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Correction officers are given custody of individuals who are arrested and imprisoned. It is their job to ensure the individuals’ safety, supervise them and ensure they follow all rules and regulations. You must go through training and get the relevant certifications needed to be allowed to work in this profession. The position requires good interpersonal skills, physical strength, and discipline. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
If you are like this applicant who has had experience in other related positions, ensure your skills section speaks only of the skills needed for a corrections officer. The resume doesn’t use a long list of skills and instead prioritizes the most relevant skills for the job.
As a hiring manager who has recruited corrections officers for facilities like Rikers Island, San Quentin State Prison, and Cook County Jail, I've reviewed hundreds of resumes. The best ones always catch my attention by highlighting the candidate's most relevant skills and experiences. In this article, we'll cover six essential tips to make your corrections officer resume stand out from the competition.
Corrections officers must be physically fit and able to handle high-stress situations. Highlight any relevant training or certifications you have, such as:
Avoid simply listing 'physically fit' or 'self-defense skills' without providing specific details or examples to back up your claims.
A resume summary, also known as a professional summary or summary statement, is an optional section that appears at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. While it's not a mandatory component, a well-crafted summary can be a valuable addition to your corrections officer resume, especially if you have extensive experience in the field or are making a career change.
Unlike outdated resume objectives that focus on your goals and aspirations, a summary highlights your most relevant qualifications, skills, and achievements, making it easier for hiring managers to quickly understand your value proposition. However, it's crucial to avoid repeating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume.
Your work experience section is the heart of your corrections officer resume. It's where you show hiring managers how you've excelled in previous roles. It's also the perfect place to highlight your most relevant accomplishments and skills.
In this section, we'll break down the key steps to writing a strong work experience section that will get you noticed by corrections facilities. From choosing the right experiences to include to using action verbs and metrics, we've got you covered.
When describing your work experience, use strong action verbs that showcase your corrections-related skills and accomplishments. Weak, vague verbs like "assisted" or "helped" don't give hiring managers a clear picture of your contributions.
Instead, use action verbs like:
See the difference? These action verbs paint a much clearer picture of your day-to-day responsibilities and the value you brought to your previous roles.
The education section of your resume is a key component that hiring managers look at to assess your qualifications. When applying for a corrections officer position, it's important to highlight your relevant education and training. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling education section:
As a corrections officer, your skills section is critical to showcasing your qualifications and expertise. Hiring managers often use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan resumes for relevant skills, so it's important to include the right keywords. In this section, we'll cover tips for crafting a compelling skills section that will help you stand out from other candidates.
Here are examples of popular skills from Corrections Officer job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Corrections Officer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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