School Counselor Job Recommendations


Welcome to January!!  As the new year rolls around, it is time to consider if you will stay in your current position or if it is time for a change.  One of my intentions for writing this post is to give the high school counselor some tools to keep, change, or obtain a school counseling job.  As we know, school counseling jobs are hard to come by now days with school districts' limited resources.  And, as you are fully aware, the job of the school counselor seems ubiquitous to administrators, teachers, and parents. You can often hear them say, "what exactly is your job?'  Urrrggghhhh...I get so sick of hearing that same question over and over.  Therefore, I am always looking for ways that we can stay in our domain (academic, career, and social/emotional), but show our stakeholders we are making a difference in the school community.


So, exactly what is my job? 

You can look no further than to our mothership, ASCA.  If you are new to school counseling, you are very familiar with ASCA.  College counseling programs, like my friends at Georgia State, University of Georgia, and Georgia Southern, have done an outstanding job of promoting the ASCA Mindsets and attendance at the conference.  However, in my experience with working with more veteran counselors, they can be a little out of touch.  If you are a school counselor who has been around a minute, like me, it may benefit you to look into the ASCA Mindsets and compare your current program to what is needed for a school counseling program in 2023.  

ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success

The ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success address the knowledge, skills, and attitudes students must obtain to reach the domains of academic success, career/college readiness, and social-emotional development. In each domain, school counseling programs have specific roles and responsibilities to the student and school community.  Also, there are set of mindset and behavior standards that can be applied to each domain. When planning your school counseling curriculum for next year or making your pitch to your potential employer, you will need to address the standards you will cover with your students. Want to know about the Mindsets, check out this webinar from ASCA. 

Okay, now that you know more about the Mindsets and the gold standard for any counseling program, let's talk about making the right choice when looking for a counseling job.  I could talk about interviewing, resumes, or cover letters, but I have some resources you can check out below.  However, the key to finding a counseling position that is satisfying is to do your due diligence.  So, let's say you are in a less than ideal situation (I read about these posts all the time on Facebook and some of them make me sick). What are some simple ways you can help you find a counseling job that you do not want to leave by October?  

Recommendations for School Counselors Looking to Make a Change....

So, ASCA gives some simple tips when looking for a school counseling job that you can take.  Here are a few tips I want to share with those who may be interested in looking into a change.

  • 1. Before deciding you want to jump ship from your current position, ASCA suggests reviewing both the new school and district school counseling websites. Does the website indicate that the school uses language consistent with the ASCA National Model or the state model? 
  • 2. Next, thoroughly read the job description. ASCA warns that some descriptions for school counselor positions are littered with inappropriate school counseling responsibilities. YIKES!!!
  • 3.  I feel that is very important too! Does the school counseling program have a presence in the community, and it is present on the website? 
  • 4. If you make it to the interviewing process, ask whoever oversees school counselors about their knowledge of comprehensive school counseling programs. If they are not knowledgeable, maybe you should run!!

  • ASCA believes that taking these small steps will allow you to eliminate some positions that fail to support school counseling. And, ultimately, it is our responsibility to do our homework.
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Now once you find that possible job, it is time to move to phase two -- snagging the job. If you need help with getting ready for a change, check out these nuggets from some other school counselors.




Need some help?  Carol Miller of Carol Miller Counseling Essentials offers a course for those needing assistance with a resume, cover letter, and interviewing skills.



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