Getting Into Social Care: How To Write A Job Application That Might Just Make The Difference

Zuva gives a quick tip that will help you get your first job when applying for a role in care.

You have taken a keen interest in wanting to join the Social Care sector, whether that is as a Care Assistant or any other role you feel confident to apply for.

Whilst experience is necessary for some senior roles and some companies may prefer somebody from within the sector to take on the role; that is not entirely true of the whole sector.

In fact, we know that the sector welcomes new talent because on any given day there is always more than 100,000 vacancies available and the government has made it clear that they want people to join Social Care.

What Is The Problem?

The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an influx of applications for Care Assistants and with that growing scepticism by some employers who questioned whether people were entering the sector for “genuine” reasons.

With many people having lost their jobs in other industries there were some employers that felt that people were applying for Care jobs to just make ends meet.

As a result, they made their recruitment process more selective.

Post lockdown, you now face the challenge of competing for jobs with thousands of other job seekers as things slowly get back to normal.

So, what can you do to give yourself the best chance of securing your first job in Social Care successfully?

In this brief article we'll talk about how you need to find your transferable skills.

Skills Assessment

If you are switching career to join the Social Care sector for the first time, it is likely that you fall short on experience for the role that you are applying for and whilst experience may not be necessary, your CV should highlight any transferrable skills you have.

If you are not sure how to do this, then you may find it useful to get in touch with the National Careers Service where you will be able to do a skills assessment and get tailored advice on any knowledge gaps you may need to fill.

Another way to assess yourself is to read the person specification of your ideal role and use it as a “checklist” to see how you measure up.

Once you complete that, you will know the best course of action to take, to make yourself the ideal candidate for the job.

Begin acquiring new skills before you even apply for your first Social Care job, this will show your prospective employers that you are willing to learn and are self-motivated; traits which they will find appealing.

In any Social Care role, you may take, there will be continuous learning so it is beneficial to begin building the skill of learning before you enter the sector, so it becomes easier for you as you progress.

Conclusion

Even though the sector needs new talent and has the potential to provide you with a fulfilling and lasting career, make no mistake in believing that it will be easy.

Successfully applying for your first Social Care job requires patience and effort as well as a keen interest in wanting to help others.

Nevertheless, get out there and start talking to people!

We hope you'll start your search here - find some care assistant roles on Nurses.co.uk!