Social Work Cover Letter: Express Your Empathy!Here's an example of a social work cover letter (applicable to all social service jobs) that incorporates a different approach than the usual format to a cover letter. It's written from the perspective of an employee seeking a promotion at an organization she has already worked at for some time. This is a well-written social work cover letter because it focuses on what employers most want to hear from social work applicants: a) strong empathy and b) a powerful combination of specific social work skills with strong examples of both paid and volunteer work experience. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Joan C. Weeral Today's Date Ms. Sheila Armstrong Dear Ms. Armstrong, Please accept the accompanying resume as my application for the Supervisor of Youth Programs position posted on the Blue Hill Community Center website. I have enjoyed working with you personally on unit-wide projects over the past few months, and know that I am well suited for this position for the following reasons: Leadership: I offer leadership experience both as a pro-active team member at Blue Hill and a previous national program coordinator with the YWCA of Greater Louisiana. Part of my role during my 3 years at the YWCA involved providing daily supervision of a cultural exchange program. This featured guiding the progress and encouraging the growth of 4 regional staff. Case Management: Throughout each of my 31 months at Blue Hill, I have demonstrated a strong and enduring commitment to case management. Case management means regular pro-active, supportive follow-up with clients, and building mutually-beneficial relationships with other Blue Hill staff as well as staff from external agencies. It also means keeping up-to-date paperwork to ensure that our programs receive the continuing support they deserve from funders. Experience Working with Youth: I enjoyed working at the Blue Hill Youth Employment Centre for over 17 months before transferring to my current position. I built rapport and trust with many youth clients - gently encouraging them to try new things, learn from their experiences, and face the ongoing challenge of building and maintaining their self esteem. Empathy: All of my previous jobs involved offering my empathy to both clients and staff. Most notably, for the past 7 years I have volunteered at the Survivor Support Center. This 6-week counselling program supports and protects people who have lost a loved one through suicide, and helps them to gradually renew their interest and confidence in life. Thank you for considering my application. I see this vacancy as an opportunity for me to expand my service to Blue Hill Community Center through doing more of what I most enjoy: Championing both staff and clients through guiding and encouraging them to develop to their fullest potential. Sincerely,
Joan C. Weeral - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Empathy is Most Important More than anything, social work cover letters need to express strong empathy and not come across as overly-analytical or full of stats and numbers. In a nutshell, the social work employer wants to know if you are “emotionally available” to your clients and how much of a natural fit you are for a job that requires you to address complex and emotionally-taxing situations on a daily basis. The biggest questions the employer is asking when reading your social work cover letter is, “Is this person genuinely warm and friendly, can she build rapport quickly with clients and staff, and can she handle it when someone cries or "gets emotional" in their presence?” We can learn many skills through practice or imitation. Unfortunately, empathy is not one of them. If you can declare your empathy up front and then follow up later in your social work cover letter with some clear examples of this from your work history, then you are well on your way to your next social work job!
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