Care Assistant CV example and ATS keywords

Keywords employers screen care assistant CVs for

Most employers use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that look for the words in their job advert. Use the ones that are true for you, in your skills section and in your experience. Always check the advert itself too, because each employer words things slightly differently.

Skills

• Personal care
• Person-centred care
• Moving and handling
• Dementia care
• Care plans
• Medication administration
• MAR charts
• Infection control
• Nutrition and hydration
• End of life care
• Record keeping

Qualifications and checks

• Care Certificate
• Level 2 Diploma in Adult Care
• Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care
• Enhanced DBS
• Safeguarding adults
• First aid
• Full UK driving licence (home care)

Personal qualities

• Compassionate
• Patient
• Reliable
• Good communicator
• Team player

Example care assistant personal statement

Your personal statement (or profile) sits at the top of your CV. Keep it to 3 or 4 sentences: who you are, your experience, your strongest skills and what you're looking for. Make it your own: these examples show the shape, not words to copy.

Example experience bullet points

Start each bullet with an action verb and add a number wherever you can. Recruiters remember results, not duties.

• Supported 8–10 residents per shift with personal care, mobility and meals, following each person's care plan.
• Administered medication to 20 residents using MAR charts with zero recorded errors over 12 months.
• Used hoists, slide sheets and stand aids safely after moving and handling training.
• Spotted early signs of a urine infection in a resident and escalated to the senior carer, avoiding a hospital admission.
• Planned weekly activities such as music and reminiscence sessions, increasing resident engagement.
• Kept daily notes and fluid and food charts accurate and up to date for CQC inspections.

Mistakes that get care assistant CVs rejected

• Not mentioning your DBS. Say you have an enhanced DBS, and whether it's on the Update Service, near the top.
• Listing duties without the type of care: say whether it was residential, nursing, dementia, domiciliary or supported living.
• Leaving out your training. Care Certificate, moving and handling, safeguarding and medication training all matter to employers.
• Gaps with no explanation. If you were caring for a family member, that's relevant experience: include it.

How to lay out your care assistant CV

1. Contact details: name, phone, email, town and (optionally) LinkedIn. No photo or date of birth needed in the UK.
2. Personal statement: 3 or 4 sentences, like the examples above.
3. Key skills: 6 to 10 skills from the keyword lists that are true for you.
4. Experience: most recent job first, with 3 to 5 bullet points each.
5. Education and training: qualifications, certificates and checks.

Use one column, standard headings and no tables, text boxes or graphics, so applicant tracking systems can read every word. Save it as a Word file unless the advert asks for a PDF.