Direct Support Professional Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Direct Support Professional resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Direct support professionals are the backbone of the disability services industry. They’re the people who help individuals living with disabilities live independently and stay connected to their communities. They provide assistance with daily living activities like preparing meals, managing money, and keeping house. And they help their clients grow and flourish by advocating for them when necessary and connecting them with resources that will help them achieve their goals.
If you want to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives while also working in a diverse field with plenty of opportunities for growth, you might want to consider a career as a direct support professional. Here are some tips and an example to help you write your own compelling direct support professional resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Direct Support Professional Resume
Here’s how to write a direct support professional resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters and hiring managers will see. And they’re the best way to showcase your experience and qualifications.
But many job seekers make the mistake of using generic bullet points that don’t really tell a story or provide any context about their experience.
Instead, you should use your bullet points to tell a story about your experience. And that story should be about how you helped a client or organization achieve a specific outcome.
For example, rather than saying you “provided support to individuals with disabilities,” you could say you “provided support to individuals with disabilities by assisting with daily living activities, such as bathing, dressing, and meal preparation, as well as providing emotional support.”
Related: What Is a Direct Support Professional? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit a resume for a direct support professional role, it’s likely that it will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This program looks for specific terms related to the job, like “end-of-life care” or “home care” in order to determine whether your experience is a match. If you don’t have enough relevant keywords on your resume, the ATS might filter out your application.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, use this list of common keywords as a starting point and then add, remove, and rearrange them to fit the specific requirements of the job posting.
- Working with Special Needs
- Social Services
- Direct Support
- Special Education
- Mental Health
- Crisis Intervention
- Case Management
- Community Outreach
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Behavioral Health
- Working with Adolescents
- Psychotherapy
- Program Development
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Public Speaking
- Case Management Services
- Autistic Spectrum Disorders
- Facilitation
- Organization Skills
- Residential Care
- Interventions
- Teaching
- Personal Care
- Disability
- Teaching Children
- Customer Service
- Early Childhood Education
- Microsoft Access
- Data Analysis
- Leadership
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Direct support professionals (DSPs) work with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, so it’s important that they are familiar with the technology that is used in this field. DSPs use a variety of programs and systems to provide support to their clients, so it’s important to list all of the relevant ones on your resume. This might include programs like Microsoft Office Suite, case management software, and communication platforms like Skype. Additionally, DSPs should be familiar with the developmental stages of children and adults so that they can provide the best possible support.
Related: How Much Does a Direct Support Professional Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, you’ll want to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Create Easy-to Scan Sections
There are a few things you can do to make your resume more readable and easy to understand. Left-align your text, use a standard font type and size, and keep bullets under 2 lines. You should also try to have some white space on your resume to help the recruiter easily scan through your information.
Be Concise
When writing your resume, it is important to tailor it to the specific role you are applying for and to focus on the most relevant information. The ideal length for a resume is one page, but it can be two pages for more experienced candidates. Remember to remove irrelevant information, such as personal details or hobbies, to save space.
Proofread
Proofreading is important to make sure that your resume is free of errors and looks its best. There are several things you can do to proofread your resume, including spell checking, punctuation checking, and grammar checking. You should also be aware of easily confused words and use the proper tense for each job you list. Having friends or family members proofread your resume is helpful, as they may catch mistakes you missed.
Consider Including a Summary
If you’re looking to make a good first impression with a potential employer, a resume summary statement can be a great way to do so. A well-crafted summary can help to quickly showcase your skills and experiences, and explain how they might be relevant to the role you’re hoping to land. It’s best to keep your summary short and simple, no more than three or four sentences, and make sure to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences.
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