Resumes And Cover Letters For Social Workers (Page 3 of 9) in pdf

Sections of the Resume

Your contact information. Put your name at the top with your address, phone number, and email address below.

Include a permanent address if relevant to your search.

A job objective is an optional, brief statement stating the type of position you’re seeking. An objective can limit

the use of the resume, so we suggest specifying it in the cover letter.

A skills summary or profile may be used at the opening of the resume, but is also optional.

Education comes first for most students and recent graduates. Start with your School for Social Work degree,

followed by your previous degree(s). You may include relevant courses, your thesis, community and anti-racism

projects (these may be presented elsewhere), and committee work.

Foreign language proficiency, computer skills, and progress toward licensure may be included under Education.

Experience categories should be chosen according to the type of position for which you’re applying. State that

your field placements have been full-time, especially for clinical resumes. You may include volunteer work or in-

ternships.

Personal information such as age, family status, religion, disability, political affiliation, ethnicity, sexual orienta-

tion, or gender identity is not typically on a resume. Include personal information only if it makes you a stronger

candidate for a particular job.

Interests are optional unless they’re relevant. For example, if you hope to combine your clinical skills with out-

door education, your outdoor skills and certifications are important.

Professional activities such as relevant memberships, awards, trainings and conferences attended, and presenta-

tions given should be included.

References typically appear on a separate page, “References for Your Name.” Include the name, title, address,

phone, and email for each reference, and their relation to you. Get permission from your references to list them,

and tell them they may be contacted—by whom, and for what position.

Your Resume’s Presentation

Your resume’s presentation depends on your audience and experience. If you can fit your resume onto one page

without crowding, do so. Resumes for clinical positions may be two pages if you have significant previous experi-

ence, but make sure it is at least one-and-a-half pages in length. A C.V. (Curriculum Vitae), required for academic,

research, and post-doc positions, may be several pages long. Employers who ask for a C.V. may mean a resume.

Your resume must be easy to read and visually attractive. Use margins, headings, caps, bullets, italics, bold, and

underlining to direct your reader’s attention to important content. Good font choices include Arial, Times Roman,

Helvetica, and Garamond (11 point is typical). For hard copy, use resume paper and a fresh printer cartridge.

Your resume is a reflection of you! Proofread it with care, and make sure information is presented consistently

and accurately. If emailing your resume and letter, send them as PDFs labeled with your first and last name (ex:

3 3 3 3 3 3

Jane Doe resume.PDF). Send them to yourself first to double-check the format.

Resumes And Cover Letters For Social Workers Page 3