Updated on October 25, 2022
Are you a PSW with no experience? No problem! It may sound like the type of thing you would hear in a bad infomercial, but it is true. Whether you just finished your personal support worker training or are about to, finding a job in this field can be fairly easy if you know where to look, how to market yourself to employers, and what tools to use. At Caring Support we understand all of this very well, and that is why we made it our mission to help people like you land the PSW jobs you are looking for.
Like in most industries, getting the right job is a combination of factors like your qualifications as a candidate, your ability to network, the availability of positions in the labour market, to name some of the main ones. However, in the healthcare sector, there are other variables to consider, especially if you are trying to get a PSW job with no experience in this occupation.
When you have little to no experience in the field you want to work in, you need to be smart about the type of resume you chose because the traditional model is designed to highlight exactly what you are yet to have, work experience. Instead, opt for a format that emphasizes your education and soft skills, as well as your personality. To achieve this, we recommend you create a video resume to share with recruiters and, if you decide to sign up for a caregiver profile on our platform, you can upload it for employers to find.
Read More: How to creat a video resume?
Now that you've chosen the right format, it's time to start building your resume. There are two ways you could do it: Manually by using a word processor, or automatically by using a resume builder. Keep in mind that creating a good PSW resume with no experience is essential to increase your chances of getting hired, so our recommendation is to go with the resume builder.
Lucky for you, you won't have to go far, since our Caring Support platform now has a resume builder feature for free. All you have to do is fill out your candidate profile (or create one if you're new around here) and let our platform work its magic to create a visually appealing, well-structured, and easy-to-read PSW resume in minutes. And the best part? You won't have to waste your time searching for no experience PSW resume samples! Simply log in to your Caring Support account, and follow the steps. It's that easy!
Nobody likes writing cover letters, but in some cases they are necessary. For instance, if you apply for a job through our Caring Support platform you won't need a cover letter, but if you look for a job elsewhere, chances are employers will request you submit one. In that case, there are certain things you need to focus on to make up for your current lack of work experience, like your soft skills, academic background, and professional goals. Don't be afraid to apply to jobs just because you're a new grad or just getting started in the PSW field. Instead, be confident and let that confidence show through a well-written cover letter.
It is true that when you just finish your PSW training you have no experience, but that does not mean you do not have any experience to share with employers during interviews or in your cover letter. Remember that one of the requirements to complete any personal support worker program is, according to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities of Ontario, to have at least 600 hours of class time AND practical experience time. Use that experience to show employers what you have learned in the field.
Personal support workers must be perceived as reliable because healthcare organizations, long-term care facilities, and families entrust the care of their patients, clients, and loved ones to them. That is why PSWs looking to get hired need to have their paperwork ready to prove to employers why they are the right caregiver for the job. This paperwork includes documents like recommendation letters, references, proof of immunizations, certifications in relevant skills like first aid and CPR, and criminal records.
Being a personal support worker is hard work. PSWs are not only expected to work for long shifts permanently on their feet, but they must also perform strenuous physical activity to support their clients. According to personalsupportworkerhq.com, these activities can range from helping a patient with no mobility to turn over, to carrying them yourself to give them a bath or change their position. Therefore, if you are looking for jobs in this field, you should be physically prepared for it.
As you know, PSW jobs are in high demand across Canada. Nursing homes, long-term care facilities, community centres, clinics, and hospitals are looking for skilled talent and committed team members, which is great news for anyone looking for PSW jobs in Ottawa and the rest of Ontario.
One of the best ways to have a successful job hunt is to find a way to connect with employers that are actively hiring for PSWs and caregivers in the specific location where you live or plan to relocate to. How? By joining our Caring Support Platform.
The Caring Support platform provides caregivers, including RN’s, RPN’s, PSW’s and volunteers, a location to easily showcase your professional skills and qualifications to multiple employers from one place.
Our platform has features like a video resume, that allows PSWs with no experience like you to show off your personality without even having to meet with employers. You just have to post a video resume to your profile and let your true self shine. In addition to this, our site includes a built-in messaging feature to stay in contact with future employers, so you don’t have to ever worry about losing potential job emails in your inbox.
The Caring Support Platform is much more than a job matching site. We believe we can help the healthcare system and take some of the stress out of finding a new job, by connecting PSWs, RNs, RPNs, and volunteers to the right healthcare organizations.
Our CEO, Joseph Jongsma, has said that part of our work is ensuring that the burden of searching for a new job is not placed on healthcare workers by letting their profile on the platform do all the heavy lifting, especially during these times of COVID-19, when the need for caregivers has grown.
If you are one of the hundreds of newly trained PSWs with no experience looking for a psw job right now, we hope these recommendations help you land the best position for your education and skills. Our platform has many more sources to help you start your PSW job with no experience in the healthcare industry. Good luck!
We'll keep you updated on all new application updates and features!