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Student services specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Career Advisors of the CEAE ,
Jingjing Lou Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical student services specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for student services specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 27.4% of student services specialist resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a student services specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 student services specialist skills for your resume and career

1. 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 student services specialists use customer service:
  • Provided quality customer service by maintaining professional and friendly attitude at all times.
  • Provided point-of-contact customer service and support for all information technology issues.

2. Support Services

Support services are services that support the organization internally and are usually non-revenue generating. Examples include, IT, admin, HR, etc.

Here's how student services specialists use support services:
  • Identified research-based school intervention strategies and best practices for dropout prevention and developing technical support services for schools and divisions.
  • Collaborate with school administration to increase inclusiveness on campus and to provide quality youth and family support services.

3. Social Work

Here's how student services specialists use social work:
  • Worked directly with the Child Guidance Specialist, Title 1 social worker, and student assistance team.
  • Supervised graduate and undergraduate social work interns.

4. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how student services specialists use phone calls:
  • Case noting, and updating systems with documentation of degree plan advising sessions, emails, and phone calls.
  • Answered phone calls from prospective and current students regarding their personal financial aid package by using internal database.

5. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how student services specialists use data entry:
  • Maintain accuracy of data entry of third party invoicing, student billings and verification of registrations within a timely manner.
  • Perform procedures related to the processing of registrations, add/drop, grade changes and validation of data entry.

6. 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 student services specialists use financial aid:
  • Worked closely with students explaining the financial aid process and determining eligibility based on the current federal/institutional stipulations.
  • Processed financial aid applications, distributed necessary forms and reviewed for accuracy and compliance.

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7. Data Collection

Data collection means to analyze and collect all the necessary information. It helps in carrying out research and in storing important and necessary information. The most important goal of data collection is to gather the information that is rich and accurate for statistical analysis.

Here's how student services specialists use data collection:
  • Generate statistical reports using mixed method data collection.
  • Assist in data collection and compilation.

8. Front Desk

Here's how student services specialists use front desk:
  • Assist the front desk staff and assessment center staff as needed.
  • Front Desk Staff Administrative/Secretarial work Patient contact, confidentiality Assisting managers and or doctors in daily duties

9. 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 student services specialists use professional development:
  • Participated in activities related to accreditation, professional development, and strategic planning.
  • Participate in various department/division task teams, special projects, and professional development.

10. FERPA

Here's how student services specialists use ferpa:
  • Processed requests via phone, fax, and email within FERPA guidelines.
  • Assisted students one-on-one in compliance with FERPA regulations.

11. Student Accounts

Here's how student services specialists use student accounts:
  • Collect and analyze intelligence regarding student accounts.
  • Accessed student accounts via online student information system to print schedules and transcripts and view completed coursework.

12. Academic Support

Academic support is the assistance granted to students on top of the regular teaching in the classroom.

Here's how student services specialists use academic support:
  • Provide academic support and accommodations for students with learning differences.
  • Scheduled seminars and workshops with faculty; coordinated delivery of services, such as academic support and career counseling.

13. Student Organizations

Student organizations are commonly found in colleges or universities. Students join together and organize a club, event, or other activity in order to meet other students with similar interests. This may be a sport, leisurely activity, or academic pursuit that students wish to discuss; however, there may also be student organizations to raise awareness and funds for a particular disease or cause.

Here's how student services specialists use student organizations:
  • Multifaceted job: Spirit Coordinator, Student Organization Coordinator, Marketing supervisor.
  • Served as corporate liaison between the office of student activities and student organizations

14. 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 student services specialists use community resources:
  • Collaborated with community resources on behalf of students and parents and made referrals as appropriate.
  • Be knowledgeable of all campus and community resources and provide information to residents when needed.

15. Student Data

Here's how student services specialists use student data:
  • Maintained scholarship and international student database.
  • Maintain a high level of efficiency and quality control when entering and analyzing student data.
top-skills

What skills help Student Services Specialists find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on student services specialist resumes?

Career Advisors of the CEAE Career Advisors of the CEAE  LinkedIn profile

Lycoming College

Applicants need to connect their skills and experience with what an employer is looking for. With that being said, flexibility, adaptability, and experience with various technology is increasingly important during a pandemic. Quantifiable achievements are always important as well as leadership, presentation/communication skills, and teamwork ability.

What soft skills should all student services specialists possess?

Jingjing Lou Ph.D.

Chair and Associate Professor, Beloit College

1) Productive Collaboration

2) Effective Communication

3) Creative Problem Solving

4) Intellectual and Professional Agility

What hard/technical skills are most important for student services specialists?

Jingjing Lou Ph.D.

Chair and Associate Professor, Beloit College

To go along with these soft skills, our students master hard skills such as communications (writings and presentations), quantitative thinking (a requirement for all requirements), and intercultural literacy (understanding and working with people from different contexts).

What student services specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Jordan Levy Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Pacific Lutheran University

Some students enter college having taken a "gap year" between high school and university. Any kind of volunteer or work experience that further develops their interpersonal communication skills is beneficial for the range of discussion and small group work that university-level classes require. Some students do service projects in other countries, which is great because they also gain international experiences that contribute to their overall formation as informed global citizens. These experiences can then tell what kinds of classes they take in university and can remain a source of inspiration for what careers they pursue.

What type of skills will young student services specialists need?

Mariah StopplecampMariah Stopplecamp LinkedIn profile

Coordinator, Montana State University

These upcoming graduates will face challenges that most of us have yet to see. There are hiring freezes across industries, and many companies are remaining fully remote. Young graduates should be very advanced in their tech skills and be incredibly self-motivated because they will be most likely working remotely. Having a job force that can adapt and embrace the virtual working experience is vital to the success of the company. The more data analytics skills a young graduate can obtain is also a very big draw for employers.

List of student services specialist skills to add to your resume

Student services specialist skills

The most important skills for a student services specialist resume and required skills for a student services specialist to have include:

  • Customer Service
  • Support Services
  • Social Work
  • Phone Calls
  • Data Entry
  • Financial Aid
  • Data Collection
  • Front Desk
  • Professional Development
  • FERPA
  • Student Accounts
  • Academic Support
  • Student Organizations
  • Community Resources
  • Student Data
  • Student Services
  • Social Justice
  • Student Assistants
  • PeopleSoft
  • Student Issues
  • Enrollment Process
  • Admissions Process
  • Federal Regulations
  • Student Retention
  • FAFSA
  • Transferable
  • Academic Programs
  • Community Agencies
  • Career Planning
  • Course Selection
  • Student Applications
  • Course Registration
  • Veterans
  • Career Fairs
  • Title IV
  • Registration Process
  • Outbound Calls
  • Administrative Tasks
  • Event Planning
  • Enrollment Verifications
  • Troubleshoot
  • IEP
  • Financial Aid Applications
  • PowerPoint
  • Student Attendance
  • Test Scores
  • Federal Student

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.

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