Social Work Resume

About This Resume

Most social workers learn the work through a degree program with supervised field placements, but some start out by working as case aides or youth workers before going back to school. Every state licenses clinical social workers. Rules for other social work jobs vary depending on the state and the setting, so postings often name a license level, a population and a setting in their first few lines. General resumes tend to get passed over.

Social workers often carry many clients at once, each with a different mix of needs, from rent help to court dates. The ability to keep track of numerous deadlines and referrals is essential to ensure that each client gets the right help before a crisis. That is why supervisors read for three things first: your license, the size of your caseload and the people you've served.

What to Include

• License type, state and status, such as Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in New York, or "license eligible" with the date you expect it
• Field placements with the setting, the population and the number of hours
• Caseload size and the populations you've served, such as older adults, families or people leaving the hospital
• Methods you're trained in, such as motivational interviewing or crisis intervention
• Assessments, service plans and court reports you've written, with the deadlines you worked to
• Languages you use with clients, since many agencies serve families in more than one language

Social Work Resume Sample

Tips for Your Social Work Resume

• If you're a new graduate with a master's degree, put field placements in your experience section with the agency type, the population, your duties and the hours, since supervisors read them as real work.
• Put numbers and outcomes in your casework, as in "Managed 18 to 22 families in a prevention program; 15 cases closed in 2022 with children safely at home." It shows the load and the result.
• A single identifying detail can spoil an otherwise strong social work resume, which is a serious lapse in a field built on confidentiality, since a quick check for names, ages and case details could have prevented it. Better yet, after you finish and before you apply, have a supervisor or former professor look over the page as well.
• To become a licensed clinical social worker, in most states you'll need a master's degree, supervised clinical work after graduation and a passing exam. And, as long as that license is in progress, say so on your resume with your expected license date.
• Match each resume to the setting. A hospital job might involve discharge plans, insurers, nursing homes or home care agencies, and a school job might involve attendance plans, parent meetings or special education teams.
• Name the program in your cover letter. Mention the people it serves in your summary too, since supervisors want someone who already knows their clients.
• With experience, you could move up from caseworker to senior caseworker or clinical supervisor. You could also move into policy or program management, so keep any training, supervising or grant work on the page.