As a health visitor, you will be working with families to promote their health and well-being. You will mainly provide support, advice and guidance to parents who have new babies until the child reaches the school-starting age of 5 years old.
There are limited vacancies for this specialist role so you will need to have a strong health visitor CV to stand out from the crowd and impress the employer.
Use this comprehensive guide to write your perfect CV and secure an interview for this rewarding job!
I am a highly motivated, outgoing and dedicated Health Visitor with a passion for supporting and helping people from all ages and a variety of backgrounds. I have worked for more than two years of providing excellent service to patients in hospitals, GP surgeries, families’ homes and community clinics. My greatest passion in life is to help people, and I get great satisfaction from seeing the positive change that I make in people’s lives; particularly in giving young children the best possible start in life.
Achievements
Volunteer Nurse, 2015
Graduated from University in the 10% of students by grade, 2015
President of Nursing Society, 2013
Education
2013 – 2016
BSc (Hons) Nursing
University of Nottingham
Grade achieved: 2:1
Relevant Modules:
Public Health and Child Development
Principles of Children’s Nursing
Person-Centred Nursing Practice (Foundations)
Personal and Professional Development
2011 – 2013 Results: Psychology: A Sociology: A English: B
A Levels
High Pavement Sixth Form
2004 – 2011 Results: 10 GCSEs at Grades A*-C.
GCSEs
Nottingham Girls High School
Work experience
Aug 2016 – Present
Health Visitor NHS, Sandwell
Main duties performed:
Assisting parents in the upbringing of their young children
Tracking the child’s growth and development milestones
Offering support to new mothers as part of the NHS post-natal support service
Encouraging parents to participate in Child Immunisation programmes
Providing feeding and nutrition advice
Supporting children with special needs
Working with people who may have mental health issues or depression
Organising events for members of the public including clinics or drop-in centres
Regularly liaising with midwives, teachers, community nurses, GPs, paediatricians, consultants and other interdisciplinary teams
Working closely with other agencies such as housing and social services
Reporting any reasons for concern to the relevant child protection bodies
Regularly visiting patients to ensure that they are looked after properly
Mar 2015 – Jul 2015
Student Nurse NHS, Sandwell
Main duties performed:
Managing and completing both practical and theoretical university work
Working and shadowing professionals within a hospital environment
Developing communication, organisational and people skills
Administer routine medicine if and when required
Assessing patient’s symptoms and advising accordingly
Conducting medical history check through interviews and research
Carrying out general admin duties (answering calls, sending emails, photocopying and printing, booking appointments, etc)
Qualifications
Level 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support
Level 2 Certificate and Diploma in Medical Administration
Training in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults
Skills
Running clinics, antenatal classes and parenting, playing and weaning groups
Fully trained in child accident prevention and dealing with postnatal depression
Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
Expert knowledge in behavioural management techniques
Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office and related computer programs
Hobbies
I am an active member of my local football society and have recently been voted Captain of my team. Not only does this give me the opportunity to keep fit and healthy, but it is also an excellent way to make new friends and develop my communication skills outside of a work environment.
Adopt a standard CV structure: A typical CV structure contains the following sections in order; personal details, personal profile, achievements, employment, education, skills, hobbies and references. It’s a good idea to stick to this well-known CV format because employers are familiar with it. As employers only tend to spend around 30 seconds reading each CV, an unconventional CV structure will make it harder for them to find the important information that they need.
Use an appropriate CV heading: Many applicants make the mistake of using “CV” or “Curriculum Vitae” as the heading of their CVs. Instead, the main heading of your CV should be your name, written in bold letters and centred on the page.
Use short sentences and bullet points: It is well-known that employers tend to scan CVs rather than read them in great detail. You should break down the long paragraphs of your CV into easily digestible pieces of information by using short paragraphs, short sentences and bullet points. This will improve the scannability and readability of your CV and ensure that none of your important information is missed by the employer when they review your CV.
Use a professional font: With hundreds of fonts to choose from, you may be wondering which font is the best for your CV. Our recommendation is to choose a font that is professional, easy to read and mainstream. Any font that meets these criteria, such as Verdana, Times New Roman, Georgia, Ariel and Helvetica, is an excellent choice. Fancy fonts, such as handwriting fonts, are a big no-no.
The next part of your CV will contain a short introductory paragraph known as your personal profile statement. It briefly informs the employer about your personal characteristics, experience and abilities.
Studies have shown that employers read an applicant’s personal profile in detail before making a decision about their suitability for the job.
Guidelines:
Keep it short and to the point (3-5 sentences are more than enough).
Summarise the reasons that make you a strong candidate for the role.
Back up everything you say with facts and figures.
I am a friendly and methodical health visitor with more than 5 years of experience working in various health-related roles in NHS hospitals. I started my career as a nurse providing direct care to patients and then progressed to complete the Specialist Community Public Health Nursing – Health Visiting (SCPHN – HV) training programme to become a qualified health visitor. I have worked with more than two hundred families and supported them in all aspects of health and well-being. I take great pride in my work and wish to utilise my skills and abilities to better the lives of other people.
Achievements
Your achievements or accomplishments are a testimony of your skills, abilities and commitment to succeed in everything you do.
Examples of achievements to include on your CV:
Awards received
Promotions at work
Trained/Educated others
Completed important projects on time and within budget
Saved time by coming up with efficient methods and tools
Important qualifications gained
Good results in examinations and tests
Elected for leadership roles (project manager, team leader, etc.)
Example:
Over five years of work experience in the healthcare industry
The employment section of your CV should contain details of your previous jobs and work experience, such as full-time jobs, part-time jobs, professional placements and voluntary positions.
Guidelines:
Write in reverse chronological order (most recent job first).
Give details of your key responsibilities, duties and achievements.
If you have a lot of work experience, you should omit mentioning very old, insignificant or irrelevant jobs. Doing so will keep your CV tidy and organised and free up valuable space for other important information.
January 2021 – Present
Health visitor Birmingham Healthcare Centre
Main duties and responsibilities performed:
Planned, developed and delivered a range of services for children and their families.
Provided information, advice and guidance to families.
Supported vulnerable or disabled children and their families.
Promoted continued development of the children.
Assessed the complex health needs of children and offered appropriate medical recommendations to promote health and prevent harm.
Worked together with colleagues for the safeguarding of young children.
The qualifications section contains details of any other qualifications you hold, such as professional training qualifications.
Example:
Level 2 Certificate in Caring for the Elderly – The Skills College
Skills
The only reason recruiters hire people is because of the skills, abilities and talents they bring to the organisation. The skills section of your CV should contain a list of your key skills, abilities and competencies that demonstrates to the employer that you have all the required skills and abilities to do the job well.
Example:
Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated in my ability to work with a variety of people from all age groups and walks of life.
Excellent organisation skills, demonstrated in my ability to manage a heavy workload and meet tight deadlines
Punctuality, demonstrated in attending appointments on time
Good knowledge of healthcare, wellbeing and child development
The hobbies and interests section can add great value to your CV (if used correctly).
For example, mentioning that you enjoy exercising or going to the gym indicates to the employer that you are a fit and healthy individual who takes care of their health and well-being. This fits perfectly with the role of a health visitor as their job is to promote healthy lifestyles to families.
Example:
In my free time, I enjoy going for walks, exercising at the gym and reading non-fiction books to expand my knowledge.
References
The last section of your CV contains details of your two references, people who know you well and can vouch for you to the employer. One of your references must be your current or former employer, the other can be anyone who has worked with you and knows you well, such as your former manager, teacher, coach, etc.
Example:
Ms Claire Summers Health Visitor Manager, Coventry Hospital Address: 7 Station Road, Coventry, C2 3GF Tel: 07663576088 Email:[email protected]
Mr Kane Eastwood NHS Health Manager, NHS London Address: 93 Sunny Street, London, L72 1PQ Tel: 0787435684203 Email:[email protected]
Note: You can write “references are available upon request” if you do not wish to write your references on your CV. Check out this article for more information and the pros and cons of writing your references on your CV.
Focus on your skills and abilities: Studies have shown that skills-focused CVs are better received by employers than duties-focused CVs. You can include your skills in many parts of your CV such as in the personal profile, employment and skills sections. Always back up your skills with real-life examples and situations.
Working with children: As a health visitor, you will be working with and around young children most of the time. You should make clear on your CV that you love working with children and that you want to make a positive impact on them at these crucial moments of their lives.
Travelling: You will be making daily trips to and from clinics, GPs and community centres to meet families in their homes. Stating that you have a full, clean driving license and your own method of transportation (car) will give a nice boost to your CV.
Written by Sobhan Mohmand Sobhan is a qualified Careers Advisor and Professional CV Writer with over 10 years of experience in helping job seekers get a job. He is a Member of the Careers Development Institute (CDI) and is listed on the official UK Register of Career Development Professionals. He holds a Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development (QCF).
