Savvy School Counselor Resume Example (with Writing Tips)

School counselors are often the unsung heroes of education. On any given day, you might help a student select the right courses to meet their goals, find social support for someone from a complex background, or help the faculty organize a career day event.

You have experience and an advanced degree. The only thing missing is the job of your dreams. It’s time to take your job search to the next level. That means creating the perfect resume and increasing your chances of landing that great position in a good school district.

We want to help with that. This is why we have provided you with a sample school counselor resume. That is followed up by some helpful writing tips.

Resume Sample for a School Counselor (Word version)

Download example (.docx)

School Counselor Resume Example (text version)

School Counselor Resume Writing Tips

Here are some additional tips for writing a compelling resume for a school guidance counselor.

Keep Your Resume Short

This is quite possibly the most important rule to go by. After all, many hiring directors do not have the time to read through a five-page opus. 

The rule of thumb is this: unless the job ad explicitly demands a CV over a resume, you must fit all your career details into one page. Remember that you don’t need to give your entire employment history to your potential employer. A good rule of thumb tends to keep it to the previous 10-15 years. Remember that the best way to write a resume is to keep it clear, focused, and concise.

Speak The Employer’s Language

Remember that a resume is your chance to stand out. Use strong verbs and adjectives to communicate action and achievements. 

“Achieved,” “Established,” “Organized,” “Coordinated”, and “Developed” are just a few examples of power words that can help to describe what roles you had taken on in the workforce. But remember that you shouldn’t use action verbs as a “crutch”. You need to be able to back up those verbs with actual details that resulted in said achievements. 

Also, minimize the use of buzzwords. While they may sound good to those with less experience, phrases such as “Professional”, “Detail-Oriented, and “Hard Worker” are overused and give your potential employer very little information about your actual abilities.

Give Them Proof

Remember that anyone can make claims. You can claim to be the world’s greatest teacher, but that claim doesn’t mean anything if you are unable to prove it. That is why it’s so important to give your potential employer the facts. 

For example, stating that you are “the world’s greatest teacher” is essentially too broad of a claim. However, stating that you have worked as an educator for X number of years, and have won multiple awards during those years, has a lot more solid ground to stand on. 

Take Advantage Of Templates

While your resume should be unique and stand out, a lot of the formatting work can be done for you with the use of premade templates.

Professional resume templates are formatted to help you organize your career details in the best way possible. You can also easily edit them to include extra elements — a longer resume summary or a featured skills section. So give it a try! 

Final Tip: Make Sure to Check For Errors

Checking for errors in the resume may seem obvious, but it is a step that a lot of people forget. Spell-checking software can catch some grammar goofs and typos. But you should also pay attention to other deets. 

For example, mixing up two numbers for your phone number would essentially make it impossible for many employers to potentially contact you. So triple-check that you’ve written all numbers, titles, and names, correctly.