How to Write a Killer School Counselor Resume: Examples and Tips

If you love working with children or enjoy assisting students to the best of your ability, you might be interested in becoming a student counselor. As a school counselor, your task is to make sure that the students can learn with easily-accessible support in a safe learning environment. 

Do keep note that while a guidance counselor is often used in the place of a school counselor, they have a few distinctions that set one apart from another. The main difference is that a guidance counselor assists a few students with mental health issues while a school counselor supports any student in a general way. 

Leave a strong impression on the hirer with a professional school counselor resume and get an interview.

The simplest way to get started is with an organized outline of what information you will need to include in your school counselor resume. 

🖋 Step 1: Write an attention-grabbing school counselor resume headline. 

On your school counselor resume, there should be a captivating headline stating who you are and what your talents are. 

🖋 Step 2: Craft a professional summary for your school counselor resume.

Following a strong introduction, your summary statement should wrap up what will later be discussed throughout your school counselor resume. 

🖋 Step 3: Include key school counselor skills for your resume. 

Whether you are a current student looking to create a school counselor intern resume, or an experienced counselor seeking to craft a guidance counselor resume, you can leave a great impression by including the skills required for the job. 

🖋 Step 4: Customize the school counselor resume to the role. 

Similar to how each student might need various types of assistance, each school counselor position might require different qualifications. Carefully review what the recruiter is looking for in the applicant so that you can effectively prove your qualifications and credentials in your school counselor resume.

🖋 Step 5: Review your school counselor resume. 

As a school counselor, you will need to have patience and be attentive to juggle many issues that each student may have. Show that you are dedicated and detail-oriented by sending in a mistake-free school counselor resume.

Your own experiences can guide you in finding the best way to arrange your school counselor resume. If you are starting with an entry-level school counselor resume, you might find it easier to use a functional resume while if you are an old-timer forming a school counselor resume, you might find it more effective with the chronological format.  

• Chronological resume format:
  • Experiences and accomplishments organized chronologically (latest to earliest)
  • Effective for experienced job seekers

• Functional resume format:
  • Emphasis on skills, qualifications, and accomplishments
  • Effective for career gapers or those with limited experience

• Combinational resume format:
  • Emphasis on both skills and chronologically-arranged work experience (latest to earliest)
  • Suitable for people with extensive experience and diverse skills

If you are new at creating a school counselor resume or stuck on how to get started on one, using a school counselor resume template might help you organize your ideas easier. 

➡️ Microsoft Office

You can select from countless already-made resume template options in MS Word. The goal here is to browse and choose a design that you like and fill in the content for your school counselor resume. 

• Remember to use bullet points and bolding to make it reader-friendly.
• Make sure the font size is legible and that the school counselor resume is saved as a PDF file.

➡️ Online Resume Builder

Similar to Microsoft Office, you will have several pre-made resume templates. The difference here is that you will want to select just one resume template that you like and personalize it to make your school counselor resume by adding and editing the different sections.

Regardless of whether you are creating a high school counselor resume or an elementary school counselor resume, below are some of our top pieces of advice that can help you upgrade your resume.

✅ Dos

• Tailor the school counselor resume and include only relevant information.

The hirer will want a school counselor who is fully dedicated throughout the whole process. Your school counselor resume should be personalized for the position so that it can accurately reflect your dedication. 

• Add measurable results as examples in the work experience section of your school counselor resume.

Whether it’s the number of students that you support every week, or the improvement rate of student motivation, adding numerical details in your school counselor resume can give the hirer a better idea of your potential and ability.

• Optimize your school counselor resume for ATS.

Ensure that your resume passes the applicant tracking system by carefully reviewing the school counselor job description for your resume.  This way, you can be sure the hirer will get a chance to review your resume. 

• Choose the suitable format for your school counselor resume. 

Remember that while you do have four different options to select from for your school counselor resume, using the one that best fits can lead to higher chances of landing an interview. 

• Feature active verbs in your school counselor resume. 

When you create your school counselor resume, incorporate action verbs in the summary statement and work experience examples. 

❌ Don’ts

• Don't mix up a school counselor resume with a school counselor CV.

Keep in mind that a CV is a comprehensive record of your past achievements and experience while your school counselor resume is customized to contain only relevant accomplishments. 

• Don't use an old-style school counselor resume objective statement. 

Hirers prefer to see a summary statement in your school counselor resume due to its focus on your abilities. 

• Don't disclose confidential information about previous employers.

As a school counselor, you will work with many students and the personal information of each student will need to be kept confidential. The same goes with your previous employers, prove to the recruiter that you are trustworthy.

• Don't include excessive personal details that might lead to discrimination.

Avoid chances of the hiring manager skipping your school counselor resume due to any prejudice. Include what is needed and steer clear of personal details such as race, religion, or sexuality. 

• Don't send your school counselor resume as a word document. 

Make your hard work count by saving your school counselor resume as a PDF file. This way, you can ensure that your layout, format, and information are shown exactly how you want them.