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Social Worker CV example

Social work managers check your registration first, then look for the field you practise in, how you work with whānau, and how you handle risk. This example shows a social worker CV that answers each of those, with bullets about the families and outcomes rather than a description of a caseload.

Written for New Zealand, with notes for Australia · Checked

Free. Then compare it with a real Social Worker job ad.

The example

A Social Worker CV, start to finish.

Tama Rāwiri is made up, and so are the employers. The layout and the wording are what New Zealand employers expect: no photo or date of birth, the most recent job first, and every bullet showing what was done and what came of it.

Tama Rāwiri

Registered Social Worker, child and whānau

Rotorua · 021 555 0249 · tama.rawiri@email.com

Profile

Registered social worker with eight years in community child and whānau services across Rotorua and Taupō. Grounded in kaupapa Māori practice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, steady in risk assessment and safety planning, and good at bringing agencies and whānau around the same table. Fluent in te reo Māori.

Skills

Assessment and safety planning · Whānau-led practice · Kaupapa Māori practice · Family violence response · Case management and case notes · Interagency collaboration · Family group conferences · Supervising student social workers · Te reo Māori me ngā tikanga

Experience

Social Worker, Whānau Support Team, Kahikatea Whānau Services

Rotorua · 2022 to now

  • Hold a caseload of 14 to 18 whānau with children at risk, working to plans they help write
  • Completed safety plans with every whānau on my caseload within two weeks of referral, where the service had often taken a month
  • Set up monthly hui with school, health and housing agencies, which cut the time for whānau to get emergency housing support
  • Supervise two student social workers a year on placement from their Bachelor of Social Work

Social Worker, Child and Family Team, Tūī Community Trust

Taupō · 2018 to 2022

  • Worked with about 40 families a year referred for parenting support, neglect concerns or family violence
  • Prepared whānau for family group conferences and followed up on the plans they agreed, with most children staying safely at home
  • Co-ran an eight-week parenting group for fathers, with 30 dads completing it over three years
  • Moved from provisional to full registration after completing 2,000 hours of supervised practice

Education

Bachelor of Social Work, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology

2017

Other details

Registration
Registered Social Worker (full registration), Social Workers Registration Board, with a current practising certificate
Training
Family violence risk assessment, motivational interviewing
Driver's licence
Full, clean

Referees

Available on request

Tama wrote a cover letter to go with it. Read the social worker cover letter

Skills and keywords

What social worker job ads look for.

Use the ad's own words where they're true of you. An ATS, and a recruiter skimming, both look for them.

  • Registered social workerRegistration is mandatory in New Zealand. Say full or provisional, and that your practising certificate is current.
  • Risk assessmentName the tools or frameworks you use, and show you make safety plans, not just assessments.
  • Te Tiriti o WaitangiMost New Zealand ads ask for it. Link it to your practice, such as whānau-led plans or working with iwi and hapū.
  • Whānau-centredShow how whānau shape their own plans. Managers want to see partnership, not just referrals.
  • Family violenceA common part of child and whānau work. Say what training you've done and how you keep people safe.
  • InteragencySocial workers are judged on who they bring together. Name the agencies and what came of it.
  • SupervisionSay you take part in regular professional supervision, and if you supervise students or staff.

Bullet points

9 strong lines to borrow from.

Each says what was done, how, and what came of it. Swap in your own facts: a line is only strong if it's true.

  1. 1Held a caseload of 14 to 18 whānau with children at risk, working to plans they helped write
  2. 2Completed safety plans for every whānau within two weeks of referral, down from about a month
  3. 3Set up monthly interagency hui that sped up emergency housing support for whānau
  4. 4Supervised two student social workers a year on Bachelor of Social Work placements
  5. 5Worked with about 40 families a year referred for parenting support, neglect or family violence
  6. 6Prepared whānau for family group conferences and followed up on the plans they agreed
  7. 7Co-ran an eight-week fathers' parenting group completed by 30 dads over three years
  8. 8Wrote clear, timely case notes and reports that stood up to review by other agencies
  9. 9Used te reo Māori and tikanga to help whānau feel safe to engage with the service

Common mistakes

What costs social worker CVs interviews.

  • Describing the service instead of your practice, like "the team provides wraparound support".

    Say what you did: the whānau you worked with, the plans you made and what changed for the children.

  • Not saying whether your registration is full or provisional.

    Put it in your details with the Social Workers Registration Board's name and a current practising certificate.

  • Using real names or details that could identify a family.

    Keep every example general. Numbers and outcomes show your work without breaking confidentiality.

  • Mentioning Te Tiriti only as a line in your summary.

    Link it to something you did, such as a whānau-led plan or a relationship with local iwi services.

New Zealand and Australia

What changes across the Tasman.

New Zealand

Registration has been mandatory for social workers in New Zealand since February 2021, and only registered social workers can use the title. You also need a practising certificate, renewed each year, and new registrants stay provisionally registered until they complete 2,000 hours of supervised practice.

New Zealand CV format

Australia

Social work isn't one of the professions Ahpra regulates, and the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) accepts members who hold an AASW-approved social work qualification. Australian employers usually say resume rather than CV, and expect about two pages.

Australian CV format

Sources: Social Workers Registration Board: registration, Social Workers Registration Board: provisional registration, Ahpra: regulated health professions, Australian Association of Social Workers: membership.

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Something else on your mind? Email support@smartcvs.ai and a person will reply.

I'm provisionally registered. Should I say so?

Yes. It's normal for new graduates. Say roughly how many of your 2,000 supervised hours you've completed.

How do I show my work without breaking confidentiality?

Use numbers and outcomes, like caseload size, time to a safety plan or children staying safely at home. Never use names or details a family could be recognised by.

How long should a social worker CV be?

Two pages is plenty. Put your registration, field of practice and current role on the first page.

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