Aged Care CV Example and Writing Guide

Use a reverse-chronological format, starting with your latest role. Two pages will suit most applicants. Choose a plain professional font, consistent headings and enough white space for quick reading. Accurate spelling and tidy formatting convey the professionalism and attention to detail expected in aged care.

Tailor the experience section to each vacancy, using suitable terms from the job description naturally. Do not copy whole sentences or claim work you have not done. If you are new to care, draw on placements, volunteering and transferable experience involving dependable service or direct support. At senior level, give more space to leadership, workload, service standards and measured improvements. Leave references off the main CV unless the employer requests them.

A useful experience section shows what changed because of your work. Start with an action, add the scope, then state the result. For example: "Reorganised daily activity reminders for 18 residents, increasing weekly participation from 54% to 71% over three months." The number gives the reader context; the outcome explains why the work mattered.

Routine duties still need detail. "Helped residents" says little about frequency, setting or effect. If the employer's name does not explain the service, add one short line of context. Follow it with three to five bullets covering the work most relevant to the vacancy. Care workers support people with personal care, mobility and physical activities, mealtimes and social activities. Some posts may also involve light housekeeping, shopping, errands or practical steps to maintain a safer home, such as removing trip hazards and keeping mobility aids accessible. Mention these tasks only if they were genuinely part of your job.

These figures are illustrative. Use numbers you can defend, such as people supported, shifts covered, activities organised, records completed or colleagues guided. Never invent an outcome or take sole credit for a team result.

Suitable verbs include supported, assisted, coordinated, recorded, monitored, organised, guided, resolved and improved. Put the bullet most relevant to the vacancy first. Senior applicants can show scale through team size, rota coverage, handover quality or documented service improvements. Entry-level applicants can use placements, volunteering and transferable public-facing work. In a strong aged care CV sample, the bullets make growing responsibility clear without exaggeration.

List education and care qualifications in reverse-chronological order. Give the exact title, training provider, completion year and result where useful. For current study, write "in progress" and add the expected completion date. A separate training section can prevent short workplace courses from crowding the main education section.

Some employers might prefer GCSEs in English and maths at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, when recruiting care workers. This is not a universal entry condition, and many employers offer training to applicants with the right personal qualities. Record your actual results plainly. If you do not hold them, focus on relevant experience and answer the criteria stated in the vacancy.

Optional entry routes include the Level 2 Adult Social Care Certificate and the Adult Care Worker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship. For experienced workers, the Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care is an optional qualification designed for people ready to accept more responsibility and move towards supervisory or lead roles. The Lead Adult Care Worker Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship is another optional apprenticeship route in adult care. None of these options is a universal condition for every vacancy.

Keep completed awards, current study and employer training separate so their status is obvious. Include a named qualification only when you hold it or are genuinely working towards it, and copy the title exactly from your certificate or training record. Never describe unfinished study as complete.