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Benefits counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical benefits counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for benefits counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.5% of benefits counselor resumes contained veterans as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a benefits counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 benefits counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Veterans

Here's how benefits counselors use veterans:
  • Introduced student veterans to external and educational resources to further assist them in their educational goals.
  • Explained VA benefits to veterans and/or survivors ranging from educational benefits to death benefits.

2. HR

HR stands for human resources and is used to describe the set of people who work for a company or an organization. HR responsibilities revolve around updating employee records and carrying out management processes like planning, recruitment, evaluation, and selection processes. HR is a key contributor to any company or organization's growth as they are in charge of hiring the right employees, processing payrolls, conducting disciplinary actions, etc.

Here's how benefits counselors use hr:
  • Clarified and reconciled benefit debits on general ledger for department HR generalists.
  • Provided guidance and consultation to management and employees on existing HR policies that govern both 6,300 active employees and 1,600 retirees.

3. Open Enrollment

Open enrollment means a duration that comes every year that a person can sign up for health insurance or change the plan that a person has, for instance, if a person needs to deregister. The activity always features in a few weeks or months within a year. It allows workers to alter their benefit plans, including vision, dental, health insurance, life insurance, and disability.

Here's how benefits counselors use open enrollment:
  • Provide benefit information to individuals during open enrollment season, while verifying personal information is accurately reported in database.
  • Determined eligibility for employees to take part in open enrollment to obtain company medical insurance.

4. Annuities

Here's how benefits counselors use annuities:
  • Calculated detailed retirement annuities based upon numerous factors relating to each client's employment history.
  • Obtained Life, Health and Annuities License to write policies in Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.

5. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how benefits counselors use customer service:
  • Provided superior customer service and built effective working relationships with external and internal contacts in call center atmosphere.
  • Market legal and identity protection insurance plans * Group and Individual presentations * Administrative and Customer service

6. Term Disability

Here's how benefits counselors use term disability:
  • Prepared Long Term Disability claims; verify direct entries for billing systems and complete monthly reconciliation reports.
  • Processed employees for FMLA, long and short term disability for 4000 employees.

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7. Inbound Calls

Here's how benefits counselors use inbound calls:
  • Received inbound calls, placed outbound calls, and obtained information from policy holders.
  • Answered inbound calls to assist in open-enrollments and answer questions regarding products.

8. HIPAA

Here's how benefits counselors use hipaa:
  • Answer any questions following HIPAA guidelines Effectively counsel callers about medical and Voluntarily benefits available to them.
  • Followed all guidelines in compliance with security and privacy standards, inclusive of but not limited to PHI and HIPAA.

9. Benefit Enrollments

Here's how benefits counselors use benefit enrollments:
  • Improved benefit enrollment and administration efficiency, while maximizing communication and profit generating effectiveness.
  • Facilitated meetings with employers to execute their annual benefit enrollment.

10. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how benefits counselors use payroll:
  • Created HRIS system utilizing proprietary software to optimize time-keeping, benefit and payroll fluidity.
  • Demonstrated ability to successfully utilize Payroll, Benefits, and Eligibility Core systems.

11. Medicaid

Here's how benefits counselors use medicaid:
  • Developed, compiled and distributed literature about the Long Term Care benefits, eligibility requirements and availability of Medicaid programs.
  • Determined individual's need and screen for potential eligibility for Medicaid related services, utilizing a standardized screening instrument.

12. Cobra

COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) is a federal law that allows employers of 20 or more employees who provide health care benefits to offer the option of continuing this coverage to individuals who would otherwise lose their benefits due to termination of employment, reduction in hours or certain other events. It is a temporary coverage that provides cash for medical expenses up to 18 months. The policy is helpful for retirees, former employees, former spouses, dependent children and spouses, workers laid off, on strike, fired for work, etc.

Here's how benefits counselors use cobra:
  • Assisted retirees and COBRA participants in resolving coverage eligibility issues with their insurance provider.
  • Assisted callers with familiarizing themselves with all available benefits under COBRA continuation.

13. ERISA

Here's how benefits counselors use erisa:
  • Provide employees thorough consultation of employer sponsored defined benefit pension plans in accordance with ERISA Laws.
  • Handled plan claims and appeals in ERISA and non-ERISA plans.

14. Outbound Calls

An outbound call is made by the call center representative to the customers on behalf of the company. Such calls help increase sales and generate revenue for the organization.

Here's how benefits counselors use outbound calls:
  • Make outbound calls to support campaigns focused on cross selling, selling additional products, and closing additional business.
  • Handled incoming calls and/or placed scheduled outbound calls as directed.

15. Term Care

Here's how benefits counselors use term care:
  • Provide literature and information about Long-term care program of Florida.
  • Presented and marketed long-term care insurance to clients.
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What skills help Benefits Counselors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young benefits counselors need?

Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about benefits counselor

List of benefits counselor skills to add to your resume

Benefits counselor skills

The most important skills for a benefits counselor resume and required skills for a benefits counselor to have include:

  • Veterans
  • HR
  • Open Enrollment
  • Annuities
  • Customer Service
  • Term Disability
  • Inbound Calls
  • HIPAA
  • Benefit Enrollments
  • Payroll
  • Medicaid
  • Cobra
  • ERISA
  • Outbound Calls
  • Term Care
  • Social Security
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Insurance Products
  • FSA
  • Medical Benefits
  • Benefits Packages
  • Insurance Carriers
  • Voluntary Benefits
  • Enrollment Process
  • Supplemental Benefits
  • Hippa
  • Benefit Options
  • HRA
  • FMLA
  • Benefit Programs
  • Life Insurance Benefits
  • Retirement Benefits
  • Health Insurance Benefits
  • HRIS
  • Medical Insurance
  • HSA
  • Public Benefits
  • Benefits Administration
  • Group Presentations
  • Death Benefits
  • STD
  • Telephone Calls
  • Customer Inquiries
  • HMO
  • ACA
  • TRS
  • IRS
  • Colonial Life

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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