The important first step towards getting a job as a child youth worker is writing a CV that reflects your key skills and abilities while also highlighting your strengths. Using a child youth worker CV sample is a great way to gain insight into the types of information that you need to include and the way to format your CV.

The following guidelines will help you impress the trickiest hiring managers and secure an invitation to the interview stage. We’ll answer your most pressing questions, including how to structure your CV to showcase your skills and accomplishments in the best possible light. You can also browse CV templates to make sure you get the design right.

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    Sample child youth worker CV

    child youth worker CV example

    Sam Marks

    45 Haim Close

    Bradford BD1 6YH

    07912345678

    Sam.Marks@example.co.uk

    Professional summary

    Goal-oriented Child Youth Worker with 10+ years of experience planning and organizing appropriate youth and community programs. Skillfully assesses mental, physical and emotional requirements of children and young people. Compassionate and warm professional recognised for analysing situations accurately and effectively.

    Work history

    February 2019 – Current

    A+, Private Schooling

    Child and Youth Worker

    • Managing a caseload of thirty students providing counselling and career goals.
    • Supporting students to achieve their goals and following up on students to support them.
    • Provided advice to students and group counselling to solve issues of bullying.

    September 2015 – January 2019

    Queen’s Elementary School – Bradford

    Child and Youth Worker (Counselling intern)

    • Responsible for getting to know students and their individual needs.
    • Provided advice to students on the best ways to solve their personal conflicts.
    • Delivered group counselling to girls experiencing issues with addiction.
    • Established a safe and supportive environment for group and individual counselling.

    Skills

    • Crisis consultation
    • Behavioural therapy techniques
    • Behaviour pattern recognition
    • First Aid and CPR qualified
    • Able to help create and assist with individual curriculum management
    • Good at helping youth to set goals and follow up on them

    Education

    2012

    University of London London

    Bachelor of Science Psychology: First-class honours

    What is the best format for your child youth worker CV?

    Before tackling each CV section, you must decide between popular CV formats. There are two widely accepted structures in the UK – the reverse-chronological CV and the skills-based CV.

    Presenting your application in an easy-to-read manner isn’t just a nice thing to do – it’s essential. Busy hiring managers don’t have the time to untangle messy content. Plus, CV reading software doesn’t understand non-conventional layouts. Picking the correct format should be your first port of call. Otherwise, your application will collect dust!

    So, which blueprint is best for you? We recommend a reverse-chronological CV that spotlights your work history, starting from your current or most recent role. While there are many avenues to this career, most recruiters prefer candidates with experience. You can discuss apprenticeships, part-time positions, and volunteering alongside full-time employment.

    If you have no experience, you could use a skills-based CV that highlights umbrella abilities like “communication” and “administration”. However, be as specific as possible. Skills-based CVs can sometimes give the impression that you have no practical knowledge at all, even if that’s not the case.

    In general, your CV should only be one to two pages maximum and typed in a professional font, such as Arial, Times New Roman, or Helvetica. Remember to separate each CV section with a clear heading and avoid bright colours and images – readability comes above all else!

    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:

    Outlining education on an armed forces veteran CV

    Education is the foundation to experience, proving to employers that you possess the fundamental knowledge to succeed in the role. Alongside traditional qualifications, such as GCSEs and A levels, you can mention extracurricular training courses and certificates, such as First Aid or Health and Safety.

    We advise researching your chosen field before sending your application. You might need to update your qualifications if you’re planning a career change. Hoping to re-enter the armed forces? You’ll likely have to undertake additional training to refresh your knowledge. The more prepared you can be, the better!

    When outlining your qualifications, list:

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

    Example of education for an armed forces veteran CV

    Ashford Grammar School | September 2008 – July 2010
    A-levels in English (B), Maths (B), and Physics (B)

    Ashford High School | September 2003 – September 2008
    9 GCSEs at grades B – C

    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

    Clare Douglas
    25 My Road
    My Town
    My County, MY91 7DH
    01234 666789
    claredouglas@mymail.com

    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

    An experienced and proactive child and youth worker with three years of experience in academic counselling and working with children in educational environments. Experience in guiding young adults from various different backgrounds and helping them to overcome their personal obstacles to achieve their goals and unlock their potential.

    OR

    A compassionate child youth worker who’s spearheaded multiple community projects. Experienced in acquiring funding, advocating for better services, and liaising with government departments. Able to connect with children and youths to lead them to focus on developing their personal habits and scholastic abilities. Currently seeking a new challenging role to put the skills and experience earned to further use.

    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

    Child and Youth Worker | London | A+, Private Schooling | February 2018 – Present Day

    • Managing a caseload of thirty students providing counselling and career goals.
    • Supporting students to achieve their goals and following up on students to support them.
    • Provided advice to students and group counselling to solve issues of bullying.

    Child and Youth Worker (Counselling intern) | Queen’s Elementary School | London | September 2014 – January 2018

    • Responsible for getting to know students and their individual needs.
    • Provided advice to students on the best ways to solve their personal conflicts.
    • Delivered group counselling to girls experiencing issues with addiction.
    • Established a safe and supportive environment for group and individual counselling.

    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:

    Essential skills for a child youth worker

    • Certificate in Safe Crisis Management
    • Certificate in Conflict Resolution
    • First Aid and CPR qualified
    • Full clean driving license
    • Calm and patient

    Desirable aptitudes to set you apart

    • Able to help create and assist with individual curriculum management
    • Good at helping youth to set goals and follow up on them
    • Excels at conflict resolution
    • Bilingual in French and English
    • Experience working in educational settings

    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

    University of London, 2006-2009
    Bachelor of Science, Psychology: First-class honours

    London College, 2004-2006
    A levels: Psychology (A), French (A), Humanities (A), English (A), and Maths (B)

    London High School, 1999-2004
    12 GCSEs at Grades A* – A

    Top dos and don’ts for child youth worker CV writing

    Do

    • Do emphasise your soft skills

      As a child youth worker, you must demonstrate that you’re approachable, compassionate, and enthusiastic. Employers prefer candidates who can connect with kids and teens over highly experienced but non-affable contenders. Underline your soft skills throughout your CV, including in your personal statement and cover letter.

    • Do mention your areas of expertise

      There are countless branches to child youth work, each requiring different skills and qualifications. Therefore, it’s a good idea to recap your specialisms in your personal statement – this will give the employer a better idea of your strengths.

    Don’t

    • Don’t forget your cover letter

      If you want to wow the reader, attach a thoughtful cover letter – it’s a polite introduction that explains why you’re applying for the role, presents relevant skills, and expresses enthusiasm. Try not to repeat the information in your CV, and conclude by indicating your readiness to work and willingness to meet for an interview.

    • Don’t send your application without spell checking

      Sloppy, unchecked CVs are lazy – it only takes a few seconds to upload your work into a free spell-checker. Re-read your application before sending it to recruiters and ask someone you trust for feedback.

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    Your child youth worker CV questions answered

    What skills should youth workers have?

    Ultimately, youth workers have to be connected and compassionate. If they can’t relate to young people, they can’t effectively do their job. Some of the key skills employers ask for include:

    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
    • Ability to empathise with diverse people
    • Patience under pressure
    • Good sense of humour
    • Sensitivity and understanding

    What are the duties of a youth worker?

    A youth worker’s responsibilities vary depending on the level of care and industry. However, most oversee community projects, whether sports, arts, or therapy related. Some collaborate with local authorities to improve youth services. Additional duties might include:

    • Assessing the needs of young people and designing curriculums
    • Mentoring young people formally or informally
    • Managing budgets and allocating resources
    • Leading training programmes
    • Liaising with families, healthcare professionals, and councils

    What are some examples of youth work?

    There are countless types of youth work, so we understand it can be confusing. By definition, youth work is a community support activity for older children or teenagers. The programmes are designed to empower young individuals by igniting their passions and interests. Projects cover:

    • Sports activities
    • Summer holiday activities
    • Leadership programmes
    • Free therapy groups
    • Outreach programmes – this includes youth workers reaching out to at-risk children in the community

    What should you say on a CV if you have no experience?

    Unless you’re going straight into work after your GCSEs, it’s rarely the case that you have no experience. Think back to any volunteering, part-time, or apprenticeship positions you may have completed – you can talk about these alongside full-time employment. Otherwise, use a skills-based CV that focuses on transferable talents instead.

    Secure your dream job with our amazing CV-building tools

    This comprehensive child and youth worker CV sample is just one of numerous examples that provide important insights into the process of CV writing. Jobseekers who are looking for further guidance should also check out the tools and CV builder that can be found on this site.

    Read through our amazing CV examples for content inspiration, and then fill out one of the many pre-made CV templates using the above advice. There are countless designs to choose from to best suit your preferences, along with a choice of professionally written content to help you stand out.

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