School Counselor Resume

School counseling is a meaningful and challenging career. At the frontlines of youth development, school counselors are in a unique position to positively impact the lives of students by promoting mental health and encouraging career development and academic achievement.

You want employers to know that you’re capable of advocating for students’ well-being and supporting them throughout their academic career. Use these three writing tips to craft a school counselor resume that reflects why you’re the ideal candidate for the role.

1. Start your resume with a strong resume objective

Your resume objective is the first thing a hiring manager will see when picking up your resume. Make sure it captures their attention by highlighting the top reasons why you’re the right person for the job.

Follow these steps to create a concise but impactful three-sentence school counselor resume objective that makes your application stand out among the rest:

• Give an overview of your experience: The first line of your objective should showcase the number of years you have worked as a school counselor. If you’re new to the profession, use this line to feature the years of experience you have working with youth in other roles.
• Show off your educational background: Use the second line of your resume objective to tell hiring managers about your educational background and any additional qualifications you possess.
• Explain what you can contribute to the school: Finish your resume objective by letting employers know how you plan on using your knowledge and skill set to help students at the school.

Here’s an example of a resume objective that successfully incorporates these elements:

“Licensed School Counselor with 5+ years of experience providing guidance to students aged 14–18 regarding career development, academic achievement and social behavior. Possess a B.A. in Psychology and MC, and recognized for ability to build rapport with students and collaborate with teachers and parents to establish effective support networks. Looking to use my interpersonal skills and passion for student advocacy to encourage your students to reach their fullest potential.”

This example highlights the candidate’s experience and education as well as the skills that make them a desirable candidate for the job.

2. Shine the spotlight on your certifications and licensure

Typically, school counselors must hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field, a master’s degree specific to counseling, and a state school counselor license.

To further increase your hireability, let the hiring manager know if you possess any additional certifications that will benefit you in the role.

Some of the certifications employers look for are:

• National Certified School Counselor
• ASCA-Certified School Counselor
• School Counselor Endorsement

When you list your certifications and licenses on your resume, remember to include:

1. The name of the certification
2. The name of the awarding institution
3. The date it was earned

Here’s an example of how to list certifications on your resume:

3. Highlight your soft skills

A critical success factor for school counselors is the ability to relate to, communicate with, and understand students. Therefore, your school counselor resume should demonstrate that you have a robust set of soft skills to back up your education and work experience.

Soft skills can be defined as the attributes and traits—such as interpersonal skills and communication skills —that determine your ability to interact with others.

Here are ten soft skills important for school counselors to include on your resume:

• Active listening
• Analysis
• Open-mindedness
• Observation
• Conflict resolution
• Reframing
• Questioning
• Trustworthiness
• Cultural intelligence
• Empathy

Below is an example of how to list soft skills in the work experience section of a resume:

“Provided mediation and conflict resolution for groups of two or more students to resolve disagreements and discourage repetition”

This example effectively demonstrates the candidate’s familiarity with conflict resolution methods, as well as their ability to apply them in a professional context.

By bringing attention to your soft skills on your resume you’re showing hiring managers that in addition to possessing the expertise required to help students succeed, you’re also someone they’ll feel comfortable approaching for advice.