ATS keywords for a social worker resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Case management and care planning
- ▸Risk and psychosocial assessment
- ▸Trauma-informed, client-centred practice
- ▸Advocacy and inter-agency coordination
- ▸Clear, compliant documentation
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Bachelor or Master of Social Work accredited by the AASW
- ▸AASW eligibility or membership
- ▸Working With Children Check and National Police Check
- ▸Current driver's licence where the role requires it
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating the accredited degree and AASW eligibility.
- ▸Listing duties instead of assessments, case loads and outcomes.
- ▸Omitting WWCC and police clearances.
- ▸A generic resume rather than matching the field (child protection, health, mental health).
Social Worker CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Social Worker, 2021 to present. Work with clients and their families to provide support. Complete assessments, make referrals to other services, write case notes and attend team meetings. Advocate for clients as required.
There is no accredited degree, no AASW status and no clearances, so a screen filtering on eligibility cannot confirm this person can be employed at all, and the hiring manager cannot tell whether the practice field is child protection, health or mental health.
After
Social Worker | Master of Social Work (AASW accredited) | AASW member 000XXXXX | WWCC and National Police Check current
Community health service, adult mental health and complex needs team, outer metropolitan catchment | August 2021 to present | Full time
- ▸Held an active case management load of 22 to 28 clients with co-occurring mental health, housing and substance use needs, from intake through to closure and warm referral.
- ▸Completed around 15 psychosocial assessments and risk assessments a month including suicide risk and family violence screening, escalating to multidisciplinary review where thresholds were met.
- ▸Worked from a trauma-informed, client-centred base: care planning and goal setting done with the client, reviewed at six weeks and adjusted rather than reissued.
- ▸Ran client advocacy and inter-agency referral and coordination across housing providers, NDIS support coordinators, Centrelink and the local health district, chairing more than 20 care coordination meetings a year.
- ▸Kept documentation to service standards in the client management system, with file audits returning no compliance actions across three review cycles.
Leading with the AASW-accredited qualification and current clearances clears the eligibility screen, then the caseload size, assessment volume and practice framework show the hiring manager exactly what field this social worker practises in.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need AASW eligibility on my social work resume?
Many roles require an AASW-accredited qualification and eligibility for membership. State your degree and AASW status near the top.
What clearances should a social worker list?
A Working With Children Check and a National Police Check are commonly required. State that you hold them, with clearance dates where you can.
How do I tailor a social work resume?
Match the field, child protection, health, mental health, aged care, and use the practice language and assessment frameworks the role names.
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