Probation Officer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Probation Officer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Probation officers are tasked with monitoring people who have been sentenced to serve time in jail or prison as part of their court sentence. They’re often tasked with helping people with substance abuse issues or mental health problems, as well as those who need guidance getting their lives back on track after committing a crime.
Because probation officers work with people who are just starting their post-conviction lives, they need to be compassionate, empathetic, and patient. They also need excellent communication skills in order to build rapport with their clients and help them navigate their new reality. And because probation officers often work with high-risk populations, they need to be detail oriented and able to think critically to identify potential risks and threats.
Here are some tips and an example to help you write a stellar probation officer resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Probation Officer Resume
Here’s how to write a probation officer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to focus on the responsibilities of your job or the tasks 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 “conducted interviews with probationers,” you could say you “conducted interviews with 15 probationers and identified 10 at-risk probationers for further evaluation.”
The second bullet point paints a much clearer picture of what you did and the results of your work. And that’s what hiring managers want to see.
Related: What Is a Probation Officer? How to Become One
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a job as a probation officer, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the job opening. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of commonly used probation officer keywords and phrases as a starting point to help you optimize your resume:
- Probation
- Criminal Justice
- Law Enforcement
- Public Safety
- Investigation
- Correctional Services
- Law
- Police
- Security Operations
- Firearms Handling
- Interrogation
- Criminal Investigations
- Emergency Management
- Surveillance
- Homeland Security
- Risk Assessment
- Emergency Management
- Police Investigations
- Corrections
- Corrections Management
- Human Resources (HR)
- Human Resources (HR) Practice
- Teaching
- Organizational Development
- Recruiting
- Talent Management
- Personnel Management
- Management
- Team Leadership
- Microsoft Access
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Probation officers use a variety of technology in their work, including but not limited to: comprehensive case management software, biometric identification software, GPS tracking software, and victim notification software. They may also use specific software programs relevant to their industry, such as anger management software for those working with domestic violence offenders.
So it is important for probation officers to list all of the software programs and systems that they are familiar with on their resumes. This will show that they are familiar with the latest technology and are able to effectively use it in their work.
Related: How Much Does a Probation Officer Make?
Remember The Basics
As you draft your resume, you’ll want to keep a few basic guidelines in mind.
Create Scannable Sections
There are a few things you can do to your resume to make it more skimmable, such as left-aligning your text, using a standard font type and size, and keeping bullets under 2 lines. You should also try to leave some white space on the resume to make the document less overwhelming.
Be Concise
A resume should typically be one page long, but it can be two pages if you have a lot of experience to include. If you’re a recent graduate or have less than five to eight years of professional experience, a one-page resume is ideal. If you need to trim down your resume, you can remove irrelevant information, drop references, and remove filler words. Font type and size, margins, and line spacing can also be tweaked to save space on a resume.
Check Your Work
Proofreading your resume is an important step in ensuring that it looks its best. There are a few key things to look for: spelling mistakes, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical mistakes. It is also important to be aware of easily confused words, such as their/there/they’re and to/too/two. Spell checking your resume is a good start, but you should also have someone else proofread it for you to catch any mistakes that you may have missed.
Use a Summary
If you’re looking to make a strong first impression with a potential employer, using a resume summary statement can be an effective way to do so. A well-crafted summary can help to highlight your most relevant skills and experiences, and can show the hiring manager that you have what it takes to be successful in the role. When putting together your summary, be sure to focus on your key strengths and try to keep it to just a couple of sentences.
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