School Counselor
Resume Example

Are you a certified/licensed school counselor looking for a new place to work? or a fresh graduate who has completed a master’s degree in counseling. Well, whatever your reason is, You have made two right choices. One to become a school counselor and next, to land on the right page to build up your resume.

What is usually included in a School Counselor resume?

• Heading: Name, email, city and state, and phone number also web and LinkedIn
• Summary: A brief statement written by highlighting your skills and achievements.
• Experience: Listing of positions that relate to the type of work sought.
• Skills: List the skills which you want to highlight relevant to your position.
• Education: Properly list your education starting with your most recent degree.
• Languages: Describe your level of language in a separate section.
• Certifications: List all areas of certification relevant to the position.

For more successful tips to make a top-notch resume. Feel free to keep reading.

Why do you need a good School Counselor resume?

Imagine that you are a pro and we can give you 10/10 for that but communication-wise you are 1/10. Do you think people will perceive you? NO, it doesn’t. The same applies here. Even if you are too good at being a counselor and you have no idea how to build up a perfect resume. Your job-hunting stops right there.

That’s why we are going to help you build up your resume to create a winning resume.

How to write a School Counselor resume.

Learn about the career path of a school counselor so you know what exactly the job you are looking for wants you to do. The smartest way is to read the job posting/s. It will help you to find the right keywords to use in your school counselor resume. They should match your background or experience.

01. Your Resume Header Comes First

The first thing in your resume is the contact headline. Therefore, it is the most important information on your resume. 

Regardless of how good your resume is, if they can’t find the correct information to contact you, you will not get an interview. It is the first thing your employer looks at. Therefore, Double-check that your contact details are correct!

HOW TO PRESENT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION

• Use your full name, first and last. Make sure not to add nicknames or titles. Use bold text.
• Do not write the full address. Just stick to the City and state that go on one line.
• It is important to include an email address in your contact information.
• If you have a Web site use its Page Hyperlink.

The following resume header example layout has become the most common one to use in a resume.

02. Resume Summary

Summary is like an advertisement. It focuses on your most important skills and accomplishments you can bring to the table. You write the summary because you let employers get an idea about you. Therefore, it is crucial to write your Summary with impact. If it is poorly written, it will affect your interview.

HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE SUMMARY

• Highlight qualities that will catch the employer’s attention, such as “more than 20 years experience,” 
• Be specific and give details by quantifying your achievements.
• Do not exaggerate.
• Limit your summary to five or six lines.
• Use action verbs and keywords.

03. Work Experience

Experience section is the one that most employers take time and read. Why? because they are checking whether you have the experience and skills to do your job. In your case, as a school counselor whether you are suitable to work with students

Some say to include all your jobs others say not to. Which one is correct? well, The way of writing resumes evolves every day. The best practice is to mention previous jobs relevant to the role as a school counselor. However, When you list your experience, don’t overdo it. Be selective and create a positive image.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE.

• Company’s Name must be included.
• List the city and state where your past employer is located never the full address.
• Employers need to see your dates of employment.
• Use a generic job title.
• Do not write Duties and Responsibilities.
• List your most impressive accomplishments.

04. Educational Qualifications

How to become a school counselor? The first step is to earn a four years bachelor’s degree in a related field. Your first, Bachelor’s degree does not necessarily have to be related to counseling but if you do, it will definitely help you through.

The second step is to earn a two years master’s degree in school counseling from an accredited university. However, If you have both and have thought of changing the place of work. Be sure to let other people know that you are the best. 

How can you show that? Apart from the Experience Section, the next most important section is this. Your Education Qualifications must be highlighted.

If you have mentioned your college degree, there is no need to mention your high school diploma. Use a reverse chronology and mention your degrees.

05. Skills

Everyone has a unique combination of skills. First, you have to identify the skills that you can offer to your employer. Always remember that Your skills are your asset. Skills can be acquired through experience as well as formal education. 

Many School counselors are unemployed and apply for jobs as they want to change their current employment setting. However, in such a setting, you need to emphasize the “transferable skills” and show to a potential employer that you are capable of applying your acquired skills to new tasks.

Here are the most wanted skills for a school counselor that you can use in your resume.

Skills for a School Counselor resume

• Academic and career counseling
• Analytical skills
• Career development
• Computer skills
• Conflict resolution
• Counseling and administration
• Critical thinking
• Decision making
• Developmental awareness
• Empathy
• Family and teacher consulting
• Information recall
• Interpretation
• Knowledge of laws and regulations
• Leadership skills
• Mental health counseling
• Note-taking
• Observational skills
• Patience
• Problem-solving
• Program development and coordination
• Reasoning skills
• Research skills
• Scheduling
• Self-awareness
• Student appraisal
• Student assessment
• Student guidance
• Student placement
• Teamwork skills
• Time management
• Trustworthiness
• Understanding of ethics
• Evaluation skills.

06. Certifications

Do certificates matter on resumes? Many jobs that required specialized degrees require

certification beyond one’s degree. So do the school counselors. Having a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree will help you through. But, Certifications help you to go up the ladder. Be sure to add your certifications only if they support your candidacy. Do not include outdated or irrelevant certifications.

Having Certifications in your school counselor resume shows your interest to keep with current trends, effective practices, and successful techniques. It is a plus point to you.

More resume tips for your Architect resume

You are almost done. Followings are the top tips to make your resume outstanding and unique which will help to get past the ATS.

Tip 01

In today’s job market where many companies use Applicant Tracking Software, where a computer selects your resume based on keywords. You must carefully use keywords because you have to impress both the employer and the software. These are usually nouns, buzzwords, or phrases used to describe your position as a school counselor.

Use the following words to write your School counselor resume.

• Student Counseling 
• Curriculum Development 
• Educational Leadership
• Career Counseling 
• Staff Development 
• Classroom Management 
• Mental Health Counseling 
• Small Group Counseling 
• Lesson Planning 
• Special Education 
• Community Outreach  
• Working with Adolescents 
• Relationship Building
• Social Media
• Mental Health
• Recruiting
• Adult Education
• Workforce Development
• support students 
• contribute to the student’s success.
• provide strategies, support, and resources 
• anti-racism
• Identified student needs

Tip 02

Action verbs create a favorable image in the mind of the employer and give you an advantage. They describe you as someone who accomplishes things. Also, you can communicate your abilities and accomplishments through these power verbs.

Here is a list of Action verbs to use in your School Counselor Resume.

• Acted
• Aided
• Answered
• Arranged
• Assessed
• Assessed
• Assisted
• Cared for
• Collaborated
• Collaborated
• Communicated
• Connected
• Contributed
• Coordinated
• Counseled
• Demonstrated
• Diagnosed
• Empathized
• Encouraged
• Ensured
• Evaluated
• Evaluated
• Explained
• Facilitated
• Focused
• Guided
• Insured
• Intervened
• Intervened
• Listened
• Met
• Motivated
• Provided
• Referred
• Rehabilitated
• Represented
• Supplied
• Supported
• Tested

Tip 03

Use an Eye-Catching Layout.The best resumes are one page long but a resume shouldn’t be longer than two pages. However, your resume should be easily read and scanned by a computer. 

Tip 04
Write a personalized cover letter to be sent with your top-notch resume. You need to state exactly what you can do for the employer, and why your potential employer should hire you. Show your Enthusiasm and the Positive Attitude.

Frequently asked questions about School Counselor resumes?

01. What should a school counselor resume include?

Your resume should highlight your Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree and your top skills, such as communication, empathy and understanding.Also, highlight your experience and interaction with school children.

02. What should I leave off of my school counselor resume? 

• Irrelevant work experience
• Too much education information
• Unprofessional email
• Personal details such as your marital status, nationality, or sexual orientation.
• Pronouns  such as “I,” “me,” or “he” ,“she” 
• References

03. What resume format is best to use for my resume?

The reverse-chronological format is easy to read and widely used by many professionals.

Congratulations! you have successfully finished gathering all the information required to tailor your perfect resume! Now go get your resume done. Do your best at the interview!