5 School Counselor Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

School counselors provide support to students in their academic, social, and emotional development. Highlight your experience in developing and implementing counseling programs, collaborating with teachers and parents, and providing crisis intervention on your resume. Consider featuring your ability to build rapport, strong communication skills, and proficiency in conflict resolution. Mention your success in improving student outcomes and facilitating workshops to demonstrate the impact you can make in a school environment.

With over 10 years of experience as a school counselor and a specialized focus on K-12 online learning, I have a proven track record of enhancing student success. My greatest achievement includes leading initiatives that significantly raised graduation rates. I am eager to contribute my expertise in academic programming, data analysis, and career readiness to nurture resilient and capable students.

Designed and implemented individualized education plans for a diverse student body, increasing graduation rates by 12% in two years

Spearheaded the integration of an SEL curriculum, enhancing student well-being and contributing to a 20% decrease in disciplinary incidents

Collaborated with stakeholders to secure grants for the development of career readiness programs, benefiting over 1,000 students annually

Analyzed and utilized student data to tailor academic programs, resulting in a 15% improvement in average test scores

Contributed to cross-functional teams for state-wide testing and events, ensuring compliance with school policies and regulatory requirements

Managed a caseload of 500+ students, providing guidance and support that led to a 10% increase in college acceptance rates

Developed a comprehensive anti-bullying program, resulting in a more inclusive school environment for all students

Facilitated professional development workshops for faculty on the ASCA model and its application in virtual education settings

Oversaw the creation and maintenance of 150+ student 504 plans, ensuring necessary accommodations were met

Acted as a liaison between parents and faculty to address academic concerns, fostering stronger community relations

Implemented a targeted academic intervention program for at-risk students, reducing failure rates by 18%

Coordinated with multiple departments to integrate career planning into the curriculum for final year students

Provided responsive counseling services to a student body of 300+, addressing diverse social and emotional needs

Delivered presentations on college readiness, equipping students with the tools to navigate post-secondary education

Successfully redesigned academic pathways that led to a 12% increase in graduation rates at Global Virtual Academy.

Created and implemented an effective anti-bullying initiative that fostered a safer, more inclusive environment for students.

Instrumental in securing funding for career readiness programs, impacting over 1,000 students annually at TechForward Charter Schools.

Developed and executed intervention strategies that decreased student failure rates by 18% at Modern Horizons Educational Institute.

Passionate about closing educational gaps and ensuring every child has access to quality learning experiences.

Committed to lifelong learning and staying current on the latest counseling techniques and educational technologies.

Dedicated volunteer at local nonprofits, emphasizing the importance of community support in student success.

All resume examples in this guide

Resume Guide

• Resume Format Tips
• Resume Experience
• Skills on Resume
• Education & Certifications
• Resume Summary Tips
• Additional Resume Sections
• Key Takeaways

As a school counselor, one resume challenge you might face is effectively showcasing your diverse skill set, including your counseling experience and program development abilities. Our comprehensive guide can help you articulate these skills clearly and concisely, ensuring your resume stands out to potential employers.

• Format your school counselor resume to ensure that it balances professionalism with creativity, and follows the best practices.
• Match the school counselor job requirements by including industry keywords on your resume.
• Use various resume sections to showcase your skills and achievements to answer why you're the best candidate for the school counselor role.

Take inspiration from leading school counselor resume examples to learn how to tailor your experience.

• Biology Teacher Resume Example
• Computer Science Teacher Resume Example
• Science Teacher Resume Example
• High School Teacher Resume Example
• Child Care Teacher Resume Example
• Distance Learning Teacher Resume Example
• Language Teacher Resume Example
• Piano Teacher Resume Example
• Theatre Teacher Resume Example
• Lecturer Resume Example

Professional school counselor resume format advice

Achieving the most suitable resume format can at times seem like a daunting task at hand.

Which elements are most important to recruiters?

In which format should you submit your resume?

How should you list your experience?

Unless specified otherwise, here's how to achieve a professional look and feel for your resume.

• Present your experience following the reverse-chronological resume format . It showcases your most recent jobs first and can help recruiters attain a quick glance at how your career has progressed.
• The header is the must-have element for your resume. Apart from your contact details, you could also include your portfolio and a headline, that reflects on your current role or a distinguishable achievement.
• Select relevant information to the role, that should encompass no more than two pages of your resume.
• Download your resume in PDF to ensure that its formatting stays intact.

Upload & Check Your Resume

Drop your resume here or choose a file. PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

PRO TIP

List all your relevant higher education degrees within your resume in reverse chronological order (starting with the latest). There are cases when your PhD in a particular field could help you stand apart from other candidates.

Essential sections that should make up your school counselor resume include:

• The header - with your contact details (e.g. email and telephone number), link to your portfolio, and headline
• The summary (or objective) - to spotlight the peaks of your professional career, so far
• The experience section - with up to six bullets per role to detail specific outcomes
• The skills list - to provide a healthy mix between your personal and professional talents
• The education and certification - showing your most relevant degrees and certificates to the school counselor role

What recruiters want to see on your resume:

• Master's degree in School Counseling or a closely related field
• State-issued credential for school counseling
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing comprehensive school counseling programs
• Strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to engage and build rapport with students and faculty
• Knowledge and experience with career guidance and college preparation practices

Five dos for building your school counselor resume experience section

The best strategic approach to your school counselor resume experience section is to support your particular responsibilities with actions and achievements.

For example, you could list:

• Up to six responsibilities in your day-to-day work, supported by why they're important for your role, department, or organization;
• Experience items that have helped you sustain and enhance your technical knowledge within the field, or, perhaps, have helped you grow as a professional;
• Any metrics that pinpoint your success within your past roles;
• How you've solved specific problems in your day-to-day work;
• Strategies and solutions you've implemented for growth - and how that growth was measured.

The school counselor resume experience is your best shot at making a good first impression on recruiters. That's why we've included some real-world professional examples to get you thinking about how you present your experience:

Implemented a comprehensive school counseling program that improved college acceptance rates by 20% over three years through targeted career and academic advising.

Facilitated conflict resolution and peer mediation training for a student body of over 1,200, significantly reducing behavioral incidents by 30%.

Developed and led workshops for parents and caregivers on adolescent development, fostering community engagement and strengthening support systems for students.

Created and launched a digital counseling portal for students which improved access to mental health resources and saw a user registration increase by 150% within the first year.

Coordinated a school-wide career week, bringing in over 50 industry professionals to speak to students, subsequently assisting in the formation of 100 student-mentor relationships.

Applied data analytics to track and improve student academic performance which contributed to a 10% boost in the school's overall standardized test scores.

Championed a peer-led wellness program that resulted in a 25% increase in student-reported well-being and better stress management.

Collaborated with local businesses to create internship opportunities, enabling over 200 students to gain practical work experience.

Organized college preparation seminars attended by 90% of the senior class, leading to improved college readiness as evidenced by a reduction in remedial course enrollment.

Pioneered a targeted intervention program for at-risk youth, reducing school dropout rates by 15% within two school years.

Instrumental in securing a $100,000 grant for the school's counseling department to enhance student academic and emotional support services.

Partnered with national organizations to bring anti-bullying campaigns to campus, resulting in a 40% decline in reported bullying cases.

Launched a bilingual counseling initiative to better serve the school's diverse population, leading to a marked increase in engagement from non-native English speaking families.

Guided students through scholarship and financial aid application processes, contributing to a $500,000 increase in awarded student aid over three years.

Cultivated a mindfulness program that became integrated into the school's curriculum, promoting better concentration and emotional regulation among students.

Established a comprehensive anti-drug program which became a model for neighboring school districts, highlighting the importance of early intervention in substance abuse.

Spearheaded the adoption of a 'Whole Child Approach' to counseling, integrating socio-emotional learning into the academic curriculum.

Advocated for special needs students by developing individual education plans that increased college admission among this group by 20%.

Led a team of counselors in a district-wide mental health awareness campaign, reaching over 10,000 students and reducing stigma around seeking help.

Facilitated the integration of art therapy into the counseling program, which provided an alternative avenue for student expression and was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Negotiated with external agencies to deliver personal development workshops that equipped students with life skills essential for post-secondary success.

Developed a student ambassador program which empowered students to take on leadership roles in peer counseling, thereby fostering a supportive school culture.

Managed crisis intervention strategies following critical incidents, ensuring the provision of timely support and counseling services to affected students and staff.

Orchestrated a partnership with technology companies to provide state-of-the-art learning tools, raising the profile of STEM education within the counseling curriculum.

Quantifying impact on your resume

• Include the number of students counseled per year to showcase the scope of your impact.
• List the percentage of students who improved academically after your intervention to demonstrate effectiveness.
• Mention the number of college admission workshops conducted to highlight program implementation skills.
• Quantify the decrease in behavioral incidents following your counseling programs to show improvement in student behavior.
• Specify the number of training sessions led for staff and teachers to emphasize leadership and collaboration.
• Document the percentage increase in graduation rates during your tenure to signal your contribution to student success.
• Detail the amount of grant money secured for counseling programs to underline your resourcefulness.
• Present the number of individualized education plans (IEPs) managed to convey expertise in special education needs.

Action verbs for your school counselor resume

Finding what the unique words for your school counselor position are is difficult. That’s why the Enhancv team went through thousands of resumes that got people hired at top companies. Forget about sounding boring. These action words will help you showcase your strongest personality traits in the most intriguing way possible!

Lacking relevant school counselor resume experience?

Learn how to write your school counselor resume experience in spite of having no real-world (or applicable) experience for the job.

• Feature relevant projects or publications that could impress recruiters or showcase that you have the basic skill set for the job
• Shift the focus towards your people (communication, organization, etc.) skills to demonstrate that you're a quick learner and can easily adapt to a new environment
• Use the resume objective to not only highlight your accomplishments but also map out how your career plans are perfectly aligned with the company's vision
• Select either the functional-skill-based resume format (that puts the focus on your skills) or the hybrid one (balancing expertise with skills).

Recommended reads:

• Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume
• How to Put Cum Laude on Your Resume

PRO TIP

Bold the names of educational institutions and certifying bodies for emphasis.

Bringing your school counselor hard skills and soft skills to the forefront of recruiters' attention

Hard skills are used to define the technological (and software) capacities you have in the industry. Technical skills are easily defined via your certification and expertise.

Soft skills have more to do with your at-work personality and how you prosper within new environments. People skills can be obtained thanks to your whole life experience and are thus a bit more difficult to define.

Why do recruiters care about both types of skills?

Hard skills have more to do with job alignment and the time your new potential employers would have to invest in training you.

Soft skills hint at how well you'd adapt to your new environment, company culture, and task organization.

Fine-tune your resume to reflect on your skills capacities and talents:

• Avoid listing basic requirements (e.g. "Excel"), instead substitute with the specifics of the technology (e.g. "Excel Macros").
• Feature your workplace values and ethics as soft skills to hint at what matters most to you in a new environment.
• Build a separate skills section for your language capabilities, only if it makes sense to the role you're applying for.
• The best way to balance school counselor hard and soft skills is by building a strengths or achievements section, where you define your outcomes via both types of skills.

There are plenty of skills that could make the cut on your resume.

That's why we've compiled for you some of the most wanted skills by recruiters, so make sure to include the technologies and soft skills that make the most sense to you (and the company you're applying for):

Top skills for your School Counselor resume:

Behavioral Assessment Tools

Career Counseling Software

Student Information Systems (SIS)

Mental Health First Aid

Conflict Resolution Tools

Data Analysis Software

Educational Assessment Tools

Online Counseling Platforms