The Perfect Direct Support Professional Resume Writing Tips

Do you want to apply for a Direct Support Professional position to help you get closer to your career goals? Applying for jobs on Seek, LinkedIn, and other job boards can be a time-consuming process, however, to streamline the process, you can ensure your resume writing helps you to stand out from the crowd, and your online profile helps you to get an interview!

If a recruiter or hiring manager are looking for a Direct Support Professional, they are searching for specific transferable skills. With less than ten people being interviewed for the job and hundreds of people, just like you, applying, The Perfect Resume team have created Resume Writing Tips to help you stand out from the others.

What do recruiters look for in a Direct Support Professional resume or an online profile?

Tailoring your resume to a Direct Support Professional position is mandatory today to ensure that your application will pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). In doing so, your resume will be read by the prospective employer. Then, fingers crossed, you will be shortlisted as a potential candidate and be called for not one, but multiple job interviews!

Firstly, before you apply to be a Direct Support Professional, you need to be acquainted with what a Direct Support Professional does!

Direct Support Professionals handle the people with disabilities. Direct support professionals encourage them to lead independent lives and to be integrated into their communities. Direct care professionals work for schools, companies, religious institutions, and assisted living homes.

Hiring Managers are looking for a capable Direct Support Professional to assist in following guidelines and specific instructions pertaining to individual residents’ support, treatments, and care. You will assist with personal care needs, support the expression of spiritual beliefs, and encourage meaningful interactions between residents and the community. You will be an advocate for the whole community with disabilities.

To be successful as a Direct Support Professional, you should have knowledge of necessary Community Services and Development procedures, be open to learning, and have strong communication skills. Ultimately, a high performing Direct Support Professional should be able to achieve independence and inclusion in the community.

Knowing this, your resume and online profile should include the hard and soft skills that the recruiter or hiring manager is looking for in a candidate.

The Direct Support Professional position description template will also contain pivotal information about what the candidate will need to do daily. Such as:

• Establishing a secure, positive environment that nurtures residents' needs, self-expression, and goals.
• Overseeing residents and taking care of their needs, and performing housekeeping duties.
• Delivering individualized training and care for residents in compliance with healthcare professionals’ instructions and other specific guidelines.
• Advancing residents’ decision-making, productivity, and participation in a range of activities.
• Promoting independence in daily activities, such as work, learning, and leisure.
• Facilitate resident’s inclusion in the community's experiences and activities.
• Maintaining knowledge of residents’ requirements.
• Complying with the facility’s policies and procedures.
• Maintaining documentation in compliance with company procedures.
• Operating facility's vehicles in compliance with company policies and governmental statutes.

You will also have some requirements and personal attributes that you will need to demonstrate in your resume to ensure your potential employer will take your application seriously, such as:

• Completion of provided training.
• Completion of a criminal background check and health screening.
• 6+ months of social service or life experience with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
• Proficient computer skills.
• Valid driver’s license, own reliable vehicle, and good driving record.
• Comfortable with assisting residents with hygiene and medical routines.
• Availability to work shifts.
• Outstanding organizational and people skills.



You may also want to do some industry research to find out what other companies want in their Direct Support Professionals.