Are you interested in helping vulnerable people enjoy comfortable lives? Well, you should consider being a care or support worker. These professionals offer physical and emotional support to patients and other vulnerable people, children, and those in need of special care. They work in different settings, including and not limited to people’s homes, care homes, and other social care settings.
Getting your first and future jobs as a care worker will highly depend on your CV or resume. You must craft a detailed and well-edited resume to be shortlisted for an interview. You must also know and understand all your roles to understand what is expected of you. In this article, we take an in-depth look at the roles and responsibilities of a care worker, the required skill, knowledge, and experience, and two resume examples that should give you an idea of how to create the perfect care worker resume. Let’s find out.
Position Description
As the name suggests, a care worker’s main job is to offer physical and emotional care to patients or people with different vulnerabilities. These professionals work in people’s homes and health and social care settings, providing physical and emotional support to patients. This fulfilling and highly rewarding job is aimed at helping those in need of special care live comfortably. Let’s now look at the roles and responsibilities in depth.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Handling household chores on behalf of the patients, such as shopping for groceries and cleaning laundry
- Assisting patients, the elderly or children with personal hygiene, which includes grooming, bathing, and getting dressed
- Ensuring that the patients are well-fed by preparing and serving meals at the right time
- Administering medication, both oral and topical, under the instructions of qualified doctors or medical personnel
- Identifying and organizing the right recreational activities for a patient that they are likely to enjoy
- Coming up with the right plan of care and making recommendations to the family members and healthcare professional
- Ensuring that patients get the best quality of care in collaboration with other social care workers and healthcare professionals
Required Knowledge and Skills
- A genuine desire to help people
- Excellent Customer service skills
- Ability to collaborate with other professionals
- Ability to work in team settings
- Attentiveness to detail
- A high degree of thoroughness
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Ability to accept criticism
- High degrees of patience
- Ability to work well under pressure
- A high degree of sensitivity
- High levels of understanding
- Knowledge of handling different chores
- Ability to maintain high standards of hygiene
- First aid skills
- CPR Knowledge
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent listening skills
- Good writing skills
- Ability to understand instructions and follow policies and procedures
- Ability to prioritize workload
Education and Experience
Note that you do not need any strict academic qualification to be a care worker since this job is about showing compassion to patients, children, and the elderly and helping them go about their daily lives. However, you will still need a high school diploma. A diploma in health jurisdiction may also come in handy, qualifications you can obtain after beginning the job.
Experience needed includes:
- Experience working with vulnerable people
- Experience working in a similar role
- Any volunteer experiences
- Experience handling household chores
- Experience in meal preparation
Salary
Care workers do not earn as such. According to sites like Glassdoor, the highest-earning care worker makes roughly $21/per hour. It also places their salary to be close to $57,000 a year, with a base pay of roughly $35,000 and additional pay of close to $22,000. In places such as Home Instead, it is estimated that care workers make about $9 an hour.
Care Worker CV Sample 1
Allan James
Address: 15678 Ludlow Street, Grenada Hills, CA, 92304
Email address: jamesallen17@gmail.com
Phone number: (898) 456- 7898
Profile Description
Professional care worker with 10+ years of experience. Qualified and dedicated expert able to handle different case situations and conditions. Committed team worker with excellent communication and organizational skills. A caring, passionate, self-motivated caregiver is willing to create a positive change in people’s lives.
Work Experience
03/2019- 05/2022, Care Worker Supervisor, Glory Elderly Home, Claremont, CA
- Supervised ten employees daily, ensuring that they were attending to their duties in accordance with the set rules and standards
- Administered medication daily to 15+ elderly patients in accordance with the doctor’s instructions
- Participated in the hiring process of 30+ caregivers, ensuring that the facility only employed the best
- Trained 30+ caregivers on advanced caregiving strategies and meal preparation, ensuring that all our clients were satisfied
- Performed background checks on caregivers, ensuring that the facility only employed professionals who are passionate about the welfare of clients
- Organized one meeting daily with the caregivers under my supervision to go through the day and discuss any concern
- Interacted with at least eight patients daily for occupational and social therapy
- Handled 50+ incoming and outgoing emails daily
- Ensured that the office environment was clean, neat,, and organized throughout the day with the help of the cleaning department
- Mentored 25+ new hires, teaching them the trips and tricks of caregiving, ensuring that our clients received only the best care
- Handled billing by mailing weekly invoices to clients
- Professionally and gracefully interacted with clients, offering any needed help, thus increasing customer satisfaction by 17%
- Assisted with 10+ office operations, including answering phone calls, taking messages, and directing calls
- Performed caregiving activities by prepping meals and providing emotional support to patients
- Attended and participated in 50+ caregiving training and evaluation sessions
02/2016- 02/2019, Care Worker, Palms Children Hospital, Claremont
- Performed daily caregiving roles, including resident care, administering medications, and handling chores
- Observed and documented the progress of 20+ patients daily, reporting to the supervisor and healthcare professionals
- Ensured that the room environment was clean by mopping, vacuuming, waxing,, and polishing floors thrice a day
- Consistently interacted with 15+ children daily, ensuring that they weren’t bored
- Read stories to at least ten recovering children daily, taking their minds off the hospital environment
- Ensured accurate documentation of all the rules, instructions, responsibilities, and restrictions given to patients by the doctors for a better caregiving experience
- Welcomed and mentored 10+ caregivers, teaching them some fundamental skills needed for the job.
- Conducted daily administering of medication to 20+ children
- Worked closely with two physicians and the care supervisor to ensure the recovery and well-being of the children in the facility
- Observed etiquette when interacting with parents, helping them where needed, and earning positive feedback from 99% of them.
- Helped in the discharge of 100+ patients from the institution after their treatment periods were over
08/2012- 12/2015, Care Worker, Brantford Caregiving Services, Ohio
- Offered non-medical care services to 3 groups of people, i.e., patients, the elderly, and the disabled
- Performed 5+ daily care worker duties, including providing companionship, offering personal care, transportation, and handling chores
- Earned a five-star rating for punctuality, compassion, and companionship
- Received at least two personal letters monthly from families thanking me for taking care of their loved ones
- Had 98% positive customer feedback by the time of leaving, owing to my passion and commitment
- Transported clients to appointments, the hospital, and errands and maintained 100% safe driving record
Education
- 01/2008- 04/2012, Bachelor of Arts (Social Work), Pomona College, Claremont, CA
- 03/ 2005- 11/2007, High School Diploma, Palmitas Senior High School, CA
Skills
- Languages
- English
- Spanish
- Portuguese
Technical Skills
- CPR
- First aid
- Meal preparation
- MS Excel
- MS Office
- Data input
Soft Skills
- Communication
- Active listening
- Organizational
- Writing
- Ability to prioritize workloads
- Ability to work well under pressure
- Patience
- High degrees of passion
- Volunteer
- 10/ 14, Volunteer, Keen Animal Orphanage
- 12/16, Volunteer, The Heart Children Home, CA
Care Worker CV Sample 2
Rosemary Bright
Address: 1733 Forestdale DR Encinitas, CA, 94118
Email address: brightroses45@gmail.com
Phone number: (675) 567- 3452
Personal Profile
Experienced and certified nurse and care worker with a passion for helping others. Qualified professional with 10+ years of experience in care and nursing. Able team worker with excellent organizational skills and extensive experience working with vulnerable people. A kind, soft, and dedicated care worker ready to change the lives of patients and the elderly
Work Experience
04/ 2019- 08/2022, Direct Care Worker, The Changing Lives Residential Program, CA
- Offered direct supervision to 8 elderly adults in a residential program
- Spent at least 30 minutes daily observing and documenting each student’s progress
- Wrote and submitted 10+ weekly reports regarding patients’ goals, behavioral patterns, daily logs, and incident reports
- Spent time talking to the wight older adults as part of social/occupational therapy
- Prepared three home-cooked meals daily, ensuring that the older adults ate to their feel
- Transported the adults from one place to another while maintaining a zero-accident record
- Worked closely with two physicians and one nurse to attend to the clients, ensuring that they had all the help they needed
- Spent a minimum of 30 minutes offering social therapy by casually talking to the clients
- Spent an average of four hours daily attending to household chores, including cleaning, ironing, and prepping meals
- Properly arranged rooms, removing any furniture or obstructions from pathways to prevent accidents
- Checked into the clients’ rooms after every 30- 60 minutes to monitor them
- Administered drugs to the elderly patients twice a day, in the morning and at night
- Supervised two other care workers, ensuring that their caregiving standards were adequate and compatible with their patient’s needs
- Ensured that the clients adhered to every instruction and rule given to them by the doctors
01/2016- 03/2019, Care Worker, Getwell Group of Hospitals, CA
- Offered basic personal hygiene assistance to 15+ patients daily.
- Built rapport and won the trust of 10+ patients, helping them recover fast and rejoin their families
- Spent at least two hours a day talking to patients and offering occupational and social therapy
- Planned and assisted patients with 10+ daily activities such as meal times and activity participation coordination
- Maintained regular communication with client’s family members, filling them in on their loved ones’ progress and offering assurance
- Received at least two ‘thank you letters a month from families and patients for the excellent work I did in taking care of patients and helping them in their path to recovery
- Attended two weekly meetings attended by our care working supervisor to create care-based plans based on patient needs
- Helping patients move around the facility or regain their motor skills through approved exercise
- Awarded the care worker of the year in 2018 for working with the highest number of patients in the facility
- Prioritized 15+ daily tasks to ensure that patients had fulfilling days
01/13- 12/15, Personal Care Worker, Von Residential Units, Los Angeles
- Spent two hours a day helping the residents maintain hygiene by bathing and helping clean their teeth
- Prepared three daily meals for residents early enough for their breakfast, lunch, and supper needs
- Offered in-service training for 30+ new facility workers, ensuring that they were conversant with the facility’s procedures and workload
- Transported 5+ residents from their residential apartments for the dining areas
- Conducted weekly drills, including fire drills and a range of emergency procedures to ensure proper resident education
- Cleaned and dusted surfaces three times a day, ensuring that the residents’ living quarters and dining areas were in proper conditions
- Spent 30 minutes daily recapping my day and writing the required progress and personal support reports
Education
- 01/08- 11/12, Bachelor of Science (Nursing), University of California, CA
- 01/05- 12/07, High School Diploma, Geoffrey’s College Preparatory School
Skills
- Languages
- English
- French Mandarin
Technical Skills
- First Aid
- CPR
- MS Excel
- Data input
Soft Skills
- Communication
- Interpersonal
- Reliability
- High levels of empathy
- Ability to think quickly
- Ability to work in team settings
- Organizational Skills
- Planning skills
- Listening skills
- Passion for helping others
Certificates
04/14, Healthcare worker certification, USCIS
Care Worker Resume Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Do I Get Started as a Care Worker?
You must be wondering how to begin your career as a care worker, especially when this job lacks strict academic qualifications. You must find the right places to look for a care worker job. We advise you to try different online recruitment sites or your local newspaper to identify vacancies or ask your local care providers directly.
Another good approach would be applying for an apprenticeship position as a care worker, where a senior or more experienced support worker will teach you how to handle those in need of socialized care. Therefore, identify a good social care apprenticeship position and get started with your journey.
2. Are There Ways I Can Progress in My Care Worker Career?
There are always ways of progressing in any career. At the beginning of a care worker role, you will need a care certificate and the right training. However, if you want to progress in your career, get a vocational qualification: a Diploma in Health and Social Care. You can also specialize in areas such as autism or dementia care. (Note that certain countries, such as the UK lets employers cover the costs of obtaining continuing professional development qualifications by an application to the workforce development fund)
You can also decide to try management roles later on or become a rehabilitation or advocacy worker, all well-paying jobs. To advance further, get a university degree and become an occupational therapist or a social worker.
3. Are There Other Roles Similar to Care Worker?
Yes. There are three roles similar to care work that you can opt for in the future, i.e., personal assistants, support workers, and shared lives career. A support worker is a care worker offering additional help, such as teaching life skills and giving housing advice. On the other hand, personal assistants’ roles are dictated by the employer. They can be mandated to attend appointments, perform household tasks, or conduct various social activities as the employer demands. Lastly, shared life care either welcomes vulnerable people into their homes or works with them in their home settings and offers excellent care on a temporary or long-term basis.
4. What Key Skills Do I Need to Include In My Care Worker Resume?
Every job has essential skills that must be written in any related resume. For care workers, some fundamental skills include excellent writing skills for filling in care plans, ability to work on one’s own initiative, excellent listening skills, outstanding communication skills, ability to follow instructions and procedures, and excellent organizational skills. Other necessary skills include problem-solving skills, digital skills, staying calm under pressure, excellent numerical skills, and high degrees of empathy. Remember, some of these skills can be honed while working, whereas some, such as empathy, are needed at the start.
5. What Are Some Of The Common Roles That I Should Expect to Play When I Get a Care Worker Job?
Even though care workers are expected to play a number of roles, some cut across. You will definitely support vulnerable people with social and physical activities, book and accompany them to appointments, help them take their meals and medications, offer personal care support such as dressing and showering, and lastly, monitor their conditions, which can be done by checking their temperature, weight, pulse, and respiration. All in all, ensure that you read the specific job description.