How to Write a Personal Support Worker Resume (With Example)

Many prospective employers request that candidates for personal support worker (PSW) roles submit resumes as part of their job application materials. A well-organized resume can help PSWs highlight their key or most relevant skills, experiences, and credentials. Learning more about how to write a resume for an open personal support worker position may help you advance further in the job application process.

In this article, we examine the meaning of a personal support worker, discuss how to write a personal support worker resume, review tips for doing so, and provide you with a template and example resume to help you create your own.

What is a personal support worker?

A personal support worker is a professional who provides physical, mental, and emotional care to patients in a home setting. They typically work for nonprofit organizations, the government, or home health care businesses. Common personal support worker duties and responsibilities include:

• transporting patients to and from appointments and errands

• providing mental and emotional support to patients

• helping patients physically move

• making medical appointments and filling prescriptions

• preparing meals

• bathing patients

• sanitizing surfaces and appliances

• logging data, such as vital signs

• completing chores, such as dusting or doing dishes

• helping track medication consumption

Related: 16 Jobs for Working with Seniors (With Job Duties and FAQs)

How to write a personal support worker resume

Following are some steps and strategies that can help you write a great personal support worker resume:

1. Choose a format

Select a resume template that can help you best highlight your key qualifications as a PSW. For instance, professionals with experience as personal support workers may want to use a chronological template that can best demonstrate how they're already familiar with many of the PSW job responsibilities. In comparison, those with less of a professional history related to being a PSW might prefer a functional resume format, as this template can highlight the skills you've developed through other experiences.

Related: How to Write a Personal Support Worker Cover Letter

2. Set up your document

Set up your word processing software to adhere to resume formatting conventions. It's important for hiring managers to be able to easily and quickly read your resume. Use the same font and spacing throughout your resume for a professional appearance. Other formatting conventions for resumes include clearly labelling different sections with headers, using one-inch margins on all sides, and using a readable font such as Times New Roman or Garamond.

3. Include your contact information

The first component of a resume for a PSW position is your name and contact information. State your first and last name, telephone number, e-mail address, and city and province or territory. Placing this information at the top of your resume makes it easy for hiring managers to easily identify who you are and how to contact you.

Related: 11 Support Worker Interview Questions (With Examples)

4. Write a professional summary

Below your contact information, write a summary of your work experience and relevant professional skills to establish your primary qualifications as a personal support worker. A professional summary is typically one to three sentences long and offers hiring managers a quick way to determine if you meet the general requirements for the role. You can also use your personal summary to briefly explain why you're interested in this specific personal support position.

Example: Experienced, caring, and organized personal support worker seeking a position as a contracted home health aide at Home Health Care Friends. Highly motivated to find a role at an organization that values transparent communication and personalized care.

Related: A Guide to Writing a Resume Summary with Samples

5. State your education

In your education section, start with your highest or most recent degree. Include the school and date you graduated if you completed the program within the last three years. Consider placing your education section before your work history if you don't have much experience yet.

Most personal support workers possess at least a high school degree. Many employers also prefer that their personal support worker candidates have either a personal support worker certificate or a diploma from an accredited college. For each of your credentials, be sure to specify on your certification its type, such as whether it's a diploma or certificate.

Related: How to List Relevant Coursework on a Resume (With Examples)

6. Summarize your work history

Include a section for your professional experience. List your jobs in reverse chronological order so hiring managers can review your progress in the field. For each job entry, include:

• job title

• employer

• job location

• dates employed

• role responsibilities

If you have experience as a personal support worker or in a similar position, use your experience section to showcase the relevant job duties you're already familiar with or that these positions have helped you acquire. If you're new to the job market or transitioning from a different career, focus your professional history section on the experiences that have taught you transferable skills, such as communication or organization. For instance, if you have experience working in a cafe, you can describe the interpersonal skills you developed there, as these abilities can also be vital for personal support workers to possess.

7. List relevant skills

For the last component of your resume, you can list your industry-specific skills. Common personal support worker skills include:

• service orientation

• driving

• emotional support

• physical assistance

• data logging

• cooking

• coordination

• active listening

• mental support

Related: A Guide on How to Write a PSW Resume with No Experience

Tips for writing a PSW resume

Here's some advice that can help you create a well-organized resume for a personal support worker job:

Be familiar with common qualifications

There are some qualifications that employers typically look for when hiring personal support workers, including:

• CPR and first aid certifications

• ability to lift over 45 kilograms

• experience in caregiver roles

• active driver's license

• ability to cook meals according to nutritional guidelines

When adding qualifications to your resume, review the job description to see which ones the employer specifically wants. The qualifications that a hiring manager mentions within the job posting are sometimes called keywords and you can incorporate these throughout your resume to distinguish yourself as a candidate.

Related: How to Include Your Caregiver Qualifications on a Resume

Highlight your most relevant qualifications

Try to focus on skills, education, and experience that relate directly to being a PSW. Even if you have lots of experience and professional skills, it's typically a good idea to keep your resume approximately one to two pages to make it easier for prospective employers to skim. You can expand on other important elements, like examples of your work, on your cover letter.

Related: Why Are Soft Skills Important? (With Definition and FAQs)

Edit your resume

Take the time to edit your resume prior to submitting your PSW job application. Make sure that you've written about your most relevant qualifications using precise language. Proofread for slight errors, such as typos or spelling mistakes.

Resume template for personal support worker

Following is a resume template for a personal support worker that you can use to build your own professional document:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [E-mail address] | [City], [Province or territory]

Professional Summary

[Two to three sentences that highlight your years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications, and achievements as an entry-level professional]

Education

[Degree], [Major] | [Date of graduation]
[Name of School or University]

Optional

[Certification Name], [Host organization] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Experience

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [City], [Province or territory]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome, or quantified results

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

[Job title] | [Employment dates]
[Company name] | [City], [Province or territory]

• (Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome, or quantified results

• [Job duty]

• [Job duty]

Skills

[Category]: [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

[Category]: [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill] | [Skill]

Related: Jobs Similar to Nursing and Their Degree Requirements

Resume example for personal support worker

Here's an example of a completed resume for a personal support worker that you can use as a model for yours:

Jaclyn White
555-567-0238 | Jaclyn.White@email.com | Prince Rupert, British Columbia

Professional Summary

Professional Personal Support Worker with over two years of experience in caring for others seeking a position as Home Health Aide at Health Home and Happiness in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Hoping to provide excellent service and aid to clients, including emotional support and comfort.

Education

Diploma in health sciences | May 2020
Green Hills College

First Aid and CPR Certification, CPR Institute - March 2020

Experience

Personal Support Worker | May 2021–Current
Patient Care Now | Prince Rupert, British Columbia

• help move patients

• bathe patients

• schedule health care appointments

• provide emotional and mental support

• help patients with medication taking and regimen

Personal Support Worker | May 2020–May 2021
Top Senior Care House | Prince Rupert, British Columbia

• helped patients with hygiene practices

• prepared meals

• completed light housework

Volunteer | January 2020–May 2020
Blue Skies Health Services | Prince Rupert, British Columbia

• greeted visitors

• organized files in the front office

• delivered meals to patients and tracked patient meals in their records

Skills

Hard skills: Physical, mental and emotional support | Meal preparation according to nutritional guidelines | Housework | Data logging

Soft skills: Communication | Organization | Teamwork | Adaptability | Empathy