Disability Support Worker Resume Examples & Templates
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Disability support worker example (text version)
April Sanderson
Hollywood, FL 33026
(555) 555-5555
example@example.com
Professional Summary
Dedicated disability support worker who enjoys providing support and assistance to individuals and groups with disabilities living within their community or assisted living center. Able to represent the company or agency of employment with professionalism, courtesy and compassion to clients, families, advocates, providers and the public. Proficient in the use of common implements, devices and tools for disabled daily living.
Skills
- Case management
- Interdisciplinary care
- Emotional support
- CPR / First aid
- Record-keeping
- Teamwork
- Reliability
- Patience
Work History
November 2019 – Current
United Us – Miami, FL
Disability Support Worker
- Assist an average of 80 patients per month with dressing, grooming and feeding needs, helping them to overcome and adapt to mobility restrictions.
- Work with family, health care providers, therapists and social workers to ensure all of the client’s emotional and health needs were met, improving 85% of the clients’ conditions.
- Keep accurate records for client files and handled related paperwork.
September 2016 – October 2019
Aveanna Healthcare – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Home Health Aide
- Assisted 25 clients per week in daily personal care, toileting, clothing and transportation.
- Offered patients and families emotional support and instruction in preparing healthy meals, independent living and adaptation to disability or illness.
- Ensured a positive routine was established and maintained toward optimum mental and physical wellness.
June 2014 – August 2016
Assisting Hands Career – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Caregiver, Special Needs
- Aided 10 clients per week during mealtimes, in cooking and food preparation.
- Assisted 50 physically disabled individuals per month with transfers to and from bed, in and out of vehicles, through public places, in and out of bathroom activities and during other motions.
- Acted as companion and assistant in grocery shopping, errands, banking, bill paying and community engagement.
Education
- June 2022
Florida National University Hialeah, FL
Associate of Arts Health Services - June 2015
Florida Career College – Miami Miami, FL
Training Program Patient Care Technician
Certifications
- Certificate IV in Disability (CHC43115) – (Updated 2022)
- Personal Care Aide (PCA) Certification – (2019)
- Home Care Certification – (2018)
Important resume sections
Contact details
The contact section of your disability support worker resume must have all the information needed to contact you for an interview. The standard goes: full name, city, state and ZIP code, followed by your phone number and professional email address. Finally, add a professional website, LinkedIn profile or any other professional networking profile.
Professional summary
A resume summary is an introduction to the hiring manager. This is where you display your most relevant skills and related work experience. To write a professional summary for a social services disability support worker resume, highlight one or two professional accomplishments and emphasize your job-relevant skills.
Here’s a great example of a professional summary for a disability support worker resume:
“Dedicated and compassionate disability support worker with over five years of experience providing high-quality care to individuals with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities. Expertise in developing individualized care plans, building meaningful relationships with clients and ensuring their safety and well-being. Extensive knowledge of special needs and disabilities and a commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of the individuals being supported. Highly organized with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong advocate for the rights and autonomy of individuals with disabilities.”
If you are writing a disability support worker resume with no experience, you can write a resume objective that focuses on transferable skills and any related experience in different fields.
Skills
Grab recruiters’ or hiring managers’ attention with a strong disability support worker resume skills section that showcases why you are a great fit for the role.
Include a mix of hard skills (i.e., medical knowledge and mobility assistance) and soft skills (i.e., communication and active listening).
Here are a few examples of skills to include in a disability support worker resume:
- Communication skills: Disability support workers need to be able to communicate effectively with clients, their families and other healthcare professionals. This includes active listening, clear verbal communication and the ability to write clear and concise reports.
- Behavioral management: Some clients with disabilities may exhibit challenging behaviors, and disability support workers need to be able to manage these behaviors effectively. This may involve positive reinforcement techniques, de-escalation strategies and crisis intervention techniques.
- Administrative skills: Disability support workers must be able to maintain accurate records, complete paperwork, and document client progress. They may also need to schedule appointments, coordinate with other health care providers and manage client files.
If you have limited professional experience, you can include transferable skills such as communication, problem-solving and strategic thinking.
Work history
Create a separate section for your work experience that lists your past roles in reverse-chronological order. Add the company names, locations and dates of employment, and for every job, include a bulleted list of three measurable accomplishments instead of your job responsibilities.
Here are some examples of measurable achievements for a disability support worker resume:
- Successfully supported eight clients with disabilities to gain independent living skills and reach their personal goals.
- Developed person-centered plans for six clients, resulting in improved quality of life.
- Assisted in coordinating care for 10 clients, leading to increased satisfaction with their services.
If you are writing a resume with no work experience, then include other relevant work experiences, like volunteer experiences, community services, professional projects and more. See our resume sample for disability support workers to see how to structure this section of your resume.
Education
Create an education section that includes each educational institution’s name and the degree conferred. Omit the graduation date if it has been over 10 years. See how to list education on a resume for additional guidance.
While not always required, a bachelor’s degree in a related field can benefit disability support workers who want to advance their careers or work in specialized roles. Common degree programs include social work, psychology and special education. If you did not attend college, list your high school and any other post-high school courses you’ve completed.
Many vocational schools and community colleges offer certificate programs in disability support services or related fields. These programs typically take 6-12 months to complete and cover topics such as communication skills, personal care and behavior management.
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Action words for your resume
Strong action words add confidence to your accomplishments and show your strength as a candidate. Check out our sample resume for a disability support worker to see how to combine action words with your quantifiable accomplishments to make a great impression.
Here’s a short list of action words for a social services disability support worker resume:
- Facilitate
- Coordinate
- Organize
- Provide
- Assist
- Motivate
- Demonstrate
- Support
- Serve
- Perform
- Familiarize
- Manage
Want more inspiration? We have 800+ resume examples to help you create the perfect resume for a disability support worker.
Best skills for your resume
Create a balanced skills section that resembles the one on our resume examples for disability support workers. Review the job description and carefully match the required skills to the skills and traits that fit you.
These are a few skills you could include in your resume:
- Reliability
- Flexibility
- CPR
- First Aid
- Organization
- Patience
- Conflict resolution
- Documentation
- Time management
- Empathy
Don’t forget to include technical skills, like familiarity with assistive technologies and adaptive strategies, and computer skills such as word processing and using spreadsheets.
Certifications for your resume
Certifications strengthen your resume for a disability support worker. They add value to your knowledge and show commitment to your career. Plus, certifications can help you stand out from other applicants.
These are a few certifications to consider for your disability support worker resume:
- Certification Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
- Personal Care Aide (PCA) Certification
- Caregiver Certification
- Home Care Certification
Need the perfect disability support worker resume now? Our Resume Builder has all the tools you need to craft a professional resume in minutes! You can edit as you go, download your finished resume and save it in multiple file formats. It’s so easy!
Pair your resume with a matching cover letter
FAQ
How do you write a disability support worker resume with no experience?
Writing a disability support worker resume with no experience can be challenging, but it’s still possible to create a strong resume. Here are a few tips on writing a resume for a disability support worker with no experience:
- Emphasize relevant skills: Even if you don’t have direct work experience, you likely have transferable skills that can be valuable in a disability support worker role. These may include strong communication skills, empathy, patience, problem-solving abilities and the ability to work well in a team.
- Showcase volunteer or internship experience: If you have volunteered or completed internships in settings related to disability support, include these experiences in your resume. Focus on the skills you gained, the populations you worked with and any specific tasks or responsibilities you had.
- Highlight transferable experience: Even if your previous work experience is not directly related to disability support, you can still highlight transferable skills and experiences. For example, customer service experience can showcase your ability to work with diverse populations and handle challenging situations. Administrative roles can demonstrate organizational and record-keeping skills.
Remember to proofread your resume carefully for errors and format it in a clean and professional manner. See what to put on a resume for additional guidance from career experts.
Do I need a cover letter for a job as a disability support worker?
Yes! It’s vital to include a cover letter with your social services disability support worker resume because cover letters help you connect with an employer, emphasize your passion for helping others, expand on your work experience and explain why you’re interested in the role.
We have professionally crafted cover letter examples for different jobs, industries and circumstances to help you write a cover letter to accompany your resume for a disability support worker job.
What is the best format for a disability support worker resume?
The best resume format for a disability support worker resume will vary according to your years of experience.
When you have a decade or more of consistent work experience, a chronological resume is your best bet to highlight your extensive experience as a disability support worker.
If you’re just starting your career, the functional resume format will show off your disability support worker skills at the top of your resume.
The combination resume format allows you to highlight your skills and experience while also providing a chronological work history. This resume format is best for job seekers with more than 10 years of work experience or who have had multiple jobs in a short period of time.
What is a good professional summary for a support worker?
A good professional summary for a support worker should provide a concise overview of your qualifications, skills and experience in the field. Here’s an example:
“Compassionate and dedicated disability support worker with a strong background in providing person-centered care to individuals with diverse needs. Skilled in fostering independence, promoting well-being and enhancing the quality of life for clients. Committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and confidentiality in all aspects of support work. Seeking to apply my expertise and passion in a rewarding support worker role.”
In this summary, the candidate highlights their key qualities, such as compassion and dedication and emphasizes their ability to work effectively with clients, families and interdisciplinary teams.
Best practices
- Use measurable achievements to describe your abilities and experience as a disability support worker. For example, “Provided emotional support to 15 clients with disabilities, leading to improved relationships with family and friends.”
- Use action words such as “facilitate,” “advocate” and “coordinate” to make an impression.
- Tailor your resume to your target disability support worker job.
- Use keywords from the job description throughout your disability support worker resume.
- Format your disability support worker resume so that it is easy to read byATS software and human eyes.
- Lie about your disability support worker experience and skills.
- Boast that you’re the “best disability support worker ever.” Instead, highlight past work achievements, like “Recruited and trained five disability support workers, leading to improved service delivery.”
- Include irrelevant personal information, such as your ethnicity and age.
- Add skills and experience not pertaining to disability support workers.
- Forget to proofread. A disability support worker resume with errors is unprofessional.
Interview tips
Research the prospective employer before your interview.
Before your job interview, take the time to learn about the employer’s history, goals, values and people. Some areas to consider when researching a facility for a disability support worker job include:
- Accessibility: Investigate what accommodations the company has implemented for people with disabilities.
- Support services: Find out what services the company provides to support disabled employees.
- Benefits: Determine what benefits the company offers to assist disabled employees.
- Inclusion: Research the company’s policies and initiatives for including disabled employees in the workplace.
Showing that you have in-depth knowledge about your potential employer demonstrates interest, dedication and commitment — traits that hiring managers look for in every job candidate. Plus, a glimpse of the company culture before you arrive will give you an idea of what to expect.
Practice at home.
Prepare for your interview for a disability support worker job by practicing at home. Start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:
- Why Did You Choose This Career?
- How Do You Determine Priorities in Scheduling Your Time?
- What Kind of Supervisor Do You Work Best for?
Also, think about job-specific questions a hiring manager might ask, such as
- What is your knowledge of laws, regulations and policies related to disability support?
- How do you ensure that clients with disabilities have the opportunity to be as independent as possible?
- How do you respond to changes in the needs of people with disabilities?
- What techniques do you use to ensure that people with disabilities feel valued and respected?
- How do you maintain a safe and supportive environment for people with disabilities?
Ask a trusted friend or family memebr to conduct a mock interview. Research more behavioral interview questions and practice them with your interview partner.
Be proactive and ask questions.
Prepare at least three questions for the end of your disability support worker job interview. Hiring managers will expect questions. This shows your enthusiasm and interest in the role, plus it allows you to learn more about the company and the position.
Here are a few examples of questions to get you started:
- Can you explain your organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion?
- What kind of support and resources are available to help me succeed in this role?
- How do you ensure that people with disabilities receive equal access to services and resources?
- How do you monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of disability services?
- What strategies do you use to ensure that people with disabilities are included in all aspects of daily life?
- What policies and procedures are in place to support the rights of people with disabilities?
- What challenges have you encountered when supporting people with disabilities?
- How do you ensure that people with disabilities are treated with respect and dignity?
Gather your references.
Contact former managers, families and patients who can vouch for your work ethic and skills to be potential references that you provide upon request.
Explain where you are in the process and when they could expect to be reached. Don’t forget to ask if they could write a letter of recommendation for you.
If this is your first full-time disability support worker job, you can request a reference from a mentor, former professor, community leader, volunteer coordinator or classmate who can vouch for your skills.
Cover letter examples for the next step in your social services career
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Disability Support Worker Resume Example
Nilda Melissa is a Certified Professional Resume Writer who has written for The Washington Post and Latina Style Magazine. She has a master's in Journalism from Columbia University and is a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
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