A case worker has a very special job. More than just coming to the office to do some paperwork or be in front of a computer all the time, the primary task of case workers is helping people.
If you are preparing your case worker resume today, be sure that you are going beyond just the usual administrative duties and hard skills. Highlight your soft skills, your compassionate nature, and your ability to reach out to people who need your assistance.
Most case workers and case managers are also social workers, but many of them are from different fields and industries as well. Some are nurses, teachers, and even lawyers.
While education, training, and experience are good to have as always, you can jumpstart a career in case management even if you’re from an entirely different industry. You just need to have that determination to help people who need your help the most. Take note, however, that some social work jobs usually require a degree and/or license in most states.
Whether or not you have experience in case management, you have a chance to become an effective case worker. An entry-level case worker resume can be just as impressive as one packed with so much background and experience for as long as you can highlight what matters most—your willingness to care.
What to Include in a Case Worker Resume
A case worker’s job typically revolves around assisting individuals or families who are going through or are coping with a variety of issues. From terminal illnesses to family problems to financial difficulties, you will most likely be dealing with people who went through such tough times.
What must you include in your resume? You must highlight your ability to solve problems and reach goals. After all, that’s the very purpose of someone working in case management services. A good case worker resume sample would also include your education, experience, and skills related to case management or social work.
Many applicants for case worker jobs usually have a degree or post-secondary education. It is great when you have qualifications to back you up. If you don’t, you need not worry too much because there is still a chance. Just make sure your case worker resume is well-crafted and packed with all the details necessary to impress a hiring manager.
Case Worker Resume Summary
Truth be told, a job in case management may seem like one that requires a lot of qualifications. Despite this, there are still plenty of applicants looking for opportunities in this industry. Therefore, your resume must be as impressive as possible. The best way to start is by placing a professional summary on top of your resume right below your personal data.
This is simply just a summary of your work experience and your case management skills, which are mostly people skills, too. Make sure it’s brief and placed on top of your resume so it’s easily seen by hiring managers.
Now, if you don’t have a lot of professional experience as a case worker yet or any at all, you don’t have to include a professional summary. You may opt for a career objective instead.
Some might say that an objective is too outdated for a modern resume. However, there are plenty of really impressive case worker resume examples that include an objective. This section is especially helpful when you don’t have much professional experience to include in a summary.
Use this chance to show what you can do and what you are willing to do. Verbalize your goals and let your objective show your belief that this job is important, and you are the right person to do it.
Summary Example
Your professional summary would include a brief version of your resume’s contents. You may include your skills and experiences in this section. Here’s an example.
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Compassionate case worker with over 3 years of experience working with clients directly and over 5 years of volunteer community social work. Skilled in crisis intervention and handling mediation between family members, child development, and foster care placement monitoring. Confident in resolving issues even in the most stressful environments.
Make it simple and direct to the point. You may or may not label it, depending on the case worker resume template you prefer. If you do label it, you may just write Professional Summary or these other options:
Resume Summary
Work Experience
Career Summary
Case Management Background
Career History
You may also choose to customize this further depending on the company and position you’re applying for.
Work Experience Section in the Case Worker Resume
If you already have experience in case management and social work, you can include this in the work experience section of your resume.
However, if you have learned skills in previous jobs that aren’t exactly related to case management but can still help you become a good case worker, then you should definitely add those to your work history too.
As earlier mentioned, case workers aren’t necessarily social workers all the time. For instance, if you have been working in a bank or insurance company for years and would like to shift to a case management job, you can definitely do so. Your experience in helping and supporting clients resolve financial issues as a banker would be helpful. In a way they are transferable skills. The time you helped and supported your clients with finances as insurance agent can also be useful as a case worker.
If you are preparing an entry-level case worker resume and do not have much work experience to list down, you may also include your volunteer work in this section. Internships may be included, too.
Work Experience Examples
For the work experience section, include all relevant jobs, company names, and dates you’ve worked with them. Describe the tasks you’ve handled, your responsibilities, and achievements. Here are examples.
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Senior Case WorkerThere’s Always Hope Co., Phoenix, AZ2018 – Present
Responsible for handling an average of 20 family mediations monthly
Organized outreach activities to public school children in Phoenix communities
Processed financial assistance applications to determine eligibility as well as timely and accurate information
Assisted children in foster care and worked closely with foster parents
Reviewed case files, medical evidence and kept a record of legal deadlines
Conducted comprehensive assessments and educated clients, kept track of client progress
Trained the company’s new team members to meet child welfare quality standards
8-time Case Worker of the Month awardee
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Case WorkerWe Care For You, Gilbert, AZ2014-2018
Assigned to attend court hearings, double check case files, legal research, and other administrative duties
Scheduled appointments with service providers and clients, their representatives, medical providers, and other health care professionals over the phone or in-person
Processed financial assistance applications to determine eligibility
Researched backgrounds and tasked to obtain information of clients
Handled family mediations and couple mediations
Data entry, maintaining client records, handling phone inquiries, claims processing
Check out our resume examples to see other ways you can display your work experience on your resume.
Tip: If you do not have any professional case management experience in your work history, look into available volunteer work in your community. Maximize community resources and start building relationships with people. Volunteer to help them find solutions to their problems. A good heart with a sincere purpose of serving others is one of the most in-demand qualities a case worker applicant should have.
How to Write Education Section
One of the most important parts of your case worker resume is your education section. Most of the time, a Bachelor’s Degree is required in social work. Therefore, this is the section most hiring managers would look at first.
In this section, include the college or university where you got your degree/s as well as the years you’ve spent there. You can check the Social Work License Map to learn more about the requirements of licensing for social workers per state.
Note: Depending on the type of case worker position you are seeking, you may or may not need a degree or master’s degree. An LBSW or Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker is the most common type of license for social workers. It requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.
If you are looking into getting hired for a case worker job and you do not have a degree nor license yet, you still have a chance. Not all case workers or case managers require licensing or certification. Licenses are usually only necessary when you are seeking a counseling social worker position. However, you must check state requirements first to be sure.
Most of the time, continuing education or further training is required in case management jobs. In the education section, you may also include all relevant training you’ve received in the past.
Education Section Examples
The education section of your resume can look as simple as this.
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Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science
University of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
2013-2016
Certificate in Child Development
Phoenix College, Phoenix, AZ
2013
Certificate in Medical/Clinical Assistant
Phoenix College, Phoenix, AZ
2012
Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Chandler-Gilbert Community College - Pecos Campus, Chandler, AZ
2010-2012
High School Diploma
Chandler High School, Chandler, AZ
2010
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Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral ScienceCertificate in Child DevelopmentCertificate in Medical/Clinical AssistantAssociate Degree in Early Childhood Education and TeachingHigh School Diploma
Remember: Include dates, locations, and the actual title of a degree or certificate you have received. Make sure they are factual and can be confirmed by your potential employer.
Put Your Best Skills on a Case Worker Resume
A case worker has a difficult yet rewarding job. Most case management jobs involve providing counselling services or other appropriate services to the following:
Patients with terminal illness
Patients with mental illness
Persons with disabilities
Victims of physical abuse
School children
Families and children
Foster parents and children in foster care
Individuals with substance abuse problems
Elderly individuals
Individuals with financial issues
It is difficult because you must be patient. You must know how to maintain confidentiality. You need to have the determination to stay with a case until it is fully resolved no matter how stressful it becomes. You will be under pressure all the time.
At the same time, you must have great communication skills when working in the social services industry. You will be speaking with personal representatives, partner agencies, law enforcement, and more.
Being a case worker is also rewarding and fulfilling. While the job can get tedious at times, you will have a sense of relief and satisfaction with all the successful treatment programs and each case solved after you have assisted clients.
A case worker resume sample includes both hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are measurable and can be taught, trained, and learned. These include computer skills, math skills, finance knowledge, communication skills, spoken and written languages, and more.
Your soft skills show the kind of person you are and that you are going to be a good case worker. This can include your ability to empathize with clients, work under pressure, respond calmly to crisis situations, and your ability to cope with stressful environments. You may also include your advocacy or purpose in this section.
You may list down your hard skills and soft skills separately, or you can combine them in one section. You can write skills in general, or you can also be more specific when possible so that they are relevant to the job description. Here’s an example:
Mastered the Casewatch Millennium interactive database management system
Mastered the Social Work Software Client Service Tracker
Basic knowledge in health science and medical terminology
Maintaining accurate and complete records and complete case notes
Problem solving and conflict resolution skills
Maximizing available community resources
Strong organization skills
Ability to work under pressure even in stressful environments
Ability to empathize and communicate with clients of all ages
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with clients and colleagues
Additional Tips for Creating a Perfect Case Worker Resume
As a case worker, you will be providing support services to family members and individuals who are going through difficult situations. You should be able to assist clients professionally and be involved in crisis intervention while staying calm and objective at the same time.
Therefore, a perfect resume for a case worker must look professional and organized. It should be detailed and factual too, since you need to show your trustworthiness to hiring managers who will be looking at your application.
Keep these in mind while preparing your resume:
Your resume should be well-written without any flaws. This will show the level of your written communication skills and how well you pay close attention to details.
Case managers primarily assist clients who are going through difficult times. Include your experiences and your achievements when you were able to help meet client needs.
Highlight your abilities and skills whether you have them in basic and advanced levels. Make sure these skills are relevant to the job description .
Research effective cover letter ideas that you may attach to your resume. A cover letter is a standard attachment to any professional resume.
If you speak more than one language, make sure you highlight this on your resume. There is a large demand for multilingual case workers .
Use a resume builder so you won’t miss out on important details.
Using relevant keywords on your resume can make your job search more effective. Hiring managers can easily find your resume with those keywords present.
Check out our resume templates to see some samples that are most suitable for you, your personality, and experience.
Key Takeaways
Truth be told, there are plenty of applicants for case worker positions. You need an impressive professional resume so your application will get noticed by hiring managers.
Provide clear and updated personal data and contact information on your resume.
Highlight your track record, achievements, and abilities by adding a professional summary.
A career objective is a good alternative to a professional summary especially if you do not have plenty of working experience yet.
List your previous work experience relevant to the job description or position you are applying for.
An educational background section is important too since some case management services jobs usually require a degree and/or a license.
Include both hard skills and soft skills on your resume. Your hard skills will show hiring managers what you can do while your soft skills will show them why you are the right person for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do case workers need to include projects on resume?
When seeking a job in the social services industry, education and experience are of great importance. Therefore, all projects relevant to the job description and position you are applying for can help increase your chances of getting hired. However, you must also remember the importance of confidentiality. If you will be including past projects on your resume, do not add any personal data of your previous clients.
How long should case worker resume be?
A one-page resume is ideal. However, if you have plenty of work experience, more than one page should be fine. Just be sure everything you add on your resume is relevant to the job. Prepare a cover letter too.
Should I include projects in my case worker resume?
Previous projects that involve work in social services can be listed down on your resume. Just make sure that you are not including any personal or confidential details of your past clients.
Note that you do not need to list down all of your projects. You can simply list down the companies you have worked with and the responsibilities you had while you were with them.
What are hiring managers looking for in a case worker resume?
To increase the chances of getting hired, highlight your work experience and educational background relevant to the job description. Find a way to show your personality by customizing your resume. Include relevant skills that will show them you are the right person for the job.
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