Child youth worker CV example

How to write a CV for a child youth worker

You’re in the right place if you’re wondering how to write a CV. The following sections will get into the nuts and bolts of your application, covering personal statements, employment history, qualifications, and more.

Most importantly, take your time – there’s no need to rush, and you can always return to these tips if you get stuck. Keep reading as we cover:

• How to add contact details to your child youth worker CV
• How to write a personal statement for your child youth worker CV
• How to present your work history on a child youth worker CV
• Top skills for your child youth worker CV
• How to add education to your child youth worker CV

How to add contact details to your child youth worker CV

Adding up-to-date contact details is so obvious it’s easy to forget! However, many candidates skip over this step in their eagerness to dive into the chunkier CV sections.

Before you explain why you’re the best person for the job, note your information at the top of your CV. You might like to highlight the text in bold to make it stand out for recruiters and CV reading software. Include:

• Full name
• Location
• Phone number
• Email address

Example of contact section for a child youth worker CV

How to write a personal statement for your child youth worker CV

The competition is fierce to become a child youth worker – unsurprising because the career is so rewarding. However, the sea of equally experienced candidates means you must wow the employer from the get-go with a persuasive personal statement. This snappy three to four sentence introduction summarises your most impressive skills and achievements.

Luckily, we have a straightforward formula that works every time. The first sentence introduces who you are, including years of experience. The second sentence underscores what you can achieve, backed up by a dazzling statistic. Finally, the third and fourth sentences recap your top talents and areas of expertise, such as “counselling at-risk youths” or “developing sports-based sponsorship programmes”.

The statistic is crucial – it reels the recruiter in and sparks their interest. Perhaps, you “founded a weekly therapy group that helped over 250 teenagers”. You might have “secured £100,000 in funding to improve the local youth services”. Don’t be shy – shout about what makes you the right person for the job!

Still unsure? Other top tips include:

• Write in the third person to sound more professional
• Use positive adjectives like “empathetic” and “trustworthy”
• Tailor the information to the job description
• Avoid jokes – CVs should sound formal and confident
• Double-check for spelling mistakes

Example of personal statement for a child youth worker CV

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How to present your work history on a child youth worker CV

We recommend setting aside a few hours to flesh out your work history section – employers usually spend the most time here, unearthing your strengths and weaknesses. Plus, they can tell how long you typically stay with a company and whether you consistently surpass expectations via awards and promotions.

When discussing your past employment, include:

• Job title
• Employment start and end dates
• Company name
• Company location
• Short list of responsibilities
• Notable accomplishments
• Mention that references are available on request

It’s a good idea to note around three duties for older jobs (they tend to be less relevant) and up to six for more recent positions. We suggest covering as many different areas as possible to show the hiring manager the scope of your talents. For instance, don’t mention “administration” ten times – talk about “managing a caseload of students”, “resolving conflicts”, and “delivering group counselling”.

Like the personal statement, qualify as many responsibilities as possible with a real-world result. Facts and figure lend your child youth worker CV credibility, reassuring the employer that you can hit the ground running. Highly decorated candidates always do better!

Lastly, pay attention to your words and pick positive adjectives that pack a punch. Instead of “friendly”, you might be “warm”, “welcoming”, or “thoughtful” – although they convey the same thing, the latter are more emotive. Additionally, swap boring openers for inspiring action verbs like “spearheaded”, “programmed”, and “orchestrated”.

Example of work experience for a child youth worker CV

Top skills for your child youth worker CV

CV skills are scannable buzzwords that quickly reiterate your suitability for the role. Plus, they streamline the recruitment process by allowing hiring managers to wheedle out unqualified candidates. If you don’t have the right credentials, you might need some additional training.

We recommend blending hard skills and soft skills to showcase your technical and transferable knowledge. Hard skills are usually learnt on the job or through formal education – they might include “mentoring young people”, “applying for project funding”, and “presenting reports to local councils”. In contrast, soft skills are intrinsic and speak to your personality – think “adaptable”, “creative”, and “resourceful”. The most successful CVs include around 12 in total, split equally between the two.

Our top advice? Don’t rely solely on hard skills – it can sound emotionless. As you’ll be responsible for a child’s physical, emotional, and educational development, employers want to see your caring side. It doesn’t matter how practical you are if you aren’t empathetic and endlessly patient. Need a few ideas to kick-start your imagination? Check out the following lists:

How to add education to your child youth worker CV

Education is the foundation for work experience, verifying that you possess the essential knowledge and skills to excel in the position. Alongside academic qualifications, you can outline extracurricular courses and training programmes, like Health and Safety or First Aid. Moreover, this section helps you to stand out against similarly experienced candidates – a university or college course is often enough to cinch the top spot!

Child youth work is an umbrella term that encompasses many different specialisms. Consequently, you can enter the career via several avenues. You’ll need a degree in Social Work, Psychology, or Counselling to formally counsel children. However, if you want to provide informal, non-medical advice via workshops, you could choose Childhood and Youth Studies or Community Education.

You don’t necessarily need an undergraduate degree. Some people study for a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Youth Work Practice at college. Others leave school to complete an intermediate or advanced apprentice. The possibilities are endless to suit every personality and schedule.

Ready to dazzle the hiring manager with your qualifications? List:

• Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
• Study dates
• Subject title
• Qualification level – e.g. NVQ or A level
• Qualification result

Example of education for a child youth worker CV