Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia

Upload your resume to get started.

School counselor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Dawnette Cigrand Ph.D.,

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical school counselor skills. We ranked the top skills for school counselors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.0% of school counselor resumes contained mental health as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a school counselor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 school counselor skills for your resume and career

1. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how school counselors use mental health:

Provided school-based mental health services for mildly, moderately, and severely emotionally disturbed youth and significant problems within their families.
Collaborated with private practice mental health care providers and social workers to coordinate community-based behavioral health care and other services.

2. Community Resources

Community resources are a set of resources that are used in the day to day life of people which improves their lifestyle in some way. People, sites or houses, and population assistance can come under the services offered by community resources.

Here's how school counselors use community resources:

Implemented a referral and follow-up process with community resources regarding students with identified social/emotional needs and, Juvenile Court involvement.
Consulted and collaborate with parents, teachers, administrators and other educational/community resources regarding students with identified concerns and needs.

3. Crisis Intervention

Here's how school counselors use crisis intervention:

Lead social skills groups, provided crisis intervention services and developed and facilitated parent education programs related to various developmental topics.
Provide crisis intervention and counseling, identify and refer issues of substance abuse, provide behavioral management and encourage accountability.

4. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how school counselors use professional development:

Offered professional development and ongoing support to K-6 teachers on Caring School Communities, a social-emotional classroom curriculum.
Design and facilitate professional development workshops on national school counseling standards, small-group counseling, and data-driven interventions.

5. Behavioral Issues

Behavioral issues are the tendencies of individuals displaying unpleasant behavior as a result of sickness or addiction.

Here's how school counselors use behavioral issues:

Identified resources for students with social-emotional and behavioral issues Fostered academic success, and Support College and career awareness and preparation.
Counseled students with behavioral issues* Audited student transcripts* Maintained student confidential records* Assisted with student testing* Counseled/assisted parents with 504 plans

6. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how school counselors use cpr:

Maintained First Aid and CPR Certifications, as well as PA Child Abuse, Criminal History and FBI Fingerprint Clearances.
Provided first aid to injured students (CPR & First Aid Certified.)

Choose from 10+ customizable school counselor resume templates

Build a professional school counselor resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your school counselor resume.

8. Child Abuse

When a child who is under 18 is mistreated by an adult, it is considered child abuse. There are many forms of intentional harm and mistreatment for example physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, medical abuse, and neglect in providing adequate basic life necessities.

Here's how school counselors use child abuse:

Facilitate state mandated faculty training for identifying and reporting child abuse.
Follow YMCA policies and procedures, including those related to medical and disciplinary situations, child abuse prevention and emergencies.

9. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is an often necessary skill in business, employed for processes such as contract negotiations, legal matters, and even personal, emotional situations and conflicts. It is the ability to find and create an appropriate and peaceful solution to some sort of dilemma or argument in which two or more parties are involved. The resolution itself must benefit and satisfy all parties and this is what makes it so difficult to reach a peaceful point sometimes.

Here's how school counselors use conflict resolution:

Facilitated both group and individual sessions on various topics including, medication, anger management, conflict resolution and self-esteem.
Provide instruction services per district standards in peer mediation, conflict resolution, anger management and behavior modification.

10. Financial Aid

Financial aid refers to cash released to an educational institution to help a student pay the school fee. The issuance of financial aid, whether scholarships, grants, or loans, aims to make access to education affordable to all students irrespective of their backgrounds.

Here's how school counselors use financial aid:

Compiled and organized information critical to the college search process including catalogs, applications, financial aid and scholarship information.
Coordinated and conducted grade specific information workshops for student body and parents regarding college, career and financial aid considerations.

11. K-12

K12 is a term that incldues all 12 years of education in the US education system. It includes the education offered at the primary stage, middle stage, and secondary stage. It includes children of ages as young as 5 to 18 years. The grades included in K12 are Kindergarten, the initial 5 stages, grades 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. This system is followed specifically followed in the US and may vary in other countries.

Here's how school counselors use k-12:

Delivered academic, personal development, career and post-secondary counseling, K-12.
Provided solution-focused individual counseling for students in grades K-12.

12. IEP

Here's how school counselors use iep:

Assisted special education specialists with administering schoolwork to individual students based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Developed IEP goals with benchmarks and functional analysis designed to limit behavioral interference within the classroom environment.

13. Academic Performance

Here's how school counselors use academic performance:

Used available technology resources at school site to monitor referred students' academic performance and attendance and conducted follow-up sessions.
Monitored student academic performance, behavior and attendance through the student records system and provided appropriate interventions for deficiencies.

14. Career Planning

Here's how school counselors use career planning:

Provide quality career planning including a post-secondary education plan in coordination with classroom teachers for all students.
Encouraged parental involvement by discussing issues related to successful graduation and future college and career planning.

15. Community Agencies

Community agencies stand for the organizations operated to provide human service in the community.

Here's how school counselors use community agencies:

Consulted and collaborated effectively with parents, teachers, administrators, and community agencies regarding students with identified concerns and needs.
Served as a liaison with community services and agencies and established and maintained professional and productive relationships with community agencies.

5 School Counselor resume examples

Build a professional school counselor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your school counselor resume.

Create my resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help School Counselors find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on school counselor resumes?

Dr. Dawnette Cigrand Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Winona State University

-Creative problem solving
-Ability to engage students who are overwhelmed or disengaged
-Technology proficiencies
-Resilience and perseverance

What soft skills should all school counselors possess?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

Soft skills that are essential for counselors include emotional intelligence, empathy, multicultural competency, interpersonal abilities, and authenticity.

What hard/technical skills are most important for school counselors?

Kacie Blalock Ph.D.

Associate Professor; Director, Master of Counseling, Louisiana State University at Shreveport

It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.

What school counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Laura L. Gallo Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Boise State University

If a student takes a gap year- I think looking for opportunities to work with children/adolescents, especially in diverse settings, would be most beneficial, or even working abroad would be great. School counselors who can bring diverse views into the school setting will benefit everyone (staff, students, and families). As far as how they go about doing it, networking is helpful, or working with organizations who organize these types of experiences for counselors and educators (use the skills you've been trained in!).

What type of skills will young school counselors need?

Chris Hennington Ph.D.

School Counseling Program Coordinator, Lubbock Christian University

School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.

Do you want to know more?

List of school counselor skills to add to your resume

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

Mental Health
Community Resources
Crisis Intervention
Professional Development
Behavioral Issues
CPR
Social Work
Child Abuse
Conflict Resolution
Financial Aid
K-12
IEP
Academic Performance
Career Planning
Community Agencies
Student Achievement
Substance Abuse

Homework Assignments
Pre-K
Blended Learning
Career Development
Classroom Management
Social Development
Course Selection
SST
Guidance Curriculum
Kindergarten
Academic Issues
Group Sessions
Applied Behavior Analysis
Career Awareness
Standardized Testing
PSAT
Student Data

RTI
Master Schedule
Responsive Services
K-8
Group Therapy
Academic Achievement
PBIS
Anger Management
Naviance
Study
Crisis Situations
Asca
Parent Conferences
Teacher Conferences
Career Exploration

Updated January 8, 2025

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

Browse community and social services jobs