In this guide we’ll share some advice for writing a care assistant CV that does justice to your career and stands out to the right people.
And towards the end of this article, to help you get started, we provide a sample CV. For ‘care assistant with no experience necessary’ opportunities, we can help too – it’s all about highlighting your transferable skills and we’ll cover how to do this.
So please read on for our guidance on writing a CV for care assistant roles. Plus, for broader advice about putting a CV together, check out the other articles on our blog too.
First things first, before we share some advice on writing a great care assistant CV, let’s run through some important terminology. In this line of work there are several similar-sounding roles with a few subtle differences.
For starters, there’s the difference between care and support. While there is a lot of overlap in terms of role and responsibilities, you could think of a carer as someone acting for people while a supporter acts with them.
Those in need are more likely to require a carer to do things they can’t manage themselves – whether washing, taking medication, making meals or anything else.
Meanwhile, support work tends to focus on helping enable someone to continue living independently. This can include work with children or adults who have learning disabilities.
In addition, some use the terms care assistant and care worker interchangeably. Arguably, the former can be more common in healthcare settings, with the latter used more in care or residential homes.
You’ll find that the advice shared in this guide is relevant for a wide range of roles in this sector.
No matter which opportunity you’re applying for – for example, if you’re putting together a care worker CV – stress your specialty. Analyse the job description thoroughly to make sure it matches your ambitions.
The same goes if you’re writing a CV for health care assistant roles. We’ve also written a separate guide covering CVs for nurses.
Every care assistant job description you see should mention hard or soft skills required for the role.
So consider including a key skills section as a quick and simple way to show employers you have what they’re looking for.
For example, care assistant job descriptions may require you to have good experience with some of the following aspects:
Remember, never lie on your CV. Don’t include any skills you don’t have yet and remember that potential employers will do their research.
At some point, they’ll also want references if you can provide these. Either way, should they consider hiring you, there will be an enhanced DBS check for any role involving regulated activity with adults or work with children.
It can be tricky to find figures for a care assistant CV demonstrating your impact in previous roles.
Think about your career experiences and achievements so far and describe them in as much specific detail as possible, but also succinctly given how short a CV document should be. In another guide, we discuss how many pages a CV should be.
No matter how you do it, the evidence you use to substantiate claims will have more impact in the right context. To explain your best achievements, consider using the STAR method.
A strong CV includes evidence to back up key claims. Otherwise the achievements can sound too generalised, so potential employers struggle to see how a candidate stands out.
If you need to give a long or complex example using the STAR method, but find there isn’t enough space on your CV, include it in your cover letter or supporting statement instead.
For any job applicant writing a CV with no experience, or candidates considering switching to a care assistant role as part of a career change, there’s still plenty you can do here. Focus attention on your transferable skills by:
In terms of the different types, without much or any previous relevant experience, you may find a skills-based CV works better for you.
Factoring in all of the above, here’s a care assistant CV example to help you get started:
Olivia Clampitt
[Address] – [Phone number] – [Email address]
Personal Statement
Use several lines to promote who you are and what your career aims are. Be concise and personalise it – show how you stand out and what makes you unique, for example:
Bubbly care assistant with 5 years’ experience providing outstanding, compassionate care to the elderly. Specialising in end-of-life and person-centred care as well as mental health…
Key Skills
If your skill section looks strong, include it here – otherwise, put it after your work history section. Relate your skillset to the job description and use bullet points, for example:
Work History
List your previous roles or companies worked at, in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent position – also include the dates.
Then add bullet points to describe your most relevant achievements and responsibilities, for example:
[Role, company] [Dates]
Qualifications and Education
Start by listing any relevant qualifications, then your education details:
Interests
This section is optional if you’re short of space. Any interests you include should ideally strengthen your overall application in some way.
References available on request
Unless asked when applying, there’s no need to provide reference details on the CV. When the employer wants them, they’ll ask – for now, just write: References available on request.
In many ways, a care assistant CV is no different to any other – it’s very important to get the basics right. For example, use a clear layout and avoid complicated formatting.
Check it again and again for any mistakes. Make sure you fix these, resulting in an error-free CV that demonstrates your attention to detail, an important quality for care assistants.
We also recommend creating a master CV, then making a copy that’s tailored to each single job description or advert you answer – customise a new version for every role you apply to.
For more details around how to start a new CV from scratch, we’ve put together a full comprehensive guide to writing a CV and one on getting the personal statement right too.
If you need any help, we’re experts at writing professional CVs – including care assistant ones – so please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.
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