Disability Support Worker Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Disability Support Worker resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Disability support workers are an integral part of the disability services team, helping people with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities live full, independent lives. They provide support with daily living activities like bathing, dressing, and feeding, as well as with job training and resume writing.
If you’re looking to make a difference in people’s lives and want to work in a field that’s full of opportunities for growth and advancement, disability support work might be the right fit for you. Follow these tips and resume example to write a compelling disability support worker resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Disability Support Worker Resume
Here’s how to write a resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to focus on the tasks and duties you performed. But that’s not enough to make a strong impression.
Instead, you should focus on the results of your work. For example, rather than saying you “assisted clients with daily living activities,” you could say that you “provided daily living assistance to 15 clients, resulting in a 95% satisfaction rating from clients and their families.”
The second bullet point paints a much clearer picture of what you did and the impact of your work. And it provides a quantifiable result—a 95% satisfaction rating!
Related What Is a Disability Support Worker? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit your resume for a disability support worker role, it’s likely that it will be screened by an applicant tracking system (ATS). This software looks for certain keywords related to the job in order to determine whether your skills and experience are a match. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, the ATS might not rank it highly enough to be seen by a human.
One way to make sure your resume makes it past the ATS is to include relevant keywords throughout all sections of your document. Here are some of the most commonly used disability support worker keywords:
- Social Services
- Disability Support
- Psychosocial
- Community Outreach
- Mental Health
- Working with Adolescents
- Psychology
- Mental Health Counseling
- Crisis Intervention
- Case Management
- Behavioral Health
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Mental Health First Aid
- Research
- Social Work
- Residential Care
- Teaching
- Public Speaking
- Family Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Elder Care
- Special Education
- Early Childhood Education
- Time Management
- Teamwork
- Customer Service
- Microsoft Access
- Leadership
- Event Planning
- Communication
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a disability support worker, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to effectively do your job. This might include familiarity with case management software, electronic health records (EHR) systems, and disability-specific software programs. Additionally, you need to be able to use technology to communicate with other members of the healthcare team, including doctors and nurses.
Some of the programs and systems that disability support workers are typically expected to be proficient in include: case management software, electronic health records (EHR) software, disability-specific software programs, and drug information resources.
Related: How Much Does a Disability Support Worker Make?
Remember The Basics
As you write your resume, it’s important to keep a few basic rules in mind.
Make Your Resume Easy to Scan
There are a few things you can do to your resume to make it easier to read and understand quickly. Aligning everything to the left, using a standard font type and size, and keeping bullets under 2 lines will help make your resume more skimmable. You should also try to leave some white space on the page to help the recruiter easily scan through your information.
Be Concise
There is no set length for a resume, but a one-page resume is usually best. New graduates and those early in their careers should keep their resume to one page, while more experienced candidates can use a two-page resume. When trimming down a resume, candidates should remove irrelevant information, such as personal details or hobbies.
Check Your Work
Proofreading your resume is important in order to make sure it looks professional and error-free. Spell checking is a must, as are punctuation and grammar checks. It is also helpful to have someone else proofread your resume for you, as they may catch mistakes that you have missed. Beware of easily confused words, and make sure that your tense is consistent throughout the resume.
Use a Summary
Resume summaries can be a great way to put your past experience and future goals in context. They don’t need to be terribly long—just two or three sentences detailing who you are, what you do, what your best trait or skill is, and what you’re looking to do next. When executed well, they can help to paint a fuller picture of what you bring to the table.
If you’re looking to switch careers or update your resume for a new job, using a summary statement can be a great way to highlight the skills and experience you have that are most relevant to the role you’re hoping to land. By summarizing your experience and skill set in a clear and concise way, you can make it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to see how you could be a good fit for the job.
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