We have made a simple step by step guide to help you through the process of applying for care work, from reading your CV through to attending an interview.
Tailor Your CV to Care Work
Your Care Work CV should start with a list of past work experience, be it paid or voluntary. In your work experience section highlight your personal qualities and go into details of any previous work where you have supported individuals in their daily lives. In your education section, make sure to include any relevant qualifications such as QQI Level 5, NVQ’s and any relevant manual handling certificates. Keep your CV to a maximum of two A4 pages.
Write a Focused Cover Letter
Read the job description carefully and address it in your cover letter. Set out your reasons for applying for the position and provide examples of when you provided good support to others. Your cover letter should be no more than one page in length.
Gather Your Documents Early
Also gather your Photo ID, 2 references and any relevant training records prior to applying for jobs. Many care worker jobs will also require a Garda vetting application to be completed as part of the recruitment process (Ireland or DBS check applied for as part of the recruitment process in the UK. Apply for your Garda vetting certificate early in the job application process as it can take some time to be processed.
What Happens After You Apply
Most employers will shortlist within a couple of weeks of applying and then invite you to interview or even a trial shift for a couple of hours as a Care assistant with Caremark. A useful reference for Care Worker Jobs is https://www.caremark.ie/job-opportunities/care-assistant-job-opportunities.
Prepare for the Interview
The care worker interview can consist of values based questions such as “Tell me about a time when you respected the dignity of an individual” and Safeguarding scenarios. Find out your rights during the job application process.
A little preparation for each stage of the process makes it a lot less daunting.
