youth Worker with experience in street outreach, high school programs, drop-in centers and youth homeless shelters. Proven ability to find creative ways to help motivate youth to change their lives. Committed to ensuring the wellness and safety of high-risk clients by meeting them where they’re at and slowly encouraging them to a better place.
Core Qualifications
- Licensed Social Worker
- Person-Centered Approach
- Networking
- Social Diversity
- Equal Opportunity
- Empathetic
- Open-Minded
Experience
Youth Social Worker, June 2007 – Present
Company Name- City, State
- Assist in behavioral education programs as part of individualized plans of care
- Provide life skills coaching
- Facilitate group education and at-risk youth support groups
Youth Outreach Worker, May 2005 – May 2007
Company Name, City, State
- Provided street outreach to at-risk homeless youth
- Monitored youth drop-in center and worked to help clients at the center find housing and employment
- Led support groups for homeless youth and drug addictions
Education
2004 Bachelor’s Degree, Sociology
University of Oregon – City, State
2007 Master’s Degree, Social Work
Portland State University, State
Why Is This a Good Youth Worker Resume Sample?
Right from the start, you can tell this resume is strong. In the professional summary, the jobseeker uses three concise but powerful statements. The first speaks to the jobseeker’s experience in a variety of relevant areas and establishes professionalism. The prospective employee’s clear commitment to youth further reinforces this, shown with words that emphasize motivation, changed lives, and wellness and safety. When the jobseeker expresses a talent for “meeting them where they’re at,” you know this person is interested in working hands-on with youth in even the most challenging situations.
Moving on to the core qualifications section of the youth worker resume sample, we see right off the bat that the jobseeker is licensed. This appears “above the fold” or toward the top of the document, giving the hiring manager quick access to this important information. Soft skills, such as “empathetic” and “open-minded,” are critical for someone working with adolescents, and the resume prominently lists these. This list, at seven bullet points, is just about the perfect length for this section. It’s best not to list more than eight skills here.
The experience section of the youth worker resume sample describes two relevant work history items. Notice how the jobseeker uses meaningful action verbs such as “assist,” “provide,” and “facilitate” to describe his accomplishments at these positions. The bullet points lead with these verbs, which are stronger than options like “did” or “was.” Although the resume only lists two positions, taken together, these demonstrate the jobseeker has worked with youth in a variety of settings. Having a few relevant, focused positions in this section is better than listing every position you’ve held in your lifetime.
Finally, the education section effectively communicates the jobseeker’s degree work. If you have an associate, bachelor, or master degree, there’s no need to mention high school.
Why You Need a Strong Youth Worker Resume
The need for youth workers is growing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Experts expect the broader field of human services to expand by 9 to 13 percent by 2024. Many are seeking entry into this field not only for its appeal but also for job security. This means that although there may be a number of new jobs, you’ll still be facing competition.
The first way to set yourself apart from the competition is by having a great resume that earns a second look from recruiters and hiring managers. This is crucial, since the average amount of time recruiters spend on any one resume before deciding on a candidate is 5 to 7 seconds. The easy-to-skim format of our youth worker resume sample will give you a strong start in creating a document that hiring managers can quickly scan for key information.
Costly Youth Worker Resume Mistakes To Avoid
There are many obvious errors to avoid when writing a resume, including spelling and grammar mistakes and lies about positions you’ve held or duties you’ve performed. However, there are other common resume mistakes you also want to watch out for.
For a youth worker, it’s important you don’t just list duties you’ve had at each job. You want to express a real passion for and understanding of youth and adolescents who find themselves in a variety of situations. Our youth worker resume sample writer doesn’t only mention helping with behavioral education programs; the jobseeker emphasizes “individualized” plans of care within those programs, showing concern for every child.
Also be sure to avoid confusion. Like our sample writer, keep your tenses appropriate. If you’re working at a job currently, use the present tense so the recruiter gets a clear picture of what you’re doing now. For positions you no longer hold, use the past tense to communicate what you’ve done.
FAQ
Which skills are the best to list on a social worker resume?
When listing skills on your resume, it is important to have a good mix of soft and hard skills. For example, hard skills employers want to see might be monitoring group therapy, counseling eating disorders, and running addiction recovery programs as well as maintaining accurate records. Some typical soft skills are effective communication, empathy, and perceiving and solving problems quickly. Study our social worker resume sample for more ideas on appropriate skills to list.
What should you include about your accomplishments on your social worker resume?
On your resume, it’s okay to toot your own horn. If you have run successful therapy or social programs, list those under your work experience. Include numbers, such as “found temporary homes for 57 foster children.” Did you create or implement any new protocols or procedures? Put them down. Don’t forget to mention accomplishments in the education section like graduating with honors, internships, or academic awards and recognition. Check our social worker resume sample for additional help.
How can you separate your social worker resume from other candidates’ resumes?
As you can see from our social worker resume sample, a document that sets you apart doesn’t have to have all the bells and whistles. It just needs to be clean, concise, and easy to read. Use professional keywords that catch the eyes of recruiters. Write a summary statement that tells who you are, what you do, and gives a dash of personality.
Avoid vague terms like “hard worker.” Instead, write a short bullet statement that mentions what you accomplished through your hard work. Proofread everything three times to get rid of common grammatical mistakes, and be sure to save your resume file as “Jane Jones’ resume.” Remember, a hiring manager will see that name on the attachment in the email, and a name like “Jane’s Junk” is not professional.
What should go in the experience section of your social worker resume?
Generally, you want to list the most recent 10-15 years of work history. If you’ve worked 15 years or more at one job, it’s fine to put that down, but it’s not necessary to show lots of shorter jobs from the distant past. For each job, include the name and location of the employer, the dates you worked there, and your job title, as illustrated in our social worker resume sample.
Add five to eight bullet points for each job, describing what you accomplished while you were there. Examples could include “performed home visits, answered emergency calls, counseled adolescents, and wrote case notes.” Use short, concise statements with action verbs for the greatest impact.
What’s the best design for a social worker resume?
Your resume needs to be easy to read at first glance, like our social worker resume sample. With that in mind, consider designs that are simple, clean, and classic. Avoid overly creative formats with a lot of color or logos. Those are best left to artistic professions. A chronological resume is always a good choice. Take a look at our resume builder for step-by-step instructions.
Conclusion
Creating a great resume can feel like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. As our youth worker resume sample and writing tips show, breaking your resume up into clear sections makes the endeavor more manageable for you and for the recruiter. Put your best foot forward in your summary and then support your skills with experience, and you’ll be on your way to a job you love.