Writing a resume is no joke. You’re essentially being asked to summarise your working history, career highlights and skillset and cram all of that onto one, maybe two A4 page(s)! Above all, it must sell why you’re the person for the job, no pressure, right?
Youth Support Workers face unique challenges in crafting the perfect CV; there’s generally a wide skill set to draw upon - which makes selecting what to highlight tricky, but also really important. So how do you write a standout Youth Worker resume? We’ll walk you through it step-by-by, including what to avoid to increase your chances of success.
State the education and training level you have achieved and the year completed. Be specific here and mention the three w’s ‘when, what and where’
E.g 2021, Currently studying Bachelor of Youth Work at Edith Cowan University 2020,
CPR, St Johns Ambulance QLD
2019, Certificate IV in Youth Support, TAFE QLD
Detail your relevant skillset.
E.g; if you’re applying for a role in a residential setting working with young adult males and have experience in a similar role, state this.
This is your time to shine! Show off what you’ve achieved so far!
E.g Managed a team of 10 in a residential care facility, collaborated with local youth to run a fundraiser for a local community youth centre
We cannot emphasise this enough. Your CV reflects your voice, being a Youth Support Worker is all about communication, so take the time to look for spelling errors, typos, grammatical issues or poorly structured sentences. Know the difference between you’re and your, they’re, their and there. Read your CV aloud and if you're not feeling 100% confident, rope in a friend or engage a professional service (they're surprisingly affordable) to look it over before you send it off.
Don’t tell a potential employer you're a good communicator, show them (see point 1) If you're a team player provide an example of being a team player. Cut to the chase by steering clear of jargon.
Embellishing facts on a CV sets up a hard act to follow and maintain. Be honest and also make sure you check the basic facts, is your phone number correct? Is your email address still current? Focus on getting the basics correct and being honest at all times.
Match your CV to the role you’re applying for, draw attention to the relevant experience that matches the advertised role. Avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all approach by taking the time to consider how and why you’re right for the role, then show this in the information your share.
Imagine the number of CV’s that come across a recruiting officer or manager's desk - make yours sharp, focused and relevant to the role you’re applying for, not only does it scream confidence, it also shows you respect the time of the person reading it.