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Care assistant CV tips and guidance

By Monster Contributor

A successful care assistant CV will show the hiring manager that you have the right mix of soft skills, experience and practical knowledge to become a great addition to their team. Whether this is your first care assistant job or you’ve been working in the sector for years, it’s always worth taking the time to update and improve your CV before submitting your cover letter and applying for a care assistant or care home job.

We’ve put together our tips for writing a great care worker CV that will really impress your next employer and boost your chances of landing that all-important interview. To help you on your way, we’ve also included a free CV template you can download and use for inspiration.

Tips for writing a care assistant CV

If you’ve not written a CV before or haven’t updated yours in a while, make sure you read our guides on the basics of formatting, grammar and structure. As a rule of thumb, you’ll want to keep your CV to two pages or less and ensure it follows a clear structure (use our template below as a guide).

Highlight your ‘USP’ in your personal statement

A personal statement is essentially a short paragraph at the top of your CV, summarising your career so far and describing your ‘unique selling point’ (USP). The purpose of the personal statement is to coax the hiring manager into reading the rest of your CV. So, grab a pen and paper and jot down what makes your profile special. Potential examples include:

  • You came top of your class in your NVQ Level 3 exams
  • You have specific knowledge of one area of care, such as geriatrics
  • You have your own car and can work across multiple locations
  • You have knowledge of specific regulations

It is of course important to mention that you are empathetic and dedicated to helping people, yet this shouldn’t be the sole focus of your personal statement – give the hiring manager something more concrete to zone in on that will make you stand out.

Focus on your achievements

The most effective way of making sure your CV catches the hiring manager’s eye is to highlight your achievements in previous jobs or work experience. Too often, CVs just describe the responsibilities undertaken – yet this doesn’t tell a hiring manager if you were actually any good at doing them.

For each experience, think about some of the most important or impactful things you did in that role. Maybe you received positive feedback from your patients during your work placement – this should certainly be mentioned. Maybe in a care home you organised a new music or social initiative for residents that became a hit. Whatever you’re most proud of in previous positions, these should absolutely be included.

Qualifications and training

While not all care assistant jobs require specific qualifications, anything you can include on your CV will certainly make you stand out. GCSEs in Maths and English are normally expected, and NVQs in subjects like Care and Health & Safety will always work in your favour.

Don’t forget to add any other qualifications you’ve got too – a clean driving licence, First Aid certificates and language skills can be really helpful in care jobs – and may even trump more formal qualifications in certain roles.

Describe your most important responsibilities

In any care role you’re likely to have a wide range of responsibilities – but your CV will become crowded if you try and list everything you did. This is where a bit of editing comes in. Think about the tasks you spent most of your time doing – these definitely take priority. Then, if there were any particularly impressive or important duties (such as record keeping or occasionally supervising night shifts), these should come in next on your list.

Care Worker CV Example

Click here to download our free care assistant CV template as Microsoft Word (.doc)

Steven Anderson
email@address.co.uk
07712 345 678
Example Street, Example Town, Example City, EX4 3PL

~~~~~~~~~~ PERSONAL STATEMENT ~~~~~~~~~~

I am a conscientious care worker with two years’ experience in the healthcare sector. I am especially experienced in providing assistance to the elderly and people unable to carry out everyday activities independently. I have worked in two different residential homes, giving me an understanding of how different homes work. I am supportive, understanding and encouraging with all clients and have been commended for providing dignified and dependable care.

CORE SKILLS

  • NVQ 3 qualified in care work
  • Fit and healthy
  • Holds a clean UK driving licence
  • Empathetic, supportive and has a can-do attitude

~~~~~~~~~~ EMPLOYMENT HISTORY ~~~~~~~~~~

Junior care assistant

High Road Residential Home | Croydon | www.monster.co.uk

MM.YY > MM.YY

Local authority care home

  • Supporting the work of qualified nurses
  • Taking and recording temperature and pulse of patients
  • Helping patients dress and undress

Achievements

  • Commended by residents and management for approach to care
  • Maintained high standards of cleanliness

Care assistant support

Sunset Retirement Home | Croydon | www.monster.co.uk

MM.YY > MM.YY

Private retirement home with 30 residents

  • Work experience found through college
  • Shadowed senior care assistant and supported qualified nurses

Achievements

  • Commended for punctuality and flexibility (I volunteered to work night shifts on multiple occasions)
  • Received excellent feedback

~~~~~~~~~~EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS~~~~~~~~~~

NVQ Level 3 in Care
Croydon College

10 GCSEs including Maths (C), Science (B), English (C)
Croydon Secondary School

~~~~~~~~~~PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT~~~~~~~~~~

  • NVQ Level 3 in health and social care (2016)
  • Clean UK driving licence
  • Introduction to First Aid course (currently studying for full qualification)

~~~~~~~~~~ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND PROFICIENCIES ~~~~~~~~~~

  • Portuguese (fluent)
  • Microsoft Office proficient

~~~~~~~~~~ PERSONAL INTERESTS ~~~~~~~~~~

● Long distance running ● Film ● Shopping

Reference available on request

Need Assistance With Your Job Search?

A strong care assistant CV is a great first step. But could you use some help getting found for the best jobs? Simply upload your CV to Monster for free. We can send you custom job alerts and even help you connect with health care recruiters so you find a job sooner rather than later.