Care Assistant CV Tips

Your CV acts as your first impression to a recruiter so it’s important to make it as strong as possible in order to stand out. We spoke to a Cera recruiter to find out the do’s and don'ts when it comes to creating a great Care Assistant CV.

What does an employer want to see on my CV?

A good social care CV will showcase your personality whilst highlighting your caring nature. While you may not need any previous paid experience in the care sector, it’s important to be able to explain what has brought you to apply for this particular role.

Firstly, you will need to include a personal profile that acts as a professional summary. This will be at the very start of your CV. This section is brief but outlines your main work achievements, your career goals and a few key personality traits.

Make sure your CV is up to date and any gaps within your employment history are explained. Write in chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent role towards the top of your CV and finish with your oldest towards the bottom. Your work section will need to include all relevant positions with job titles, dates and your core responsibilities and achievements.

Keeping each section clear and concise will help recruiters access your information with ease, so bullet points outlining your main duties at each job is a great idea. An ideal Care Assistant CV will be two sides of A4.

If you already hold a DBS check, which is on the DBS update service, it’s important that you list this on your CV as some care companies are able to fast track these candidates. If you have any carer qualifications make sure you are listing those too.

What doesn’t an employer want to see on my CV?

A top Care Assistant CV will have been checked and double-checked to avoid incorrect dates or any gaps in employment that are left without an explanation. Make sure you add in all information regarding your education history and any qualifications, as a recruiter will need this due to CQC regulations.

Recruiters and employers can go through many CV’s in one day so it’s crucial yours stands out.

Tailor your CV to each job you apply for as this will showcase the time and effort you are willing to put in while addressing the particular needs of each employer.

Don’t overlook the way your CV is presented. Avoid using pictures as this can clutter and crowd your information and, unless it is requested, don’t upload your own photo onto the document.

Don’t forget you can apply to roles with Cera without uploading a CV - search for care assistant jobs now.

Your Transferable skills

You don’t need to have come from a social care background before applying for a care assistant role but what is important are your transferable skills.

If you don’t have any paid care experience, have you gained experience as a family carer or young carer? You might have helped someone who was ill or been a carer for a relative. These encounters can be beneficial in making your CV look great - it shows you have gone out of your way to take care of someone.

You can’t show your whole personality through your previous work experience, so we advise adding a section for your hobbies, interests and achievements. Here, you can include anything that you think could help to highlight your suitability, such as volunteering work with a charity, looking after a neighbour during Covid lockdowns or running a marathon. This is your opportunity to really show off!

Think about your skills and achievements that are relevant to this opportunity. Working in care you need to be organised, a strong communicator and hard-working (to name but a few).

Remember, everything that goes onto your CV might come up in an interview. You’ll need to be prepared to talk about it - and perhaps show some evidence -  so be truthful!

We caught up with a recruiter at Cera, Meagan to get an idea of what previous professions would make for a top-notch carer. She mentioned that during the pandemic a lot of people, unfortunately, lost their jobs. She interviewed a flight attendant looking for a career change. Flight attendants are used to long shifts, dealing with a range of people with different needs and are overall patient, humble and caring. Meagan said "He had the perfect transferable skills that formed a great base for a Care Assistant and even went on to progress his career within the sector"

A great Care Assistant CV can help get your foot in the door when it comes to an interview, so it’s crucial that you make sure you do all you can to stand out from the crowd. Make it personal, don’t forget your transferable skills and best of luck!