College Counselor Resume: Examples and Tips

College counselors assist and guide students through the college admission process by recommending educational programs and courses, arranging college visits, educating students and parents about admission and registration processes, managing financial aid paperwork and documentation, monitoring individual student progress, writing recommendation letters, and maintaining relationships with admission professionals. To succeed in this job, you should be decisive, self-motivated, perceptive and possess excellent time management and communication skills.

To create an impressive college counselor resume, refer to our tips and examples below:

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College Counselor Resume Format

Featured Resume Example: College Counselor

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College Counselor Resume Format

Name: GREG LINCOLN

Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com

Professional Summary

Diligent College Counselor exercising competency in broad subject-matter counseling therapies, including substance abuse, grief and domestic violence. Knowledgeable in youth and adolescent development, including social, behavioral, emotional and cognitive strategies.

Skills

  • Individual and Small Group Counseling
  • Excellent Communicator
  • Compassionate
  • Organized
  • Team Collaboration and Leadership
  • Strong Assessment Skills
  • Mediation and Crisis Intervention
  • Career Advice

Work History

College Counselor
Jul 2016 – Current
Company Name, City, State

  • Developed and maintained courteous and effective working relationships.
  • Offered friendly and efficient service to all students, handled challenging situations with ease.
  • Conducted research, gathered information from multiple sources and presented results.

Assistant Guidance Counselor
Sep 2012 – Jun 2016
Company Name, City, State

  • Preliminarily determined whether students required additional assistance for special needs or disabilities; made referrals to psychiatric professionals and other educators.
  • Acted as liaison between students, parents and additional counseling or community resources.
  • Founded and oversaw Student Assistance Program for two years.

Interim School Counselor
Dec 2011 – Jun 2012
Company Name, City, State

  • Pivoted mid-year to provide resources and support for 30% of student population.
  • Led workshops designed to help students navigate college applications, employment, health education and more.
  • Coordinated and supervised fundraisers for financial aid, college campus visits, guest speakers, etc.

Education

Master of Arts: Educational Psychology
City, State

Bachelor of Arts: Education
City, State

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Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class College Counselor Resume

  1. Summary Give a concise overview of your career, focusing on your best skills, work achievements, and qualifications. For example: “Motivated college counselor with 12+ years of supervisory experience. Adept in identifying community resources and providing comprehensive assistance to prospective students.”
  2. Skills Break this section into two subcategories: hard skills such as data analysis, assessing academic progress, or proficiency with Microsoft Office, and soft skills such as decision-making, relationship building, and effective verbal and written communication.
  3. Work History Limit your work history to the past 10 years, and stress your most notable achievements instead of just listing everyday tasks. Use short bullet points and start the sentences with strong action verbs to engage the recruiter’s attention. For example, “Oversaw student completion of required documents, including college essays and financial aid paperwork.”
  4. Education List your highest qualifications here, such as a bachelor or master’s degree in counseling, psychology, social science, behavioral science, or related field, along with the name and location of the institution. Add relevant certificates and details of training in related areas that further showcase your expertise, such as a college counseling certificate.

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Find the Right Template for your Resume

To give your resume a professional look, use one of these expert-designed resume templates below:

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College Counselor Functional Resume Example

Impactful

This template leaves a strong impression, thanks to solid resume fonts and colors, and a two-column approach that highlights your skills.

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College Counselor Combination Resume Sample

Pinstripe

Elegant lines and spacing contribute to this layout’s sleek presentation, with section headings emphasized with color fonts for easy navigation.

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College Counselor Chronological Resume Template

Modern

This layout gives your resume a unique look with its right-justified header. Intelligent use of spacing allows each section to breathe.

Pick from even more free resume templates here.

Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume

  • DO keep your resume concise. Important details can get missed if you pile up irrelevant information in your resume. Make sure to zero-in on qualifications and experiences that directly address the requirements of the current job you’re applying for, and instead of verbose sentences, use punchy phrases and bullet points that don’t go over one line long. The goal should be a document of two pages at most.
  • DO optimize your resume for applicant tracking systems (ATS). Many employers now use (ats) to review and approve resumes. To pass ATS, review the job description to determine the most relevant keywords you should include in your resume, such as organization skills, data analysis or experience with student information systems. Make sure ro feature skills and experience of your own that match these keywords. Another way to make sure your resume is ATS-ready is to use a straightforward resume template with standardized fonts and headings — ATS can have trouble reading unorthodox layouts.
  • DO create the right elevator pitch for your summary. To grab the recruiter’s attention, treat your summary as a short and impactful elevator pitch that packages your top skills, qualifications and experiences into a few sentences. Think of yourself as being in the room with your potential employer, and asked to describe yourself in a few seconds. For example: “Dedicated and compassionate college counselor, with extensive experience in improving networking and student guidance programs.”
  • DON’T forget to review your resume before you submit it. Just as you wouldn’t advise a student to have major errors on his or her college application, it’s important that your resume is mistake-free. Proofread it a few times for grammatical and spelling mistakes, and double-check the information you provide. If you use our Resume Builder to create your document, our tools can do the checking for you.
  • DON’T forget to emphasize intangible skills. Soft skills matter for college counselors as much as technical expertise. Consider including intangible qualities such as critical thinking, decision-making, persuasiveness, leadership abilities, and excellent verbal communication, and show how you’ve used these skills in your work history section. For example, writing “Led programs that helped students develop individual career and academic plans” shows off your leadership and management qualities.
  • DON’T miss out on quantifying your accomplishments. When describing your accomplishments, present them using key numbers and stats. Writing “Examined graduation transcripts, records, and subject-specific classes for 300+ students” gives potential employers a better idea of your abilities than just writing “Examined graduation transcripts, records and subject-specific classes.”

College Counselor Resume FAQ

1. What are the skills you should emphasize for a college counselor position?

Practical skills:Soft skills:
Student advocateLeadership skills
Career and academic plansProblem-solving
Data analysisMulti-tasking
Program managementExcellent communication skills
Student assessmentStrong organization skills
Classroom guidanceAbility to think critically
Developmental awarenessAdaptability
Counseling expertiseFlexibility
Proficiency in computer competenciesPositive approach
Schedule managementInterpersonal skills
Registration and placementsSelf-motivated
Community partnershipsDecisive
Knowledge of federal and local education requirementsMission-driven
Familiarity with college admission programs and protocolsAttention to detail
Presentation skills
Relationship building
Time management
Active listener
Dedicated
Compassionate
Practical skills:
Student advocate
Career and academic plans
Data analysis
Program management
Student assessment
Classroom guidance
Developmental awareness
Counseling expertise
Proficiency in computer competencies
Schedule management
Registration and placements
Community partnerships
Knowledge of federal and local education requirements
Familiarity with college admission programs and protocols
Soft skills:
Leadership skills
Problem-solving
Multi-tasking
Excellent communication skills
Strong organization skills
Ability to think critically
Adaptability
Flexibility
Positive approach
Interpersonal skills
Self-motivated
Decisive
Mission-driven
Attention to detail
Presentation skills
Relationship building
Time management
Active listener
Dedicated
Compassionate

2. What format should you use for your resume?

If you can present a blend of relevant skills and work experiences in your resume, use the combination resume format. A functional resume format is a better fit if you’re starting out in the education field, or are a first-time job seeker, as the format emphasizes your training, education and skills that fit the job. If you can point to many years of experience in counseling, go with the chronological resume format, which gives prominent placement to your work history, with plenty of room to document your career progress.

3. Should you include references in your resume?

Recruiters will be more interested to read about your work accomplishments and skills in your resume rather than get a list of references, which they usually request separately. Don’t worry about including references, or even wasting space with the line “References available upon request.” For more tips on how to put together a good reference list, see our References article.

4. How should you craft a resume if you’re looking to take the next step in your career?

To move forward in the education field, focus on getting these qualifications and activities into your resume:

  • Add an advanced degree in counseling, or any related field such as psychology or mental health.
  • Give examples of how you’ve stayed current with college programs and curricula.
  • Add certifications and training that show advanced knowledge in administration, finance and instructional programs.
  • Show a strong professional presence in organizations and network groups that show you’re collaborating with colleges, institutions and other counselors.
  • Show examples of your leadership and supervisory abilities (e.g., organizing workshops, group counseling sessions)

5. What are some examples of training and certificates that fit a college counselor position?

Universities provide programs in mental health, social services, psychology, and other related fields that can give weight to your resume. Some examples:

  • Certificate in College Admission Counseling (CAC)
  • Certification from the American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
  • Certificate from National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

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