Child Psychologist CV Guide

What to include in a Child Psychologist CV

Child psychology is a highly specialised and competitive field, and you will typically be competing with many candidates when applying for roles. Recruiters and hiring managers are likely to receive many CVs, and those that are generic and difficult to read may end up at the bottom of the pile. Therefore, you should ensure your CV is engaging and includes relevant information.

The information you include in your CV will be specific to your academic, professional and personal background. However, like most CVs, you will add your contact information, professional summary, education, work experience, key skills, achievements and references. You may also incorporate other sections to make it more compelling.

Once you have a framework for your CV, with the main sections, you can start adding the content. First, review the job description to understand the qualifications, skills and experience the organisation is asking for and identify the key requirements of the role. Make some notes if helpful and match your credentials and qualities to the job description. It will
help you tailor your CV to the specific child psychologist position.

While it can be challenging to know where to begin writing your CV, start with the straightforward section first, your contact information, and work your way through section by section. Let us look at this in further detail.

Contact information

The contact information section is the best place to start, as it is one of the easiest to complete. Here, you should provide a clear and concise introduction of who you are and how potential employers can contact you. Your information should be accurate and current so you do not miss out on any opportunities.

You should include the following at the top of your CV:

• Essential details
  • Full name – as it appears on professional records, usually in bold.
  • Professional title – usually your current or previous role, e.g. “Child Psychologist” or “Clinical/Educational Psychologist”.
  • Location – add your town, city and/or county.
  • Phone number – ensure it is current and professional, including your voicemail if you have one.
  • Email address – use a professional email, e.g. [email protected]).
• Optional additions
  • LinkedIn profile – if relevant, a well-maintained professional profile can add credibility.
  • Website or portfolio – you may want to include links if you have a professional site showcasing your work, research or therapy approach.
  • Professional memberships – you could mention affiliations under your title, such as the British Psychological Society (BPS) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Avoid
  • Full home address – your town, city and county is sufficient.
  • Personal details – do not add your age, date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, national insurance number or any other irrelevant information.
  • Photo – unless the job posting asks for one.
  • Unprofessional email – avoid casual or outdated email addresses (e.g. [email protected]).
  • Multiple phone numbers – stick to one reliable contact number.

Professional summary

Under the contact information section is a professional summary, which is sometimes known as a career objective statement, personal statement, professional profile or executive summary. It is where you provide a brief overview of your qualifications, skills, experience, and career goals and what you bring to the child psychology field. It is your way of capturing an employer’s interest and creating a good first impression.

Your professional summary should highlight your key strengths and reflect your experience working with children, therapeutic approaches and commitment to mental well-being. You should tailor it to the specific child psychologist role and ideally add no more than 3-5 lines, which can be in paragraph or bullet point form. Here are some examples of elements you may want to incorporate:

• Professional title and experience – clearly state your previous or current role and years of experience, e.g. “HCPC-registered Child Psychologist with 5+ years’ experience supporting children’s emotional and behavioural development”.
• Specialisations – highlight your key areas of expertise, e.g. “Skilled in cognitive behavioural therapy, play therapy and trauma-informed interventions”.
• Key strengths – showcase core skills, such as emotional intelligence, safeguarding and family collaboration.
• Achievements – where relevant, include measurable success, e.g. “Developed tailored intervention plans improving resilience in 100+ children”.
• Passion and approach – show commitment to child mental health and well-being, e.g. “Dedicated to fostering emotional resilience and providing compassionate, evidence-based care”.
• Career goals – briefly mention the specialisations you aim to develop, skills you are expanding and the impact you want to make in child psychology.

Here is an example of a professional summary:

“HCPC-registered Child Psychologist with five years of experience supporting children’s emotional well-being. Expertise in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), play therapy and trauma-informed care. Proven success in helping children build emotional resilience and improve behaviour. Strong background in collaborating with schools, families and healthcare teams. Passionate about using evidence-based techniques to empower young individuals.”

Ensuring your professional summary is well-written and eye-catching is essential, as it helps employers see your value right away and distinguishes you from other candidates by showcasing your unique expertise.

Education

The education section of a CV is where you provide details of the knowledge and skills you have acquired through formal learning. It can come after your professional summary or you can add your work experience first. The former may be better if you are new to the child psychologist job.

As a child psychologist, you will need specific qualifications to practice, such as an undergraduate degree and a postgraduate degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Employers will look at your CV to see if you have the academic background to practice and fulfil the role’s requirements. A well-written education section helps verify that you meet their needs.

When you write the education section, you should include key qualifications that showcase your academic background and expertise in psychology and child development. Here are some examples of what to include:

• Degrees – include your highest degree first, e.g. Masters or Doctorate, e.g. Psychology, Child Psychology or Educational Psychology, and any additional related qualifications.
• University name and dates – add the full name of the university and years of study, e.g. University of Birmingham, 2018–2021.
• Relevant coursework and specialisations – include key modules related to child psychology, e.g. Child Development, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Educational Assessment, etc. You could also add details of your dissertation or research project.
• Awards and honours – include any academic awards, scholarships or honours you received during your education.
• Professional certifications, memberships and registration – you could add British Psychological Society (BPS) Accreditation and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration. You could also include additional certifications in therapy methods, e.g. CBT, Play Therapy, Autism Interventions, etc.
• Ongoing professional development – CPD is essential for child psychologists, so you may want to provide details of any courses, workshops, seminars and conferences you have attended.

Do not worry about including lower qualifications, such as GCSEs and A Levels (or equivalent), unless the job posting mentions them. Focus on your higher education and professional development in this section.

Work experience/employment history

As a child psychologist, you will require academic qualifications and practical experience. The latter you will add to the work experience section, where you detail your previous roles that have helped you develop skills and expertise in working with children and young people. If you are starting your career, you can provide details of relevant placements, research projects, internships and voluntary work.

The work experience section is essential in your CV, which you can add before or after your education section. It demonstrates your expertise with assessments, therapy and child development. It shows you can put the theory you have learned into practice and gives you a competitive edge, especially if you highlight specialisms, e.g. working with neurodivergent children.

When adding your roles, you should include them in reverse chronological order (most recent first) and include the following information:

• Heading – include a heading, “Work Experience” or “Employment History”.
• Professional title – clearly state your job title for each of your previous roles – be specific, e.g. “Child Psychologist”.
• Organisation name – include who you worked for and where you worked, e.g. clinics, schools, hospitals or research institutes. If you worked for yourself, add self- employed.
• Dates of employment – mention the month and year you started and ended each role (month/year), e.g. “September 2022-Present”.
• Key responsibilities – highlight specific tasks you undertook related to child psychology, e.g. assessments, therapy, interventions, etc. Keep them brief and include 3-5 examples.
• Achievements and impact – rather than just listing your duties, you can also include measurable outcomes, e.g. improvements in children’s behaviour or mental health. We will look at achievements later.
• Relevant internships and placements – include these if you are early in your career, as they can be especially valuable.

Add your responsibilities and achievements in bullet point form and start each one with an action verb, e.g. “assessed”, “implemented”, “collaborated” and “developed”. Also, tailor them to the job by highlighting your most relevant experiences and skills.

Key skills and achievements

After your education or work experience section, you should include your key skills and achievements. You can weave them into your work experience or have standalone sections. Adding these to your CV shows employers what you can do and how well you have done it.

Your key skills are abilities and competencies that help you succeed in a job or career, i.e. things you can do well. There are two main categories of skills, hard and soft, for example:

• Hard skills (technical and professional expertise) – are measurable, job-specific abilities learned through education, practice and on-the-job training. Some examples of hard skills for a child psychologist include:
  • Psychological assessment – conducting diagnostic evaluations and assessments.
  • Therapeutic techniques – proficiency in CBT, play therapy, family therapy, etc.
  • Child development knowledge – understanding cognitive, emotional and social growth.
  • Safeguarding and child protection – compliance with safeguarding laws.
  • Behavioural interventions – developing strategies for emotional and behavioural concerns.
  • Research and data analysis – interpreting psychological studies for treatment planning.
  • Report writing – preparing detailed assessments for schools, courts or healthcare.
  • Ethical practice and confidentiality – adhering to professional standards and GDPR.
• Soft skills (interpersonal and personal qualities) – enable effective interactions and relationship-building with children, families and colleagues. Some examples of soft skills for a child psychologist include:
  • Empathy and patience – connecting with children in distress.
  • Communication – explaining psychological concepts clearly to parents and professionals.
  • Active listening – not just hearing what someone is saying, but listening carefully.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making – assessing situations and making informed recommendations.
  • Adaptability and resilience – handling challenging cases and evolving best practices.
  • Trust-building and rapport – creating a safe and comfortable space for children.
  • Collaboration and teamwork – working with teachers, social workers and healthcare staff.
  • Cultural awareness and sensitivity – understanding diverse backgrounds and needs.

Look at the job description and highlight the hard and soft skills mentioned. Include your most relevant skills that align with the employer’s requirements. Many organisations use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that scan for keywords in CVs, so including relevant key skills can increase your chances of getting to the interview stage.

You can also include achievements along with your skills in a separate section. These are accomplishments highlighting your successes and contributions in previous roles or experiences. They demonstrate your value to employers, showcasing measurable results, awards, completed projects, or notable milestones. We will look at how to focus on your achievements later.

Other information

The main sections within a CV include your contact information, professional summary, education, work experience, key skills, achievements and references. However, you may find that you have information that will not fit into these sections or want certain aspects of your credentials to stand out. If this is the case, you can add other sections and information to your CV, and here are some examples you could include:

• Professional memberships – you could have a separate section listing affiliations, such as BPS (British Psychological Society) or HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council).
• Certifications – you could leave your education section for your degrees and have a standalone one for additional training and courses, such as safeguarding training, trauma-informed therapy or special needs support. You could also include information about DBS checks.
• Publications and research – you can highlight whether you have contributed to psychology journals or studies, as it can demonstrate your expertise in the field.
• Continuing professional development (CPD) – to maintain registration, you will need to carry out a set number of hours of CPD. You could emphasise this by detailing any workshops, seminars, conferences, webinars and networking events you have organised, presented or attended.
• Volunteer experience – you can include this information in your work experience section if you have had limited paid roles. Alternatively, you can include it separately to demonstrate your commitment, such as working with charities or youth organisations.
• Languages and technical skills – speaking additional languages can be useful when working with diverse children and families. You could also include technical skills, such as proficiency in psychological assessment tools or software used in therapy and research.
• Hobbies and interests – only include this section if it is relevant and to show personality and relevant passions, like child development, mindfulness, meditation, creative therapies, other well-being practices, etc. You could also include reading psychology-related books, research or writing about mental health topics.
• Testimonials – if you have been self-employed, you could provide positive feedback or testimonials from parents and children that showcase your effectiveness and expertise.

Additional sections help highlight your unique qualifications, expertise and personality beyond basic credentials. They showcase special skills, research, memberships and experiences that make you stand out as the best candidate.

If you add additional sections and information to your CV, ensure they are relevant and add value. Get a balance and not add too many, as you do not want a cluttered CV that is difficult for prospective employers to read.

References

The last section in most CVs is the reference section. It is where you will list individuals (referees) who can vouch for your skills, experience, work ethic and character. Referees are usually former employers, managers, colleagues or mentors. If you are early in your career, they may also include professors, lecturers, tutors and supervisors. Choose 2-3 individuals who can speak to your competence in child psychology.

Strong references enable prospective employers to verify your academic and professional history, making you a more credible candidate. It can also build trust and help them know they are choosing the most suitable person for the child psychologist role.

When completing the reference section, add a heading titled “References”. You should then check the job posting to see if they are asking for specific referee details at this stage. If not, add “References available upon request” under the heading. It can help if you have limited space on your CV. If you are required to add referee information, here are some examples of what to add:

• Name – full name of the referee.
• Job title – their current role or previous title when you worked with them.
• Organisation – the name of the organisation or company they work (or worked) for.
• Contact information – a phone number and a professional email address.
• Relationship to you – Briefly state how you worked together, e.g. “Former Manager at XYZ Company” or “University Professor during my Psychology Studies”.

Always ask for permission before adding individuals’ information to your CV and ensure it is accurate and kept up-to-date. You could also provide your referees with details about the specific child psychologist job you are applying for so they can tailor their references accordingly.