School Counselor Resume: Examples, Formatting, Tips

School Counselor Resume (Text Version)

Contact Info:

Daniel Stinson
[email protected]
(404) 322-0769
Atlanta, GA 30301
linkedin.com/dstinson

Summary Statement:

School Counselor: Passionate, empathetic, and multiculturally competent school counselor. Assists students in the areas of academic, social-emotional, and career development, and provides both direct and indirect services to support students through daily challenges. Implements data-driven school counseling program aligning with the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) national model and standards. Collaborates with school and community stakeholders to ensure student success.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise

• Effective Communication
• Classroom Guidance Curriculum
• Problem Solving
• Counseling Techniques
• Collaboration
• Technology
• Community Engagement
• Consultation

Professional Experience:

Bailey Elementary School | School Counselor
Atlanta, GA | August 2017-Present

• Hold group sessions to address bullying & solve student conflict
• Work with community leaders to secure resources for students
• Provide academic counseling to students in one-on-one sessions
• Advocate for students who need accommodations in 504 meetings

Lawrence Middle School | School Counselor
Atlanta, GA | January 2013 – June 2017

• Led girls’ focus group to promote self-esteem & healthy relationships
• Conducted student sessions to address academic & personal needs
• Collaborated on program for students facing challenges at home

Communities in Schools | Site Coordinator
Athens, GA | June 2009-December 2012

• Worked to identify at-risk students in need of extra academic support
• Coordinated referrals & programs to assist both students & families
• Managed caseload of 75 students, tracked academic & social progress

Education

Master of Arts in School Counseling
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
December 2012

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
May 2009

Just like when writing an academic paper, business letter, or other formal document, formatting is crucial – you can have great content, but if you don’t lay it out correctly, your resume will find its way to the trash.

Hiring managers generally only look at a resume for about 6-seconds before they move on to the next.

With this in mind, you should always draft your school counselor resume to list information in reverse chronological order so that your most important and recent details are seen first.

You should also select a sensible font that is easy to read and make sure to space out things evenly so that the page looks clean and reads smoothly.

The first part of your resume is the summary.

You want to pack your summary with rich wording describing the array of skills you have that will make you the best candidate for this job.

For the summary to make an impact, it needs to be relatively brief so that what you say is noticeable and memorable.

Let’s look at a few examples of what we are talking about:

The “Yes!” example uses precise and descriptive language to add a feeling of professionalism and experience to the summary of the candidate.

The “No!” example is less specific in describing their skills and attributes while also talking in the first person, which is not typically acceptable for a resume.

Now that you’ve nailed the first part of your school counselor resume, it is time to add something a little more captivating to the page.

To grab someone’s attention in 6-seconds utilizing bullet points as a way to list out your skills and key accomplishments is the ticket.

Bullet points help to lay things out in a way that is easy to read and allows your main talents to jump off the page.

Just be sure to select skills that are the most impressive for the job you are applying for.

You may be able to juggle 6 glass jars in the air at the same time, but that skill won’t be a lot of help to you here.

Key Accomplishments/Areas of Expertise Examples

• Effective Communication
• Classroom Guidance Curriculum
• Problem Solving
• Counseling Techniques
• Collaboration
• Technology
• Community Engagement
• Consultation

The skills and qualifications you have should be relevant yet diverse and cover two main types: hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills, or technical skills, are the kind of skills that can be practiced, taught, and quantified.

Soft skills, or people skills, are the kind of skills that are more specific to your personality and are harder to quantify.

When it comes to school counseling, soft skills are typically where you will shine.

However, including hard skills like case assessment, crisis intervention, or a particular software proficiency is essential in creating a well-rounded resume.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested hard and soft skills to include in your resume.)

Your work history is typically going to make up the bulk of your school counselor resume.

When describing your previous jobs, it is good to try to list similar skills and qualifications that the new job is seeking.

This way, you are using your work experience to show how well you would fit into your new position.

Usually, your most recent job is your most impressive and relevant, so you will want to list your job history in reverse chronological order.

If you have been working for quite some time, you may have a large amount of work experience to choose from.

It is important to be selective when listing past jobs, so try only to list jobs that relate to the position you are applying for whenever possible.

If it comes between including a job you had at a crisis center helping people over the phone or a job you had walking dogs, the choice should be clear.

Just like with your resume summary, you want to describe the job as fully as possible while still keeping it straightforward and to the point.

The “Yes!” example uses strong and diverse power words to lend specific details that outline what the candidate accomplished at the position.

The “No!” example is short, non-descriptive, and does not give any indication of what the candidate is capable of accomplishing.

PRO TIP: When writing job descriptions, it is helpful to lend quantifying details to help paint a picture of your greatest accomplishments. For instance, if college applications and acceptance improved during your time at a school, make a bullet point for this and include a specific percentage.

More About Bots

When writing your school counselor resume, keep in mind that Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are becoming more prominent in today’s job market.

These systems are used to help hiring managers sort through resumes and pull forward ones that appear to be a good match.

ATSs, or bots, search resumes for specific keywords to decipher what makes a “good” candidate.

To impress a bot, some people recommend writing your resume in paragraph format as opposed to using bullet points in order to include more keywords.=

Standard Bullet Point Format:

Lawrence Middle School | School Counselor | Atlanta, GA | January 2013 – June 2017

• Led girls’ focus group to promote self-esteem & healthy relationships
• Conducted student sessions to address academic & personal needs
• Collaborated on program for students facing challenges at home

Paragraph Format:

Lawrence Middle School | School Counselor | Atlanta, GA | January 2013 – June 2017

Led weekly girls’ focus group to promote and increase self-esteem, confidence, and healthy relationship habits among students. Conducted individual counseling sessions to address the academic and personal/social needs of students. Worked together with the school social worker to provide programming for students experiencing challenges at home.

Paragraph Format w/Bullet Point:

Lawrence Middle School | School Counselor | Atlanta, GA | January 2013 – June 2017

Led weekly girls’ focus group to promote and increase self-esteem, confidence, and healthy relationship habits among students. Conducted individual counseling sessions to address the academic and personal/social needs of students. Worked together with the school social worker to provide programming for students experiencing challenges at home.

• Crisis Intervention
• Case Assessment

It is possible to appease an ATS while using bullet point formatting on your school counselor resume by utilizing diverse keywords, and here at Big Interview, that is what we recommend.

Bullet points are more reader-friendly than paragraphs, and your goal is to get a human reviewer to read your resume, like what they see, and call you in for an interview.

When you write your education section, you will want to list your degrees, starting with your most impressive degree first (e.g., master’s before bachelor’s)

Be sure to include the full title of your degree, the school, and the year.

Example:

Master of Arts in School Counseling
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
December 2012

It is also prudent to include any concentrations, certifications, or workshops in this section as well.

Example:

• GACE Certified
• CTE workshop

Possible Sections to Include

After you have finished your work history and your education section, you can consider including additional sections to cover anything else you feel is relevant.

Some of the sections you could include are:

• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Noteworthy Projects
• Social Media Influence
• Speaking Engagements
• Hobbies/Interests
• Volunteer Work

What if You Have No Experience?

Writing your school counselor resume can feel a bit more daunting when you have recently graduated, or are switching fields and might lack relevant work experience.

Usually, in this instance, you will want to move your education section below your summary and think about ways to enhance it.

Listing out specified courses, workshops, and certifications are all great things to include when you lack work history to help demonstrate your knowledge of the field.

Also add any internships or volunteer work that pertain to the job.

Stay confident and remember that you likely have more experience than you realize. It’s just possibly not in the form of paid work.

Phone a friend

Whenever possible, getting a second opinion on a resume can be the difference between a silly error slipping your mind and landing the job. If you can’t get someone else to read it, make sure you review it and even read it out loud to yourself.

Use the job posting

When it comes to using keywords that the hiring manager or an ATS is looking for, always look at the job posting. Use the words that they use to describe the candidate they are looking for and don’t use synonyms.

Keep it to one page

Everything you need to say can be kept to a page. Hiring managers are busy and want to see the best you’ve got right away.

Don’t forget the basics

Don’t get so caught up in all the resume specifics that you forget simple key details. Always include your contact information and LinkedIn profile.

Don’t repeat yourself

Always try to use different words when you are describing yourself or a previous job. You want to use as many power words as possible to get an ATS to notice you.

Don’t be “silly”

Always be yourself; however, we’re referring to format here. Using “fun” fonts or a strange new layout can be risky and likely will not work out in your favor. If you want to show off, do it with your words and skills, but leave the format alone.

(See below for a helpful table of some suggested power words.)

School Counselor Resume Power Words

• Administered
• Founded
• Adept
• Formulated
• Built
• Implemented
• Created
• Improved
• Consolidated
• Initiated
• Coordinated
• Launched
• Developed
• Pioneered
• Designed
• Organized

School Counselor Resume Skills List