Correctional Officer Resume

Correctional officers have a tough but essential job. They work in a high-stress environment, thinking quickly in dangerous situations and ensuring the safety of the inmates.

But writing a resume for a correctional officer position doesn’t need to be as difficult as the work you’re targeting. Our three easy tips will help you put together a correctional officer resume that lands you a job at your preferred facility:

1. Write an eye-catching summary for your correctional officer resume

The first thing the correctional facility hiring manager will see on your resume is your resume summary — so use this space wisely. Ensure this short paragraph quickly grabs an employer’s attention by showing why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

In 3–4 sentences, spotlight your skills, experience, and career accomplishments as a correctional officer that best match the requirements in the job ad. Here’s an example of a well-written correctional officer summary:

When you write your resume summary, use exact keywords from the job description. Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for selected words. If your resume doesn’t match the keywords, it might get automatically disqualified before it even reaches the recruiter’s computer screen.

To avoid having your resume rejected by ATS, underline keywords or phrases in the job description and requirements. Then work these words into your summary and throughout the rest of your resume sections to ensure your application gets past the ATS.

2. Highlight your correctional officer skills

In moments of crisis, correctional officers must stay calm and act decisively. Therefore, employers need to know they can rely on your good judgment to protect the order and safety of their facility.

To assure an employer you have what it takes, highlight your skills in enforcing regulations and de-escalating conflicts, as well as your respect for the legal rights of the inmates.

Here’s a list of some hard and soft skills you can include in your work experience section:

• Physical fitness
• Search procedures
• Problem solving skills
• Restraint techniques
• Communication skills
• Teamwork
• Record maintenance
• Safety policies
• Firearm & taser use
• Leadership skills
• Inmate rehabilitation

Remember that certain facilities require specialized skills. For instance, juvenile prisons focus on corrective training programs to lead young inmates down a better path. But a correctional officer working in maximum-security facilities may need extra training to monitor the psychological welfare of inmates.

3. Specify your correctional officer experience with hard numbers

Correctional facilities can differ widely across different states. That’s why it’s important to be specific about your work experience on your resume.

One way to do that is by listing exact numbers to quantify your work experience. For example, include precise numbers for the:

• size of prisons you worked at
• cells you monitored
• inmates you oversaw
• reports you logged daily
• officers you trained or supervised

Here’s an example of how to use hard numbers to work history:

• Supervise the daily activities of 600+ inmates by restraining attempts of violence, enforcing security procedures, conducting daily safety audits, and reporting any alarming occurrences
• Inspect conditions of gates, grills, and window bars of 300+ cells and perform periodic patrols of work areas to ensure the institution’s integrity and prevent assaults on staff or other prisoners

By listing numbers, this work experience entry gives a thorough scope of this correctional officer’s past roles.

So remember to quantify your own correctional resume’s work experience as much as possible to give an employer a clearer idea of what responsibilities you can handle and what makes you stand out.