Caregivers have a very special and important role. As a caregiver, you’re responsible for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of your client(s). 

Caregivers provide a wide variety of assistance to those who are unable to care for themselves, typically directly out of the client’s home. This can come in the form of emotional, mental, and physical support, and range from providing companionship to assisting with tasks of daily living, or even full medical or physical care. 

Not everyone is cut out for the role of a caregiver as it takes a very specific and unique set of skills to excel; however, it can also be a truly rewarding experience unlike any other.

If you’re applying for a caregiver position, knowing how to structure your resume and what you should list and highlight, including education, skills and objectives, can help your resume get noticed and selected and an interview scheduled. 

How to structure your caregiver resume

When formatting your resume for a caregiver role, you should include:

1. A summary/career objective

2. Education/certifications

3. Relevant work history, including the company, dates worked, and brief description of the duties performed

4. Relevant skills for the role

When creating your resume, you’ll want to carefully read the job description to ensure you include all relevant keywords, skills and experience that shows you are the best candidate. By tailoring your objective and resume to the job description, it’s more likely it will make it through any application tracking system software and to the desk of the hiring manager.

Caregiver job description

A caregiver provides a range of assistance to those who are sick, injured, mentally or physically disabled, or elderly. They typically help with daily activities, from personal hygiene assistance to housework or errands. They may also help clients make appointments, provide or arrange for transportation, and serve as a companion or friend in times of need. 

In most cases, caregivers are either hired directly by a client or their family, or they work for a healthcare facility or organization and report to a physician. While the duties of a caregiver can range depending on your client’s needs or the organization you work for, generally, the job description for a caregiver can include duties such as:

• Assist with personal care activities such as bathing, feeding, grooming, dressing, etc.

• Provide appropriate medical assistance and support

• Light housework, such as laundry, dusting, or sweeping

• Running errands such as grocery shopping, picking up dry cleaning, or running to the post office 

• Transporting or arranging transport for clients to and from appointments, errands, activities, etc.

• Serving as a companion or friend in a time of need

• Preparing meals

Caregiver education

While a high school diploma or GED is almost always a minimum education requirement for caregivers, there are no official caregiver licenses or degrees. However, there are specialized certifications related to caregiving that can help with success on the job. 

If you’re coming from the healthcare field, like if you’re a certified nursing aid, some states have state-mandated licenses you must acquire and maintain to be a caregiver. Additionally, you may want to consider special training or certifications for specific illnesses or disabilities, such as age-related illnesses, so you are better equipped to work with these clients. 

Note that formal certification is required for caregivers working for agencies that receive Medicare or Medicaid, so you’ll need to work with your employer on completing that program.

You’ll want to outline all relevant education and certifications on your resume in a way similar to the following:

Education

XYZ High School

City, State

High School Diploma

Licenses

(State) Health Department

City, State

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license

When listing your education, here are a few tips:

• Consider leaving off the years you attended school or your graduation date. Typically, that’s not as important unless you’re still pursuing your degree. In that case, be clear your education is in progress. For example,

Certified Nursing Aide license; anticipated completion January 2022

• List the order of your education as the highest level first. For example, if you have a bachelor’s degree and high school diploma, list the bachelor’s degree first followed by your diploma. 

• If you have additional certifications or training applicable to the role, list them in their section with the heading “Additional Certifications.” Include the organization that provided the certification, the title, and the date of completion or renewal. 

• Be sure to list any licenses under its section with the heading “Licenses.” Include the organization that granted the license, the license title, and the date of completion or renewal. 

• Unless you’re a recent graduate or it’s a requirement for the role, you don’t need to include your high school education.

What to include on your resume for a caregiver

Typically, a caregiver resume will list the education or formal training you have that makes you most qualified for the role. 

Then, in the work experience section, you’ll want to include duties related to the job description, such as:

• Provided non-medical home care to X elderly/disabled clients with a focus on personal care, companionship, and transportation

• Achieved client review and recommendation satisfaction scores of X%, which put me in the top percent of caregivers for the organization

• Maintained 100% clean driving record while transporting clients to and from appointments, errands, and activities

• Created a housework schedule to ensure each client’s home was tidy and safe

• Developed an activity program for clients with ability-specific activities and outings to keep them entertained and engaged

The experience and skills you list should be relevant to the job you’re applying for, especially if you have experience with a particular physical or mental disability or client. Try to go beyond simply listing duties you’ve performed, and instead show both duties and achievements with examples or numbers to support the statements. 

Caregiver Skills and traits for a resume

There are many skills and traits you could list on your resume for a caregiver position. Here are a few to choose from to get you started:

• Physical strength

• Finance management

• Compassion

• Communication skills

• Observation skills

• Interpersonal skills

• Time management

• Organization

• Cleanliness

• Patience

• Passionate

• Positive attitude

• Detail-oriented

• Responsible

• Meticulous

• Punctual

• Flexible

• Problem-solving skills

• Planning and development skills

Many basic caregiving duties, such as housework, meal prep, helping clients remember medications and schedule appointments, etc., are perfected with practice and experience. As a caregiver, you typically aren’t providing extensive medical support or care, but understanding how to work with clients with different types of physical and mental disabilities comes with time. The more clients you work with, the more you know about providing the best care possible. 

Action verbs to include on a caregiver resume

• Provided

• Transferred

• Maintained

• Washed

• Dispensed

• Monitored

• Administered

• Performed

• Assisted

• Moved

• Collected 

• Transported 

Should I include references in my caregiver resume?

Your resume is a professional representation of your career qualifications and skills that make you an ideal candidate. As a general rule, avoid including references in your resume unless they are specifically asked for. This is information that tends to distract hiring managers from the information you want them to see, and it can take up valuable space on the page. 

If references are requested, you can include them on your resume or as a separate document. Be sure to list the name, job title, company, email address, and phone number for each reference. 

Caregiver resume objectives

A career objective, also known as a resume objective or summary, is a brief statement toward the top of your resume that explains your professional goals and intentions for applying to a job. In 1 to 3 sentences, you should mention the job title, add a couple of key skills, and share what you’re hoping to achieve in the job.  

Correct Examples:

• Compassionate caregiver and CNA with X years of experience providing in-home patient care. Consistently maintain positive client reviews and receive regular recommendations from client families. Seeking a caregiver position with XYZ company. 

• Experienced caregiver certified in basic first aid and CPR seeking a position with XYZ agency. Adept at monitoring and maintaining the physical and mental health and wellbeing of each client, and following instructions and procedures for ensuring the best care. 

• A responsible individual with X years of experience seeking a position with XYZ agency. I have a high level of passion and compassion for caring for my clients and can perform all job duties, including medication distribution. 

Incorrect Examples:

• Caregiver looking for a position with XYZ company. 

This is too short and doesn’t include enough detail about your skills or intentions. Be sure to list a couple of key skills that make you the best for the role, and share your desire for being hired. 

• I don’t have any caregiving experience, but I’m a very passionate person and hard worker and am looking forward to providing the best care for my clients. 

Even if you don’t have any caregiving experience, you should highlight other skills and experience that support your ability to do the job. Avoid calling attention to your lack of experience in the objective since it’s likely the first thing the hiring manager will look at, and you don’t want your resume put to the side right away.

• Caregiver with experience in meal preparation, transportation, medication administration, patient care, record management, budgeting, running errands, completing housework, and taking care of other client needs.

This option attempts to list too many skills and experiences in the objective when they should be explained later in your resume throughout your work experience and relevant skills sections. Don’t try to overdo it in the objective, and instead focus on two or three of the most important skills. Also, include your years of experience, or make the objective more personal by listing the name of the company you’re applying for.