Social Worker

Social Worker Resume Keywords and Skills (Hard Skills)

Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent Social Worker job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. So try to include them on your resume where possible.

Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all these keywords on your resume, identify the keywords most relevant to the job you're applying to and include those. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.

  • Case Management
  • Social Work
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Mental Health
  • Social Services
  • Child Welfare
  • Community Outreach
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • Individual Counselling
  • Program Development
  • Mental Health Counseling
  • Counseling Psychology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Community Development
  • Group Therapy
  • Facilitation
  • Family Therapy
  • Psychosocial
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Child Protective Services
  • Public Sector
  • Safeguarding Children
  • Child Development
  • Looked After Children
  • Local Government
  • Public Policy
  • Working With Children
  • Assessment
  • Risk Assessment
  •   Show full list

  Where on my resume do I add these buzzwords?

Add keywords directly into your resume's work experiences, education or projects. Alternatively, you can also include a Skills section where you can list your technical skills in order of your proficiency.

Only include these technical skills or keywords into your resume if you actually have experience with them.

Compare Your Resume To These Social Worker Skills (ATS Scan)

Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.

How do I add skills to a Social Worker resume?

1
Review the job posting closely.

Go through the Social Worker posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like Social Work, Case Management and Child Welfare are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.

2
Add industry skills like Social Services and Mental Health.

Add other common skills from your industry - such as Nonprofit Organizations, Crisis Intervention and Community Outreach - into your resume if they're relevant.

3
Add skills into your work experience.

Incorporate skills - like Mental Health Counseling, Group Therapy and Working With Children - into your work experience too. This shows hiring managers that you have practical experience with these tools, techniques and skills.

4
Use the exact job title.

Try to add the exact job title, Social Worker, somewhere into your resume to get past resume screeners. See the infographic for how to do this.

Word Cloud for Social Worker Skills & Keywords

The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on Social Worker job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.

Top Social Worker Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

Resume Skills and Keywords from Related Jobs

We also found variations and further specializations to your job title. Browse through the related job titles to find additional keywords that you can include into your resume.

Get your Resume Instantly Checked, For Free

Upload your resume and we'll spot the issues in it before an actual Social Worker recruiter sees it. For free.

Social Worker Resume Templates

Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.

Resume Example
Senior Social Media Manager


Resume Example
Entry Level Social Media Manager


Resume Example
Child and Family Social Worker


Resume Example
Mental Health Social Worker


Resume Example
Clinical Social Worker


Resume Example
Entry Level Social Media Manager


Browse Skills from Similar Jobs

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills do hiring managers want to see on a Social Worker resume?

Some popular Social Worker hard skills are Case Management, Social Work, Crisis Intervention, Mental Health, Social Services, Child Welfare, Community Outreach and Nonprofit Organizations.

Depending on the job you apply to, skills like Working With Children, Community Development, Group Therapy, Public Sector and Mental Health Counseling can also be good to include on your resume.

What are the differences in resume skills between a Hospice Social Worker and a Medical Social Worker?

If you are writing a Hospice Social Worker resume, try to emphasize skills like Case Management, Medical Social Work, Social Services, Grief Counseling, Crisis Intervention, Social Work, End-of-Life Care and Psychosocial.

Similarly, if you are writing a Medical Social Worker resume, emphasize skills like Discharge Planning, Community Outreach, Behavioral Health, Program Development, Hospitals and Motivational Interviewing.

What are good resume skills to include for different Social Worker roles and job titles?

Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:

  • Clinical Social Worker: Psychotherapy, Mental Health, Crisis Intervention, Group Therapy and Mental Health Counseling
  • Medical Social Worker: Medical Social Work, Case Management, Social Services, Psychosocial and Social Work
  • Hospice Social Worker: Grief Counseling, End-of-Life Care, Palliative Care, Healthcare and Advance Directives
  • Psychiatric Social Worker: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Family Therapy, Behavioral Health, Motivational Interviewing and Psychology

Target your Resume to a Job Description

While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.

It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.

Start targeting your resume

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