What skills should a Recreation Worker put on a resume?

O*NET rates Active Listening, Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Recreation Worker list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Appletree, Charting software, Corel WordPerfect Office Suite, Database software, and Desktop publishing software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Recreation Worker work?

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Activities Director, Activity Aide, Activity Director, and Recreation Supervisor. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Recreation Worker need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 62% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Recreation Worker role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Recreation Worker resume example

A resume for a Recreation Worker needs to show the work itself: conduct recreation activities with groups in public, private, or volunteer agencies or recreation facilities. Day to day that means work like this: enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety; organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Activities Director
Activity Aide
Activity Director
Recreation Supervisor
Activities Assistant
Activity Assistant
Activity Coordinator
Recreation Assistant
Recreation Coordinator
Activities Aide
Activities Coordinator
Activities Counselor
Activities Leader
Activity Leader
Activity Specialist
Camp Advisor
Camp Counselor
Camp Director

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety.
Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities.
Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities.
Administer first aid according to prescribed procedures and notify emergency medical personnel when necessary.
Complete and maintain time and attendance forms and inventory lists.
Explain principles, techniques, and safety procedures to participants in recreational activities and demonstrate use of materials and equipment.
Direct special activities or events, such as aquatics, gymnastics, or performing arts.
Supervise and coordinate the work activities of personnel, such as training staff members and assigning work duties.
Evaluate recreation areas, facilities, and services to determine if they are producing desired results.
Document individuals' progress toward meeting their treatment goals.
Greet new arrivals to activities, introducing them to other participants, explaining facility rules, and encouraging participation.

24 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Assess the needs and interests of individuals and groups and plan activities accordingly, given the available equipment or facilities, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

Appletree
Charting software
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
Database software
Desktop publishing software
GroupMe
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Word

18 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Braille materials
Calendars
Cash registers
Cashboxes
Desktop computers
Electronic scoreboards
First aid kits
Handheld calculators
Informational signs
Ladders
Laser facsimile machines
Microphones

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Active Listening
02Coordination
03Service Orientation
04Social Perceptiveness
05Speaking
06Instructing
07Monitoring
08Critical Thinking
09Time Management
10Active Learning

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

English Language
Public Safety and Security
Customer and Personal Service
Education and Training
Law and Government
Psychology
Administrative
Computers and Electronics

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

62%Bachelor's Degree
25%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
8%Associate's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Considerable Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Common questions

What does a Recreation Worker do?: Conduct recreation activities with groups in public, private, or volunteer agencies or recreation facilities. Day to day that includes work like enforce rules and regulations of recreational facilities to maintain discipline and ensure safety and Organize, lead, and promote interest in recreational activities, such as arts, crafts, sports, games, camping, and hobbies.
What skills should a Recreation Worker put on a resume?: O*NET rates Active Listening, Coordination, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Recreation Worker list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Appletree, Charting software, Corel WordPerfect Office Suite, Database software, and Desktop publishing software. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Recreation Worker work?: O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Activities Director, Activity Aide, Activity Director, and Recreation Supervisor. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Recreation Worker need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 62% reported their level of education as "Bachelor's Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Recreation Worker role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.