If you’re looking to get your first Social Care job, writing your job applications can be a stressful process. However, just because you haven’t worked in this sector before doesn’t mean you don’t have the valid experience to bring to the job.
Experience takes many forms and writing a great application for a Social Care post is all about drawing on the experience you’ve gained in the past and showing how it can be applied to the job you want rather than focusing on what you lack.
If you break down the process into 3 parts, you can put together an application or cover letter that really showcases who you are and why you’re a great candidate.
Introducing yourself
When beginning your application, you should always have the job description and person specification to hand. You’ll often need to refer to it so you can demonstrate to the employer that you fit their criteria.
The first thing you’ll need to start with is an introduction of who you are and why you want the role. You give a brief roundup of your working situation, for example, your current job title and employer or the name of the course you are studying. Don’t worry if you’ve recently lost your job, taken a career break or been made redundant, you can briefly explain this without needing to go into a lot of detail. Just give a brief outline of your circumstances and explain that you’re now ready to seek a new career.
You should then go on to talk about why you want the role. You can do this by giving the reasons you are attracted to working in this particular Care role and letting them know what qualities listed in the person specification that you have. Remember to tailor this to each role you are applying for as it shows you are genuinely interested and have taken the time to properly read what they are looking for.
Showing your skills and personality
Before starting this section, you should draw up a list of your experience and pick out skills that match the job description. You’ll find that many of your skills from previous jobs, volunteering or academic work will be transferrable.
You can even draw on the caring experience you have had with your relatives. For example, if you have helped an elderly relative with tasks such as cooking, shopping or some aspects of their personal care, you can use this to support your application.
Once you’ve picked out the skills that you match, write a brief description of a time when you have demonstrated these. The key here is to be succinct as you don’t want your application to be too long. Recruiters are often pushed for time when reviewing applications, so you want to keep their attention with short and to the point paragraphs.
Having the right skills is just one part of what makes you a good fit for a Care role. Your attitude towards those who need care and your personality will also be a contributing factor. Show the employer this by making it clear you have a caring personality and letting them know how this will benefit those in your care.
Your future aspirations
Now that the employer is familiar with who you are and what you can do, you can spend a bit of time explaining what you expect from the role and where you would like to see your future career in Social Care go.
This is your chance to demonstrate not only your aspirations but also your dedication to your new career in Care. Employers are far more likely to hire candidates that they feel will stay on long term so it’s worth spending some time thinking about what you want to do in the future.
This could be as simple as stating your desire to gain work experience in the sector and work your way up to a more senior position such as Senior Support Worker. However, if you have a more specific plan in mind, say a desire to go into Social Work or another specialist area feel free to share that too. It shows that you have truly thought out why you want to work in Care and this will be something that you can further expand on at the interview.
Lastly, you should thank them for considering your application and relay that you look forward to hearing from them just as you would with any other job application. Best of luck!
Social Care isn’t an easy job and it can be challenging, but it’s also hugely rewarding. If you’re ready to start applying for roles in Care, check out the latest roles at s1jobs.