A kid’s world can be lonely. Kids can be cruel, and adults seem from another planet. With this school counselor cover letter, you will be a warm memory in the minds of many.
Misunderstood, neglected, abused. Distant, disorganized, dramatic. Living in the past. Fearful of the future.
That’s what your school counselor cover letter must be if you aren’t getting replies yet. Something is going wrong. Most cover letters fall into traps that can easily be avoided, and tank your chances right away. Here’s a guide to navigate this landscape.
In this guide:
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Looking for a different teaching-related cover leter sample? Check out these:
We extracted data from over 500,000 documents created in our product and discovered that*:
- Cascade, Cubic, and Classic are the most commonly chosen cover letter templates among school counselors.
- The skills that school counselors frequently pick to highlight are Mediation and Crisis Intervention, Individual and Family Support, Data-Driven Decision Making, and Team Collaboration.
- On average, school counsellors who use our builder report having over 15 years of combined work experience.
* The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024)
The first one comes from Brian. He is writing a school counselor cover letter for a position which requires the full-spectrum of student services and casework activities. He draws on plenty of experience and metrics to make his point.
Brian S. Sanders
Michigan State Certified School Counselor
508 Prudence Street
Southfield, MI 48075
313-332-6379
brianssanders@dayrep.com
linkedin.com/brianssanders
Southfield, January 26, 2021
John Carter
Assistant Principal
Southfield Middle School
16 Main Avenue
Southfield, MI 48075
Dear John,
I was pleased to learn about the available school counselor position at Southfield Middle School. In addition to my Bachelor of Psychology and Master’s Degree in Psychotherapy, I have 10+ years of experience working as a school counselor. My mediation and career counseling courses increase my value as an employee, and have helped 2000+ students over the years of my work. I am confident I can transfer my skill set to benefit the wellbeing and performance of students at Southfield Middle School.
Throughout my previous school counselor positions, I was providing individual and group support for students aged 14-19, regarding career counseling, academic achievements, mental and physical health, as well as mediation sessions. I also helped students after suffering trauma, regularly providing them with therapeutic sessions. Each year, 40+ students benefited from this type of trauma assistance. Together with the Streetwise charity, I created a helpline for local young people in crisis, which during the first year helped at least 400 school-aged children. Due to the introduction of mediation workshops for students and anti-violence initiatives at school, the problem of aggression among students has significantly decreased. Comparing statistics from three years ago to the current situation, the number of reported bullying cases decreased by 74%. I received over $200,000 from various state and private funds to enable students in need to progress their academic career.
Thanks to my resourcefulness and 10+ years of experience, I am convinced that I meet all your requirements for the position of School Counselor at Southfield Middle School. Joining your school community could be a great opportunity for development for your students as well as for me as a psychologist and therapist in a larger school than my last.
When would be a good time to discuss how I can introduce meditation techniques to benefit the maximum number of students at Southfield Middle?
Sincerely,
Brian S. Sanders
313-332-6379
brianssanders@dayrep.com
Brain is obviously an expert in his field, and has the metrics and achievements to back it up. He will blow the competition out of the water.
Everyone has to start somewhere, however, so here’s a school counselor cover letter sample with no experience. Nancy is fresh out of college with a degree in Education and Psychology. She hopes to put her theoretical knowledge and fiery initiative to use at Milwaukee High School.
Here’s her school counselor cover letter.
Nancy V. Coleman
3376 Grant View Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53217
414-540-7252
nancyvcoleman@teleworm.us
linkedin.com/nancyvcoleman
Milwaukee, March 12, 2021
John Carter
Assistant Principal
Milwaukee High School
1 Main Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53217
Dear John,
I am pleased to offer my candidature for the school counselor position at Milwaukee High School. I am a top 3% Education and Psychology graduate with experience in organizing student support and self-help mechanisms, and can apply this experience and knowledge to benefit the wellbeing of students at Milwaukee High School.
I am only at the beginning of my professional path, but I do not lack education and required skills. I gained comprehensive and qualitative knowledge by graduating with a double major in Education and Psychology from Wisconsin University. I can pride myself on being among the 3% of the best students, which resulted in the Dean's award and the Nancy Reagan scholarship, which I received for the entire duration of my studies by maintaining a 4.0 GPA. During my studies, I was one of the founders of a student self-help association, where I organized numerous stress management workshops and resources to service 400+ students total. My association also organized mental and material support for students endangered by dropping out. We organized a living situation for 3 students allowing them to continue their studies, and free professional treatment for 4 clinically depressed ones, whom after postponement continued and completed their studies.
I am a quick learner and have a penchant for organizing grassroots initiatives, and can fully utilize any resources Milwaukee High School will afford me to provide its students with adequate support to maximize their learning potential. I am a young person myself, I understand students’ needs and problems.
When would be a good time to discuss how I can transfer my self-help resources to reach the maximum number of your students?
Sincerely,
Nancy V. Coleman
414-540-7252
nancyvcoleman@teleworm.us
If you send something similar to our school counselor cover letter examples, you’re going to be working cases in no time. Let’s write your own.
For many students, you will be the only calm port they will know. You must radiate calmness, confidence, and stability at all times. Be organized and in control. Starting with your cover letter format.
Here is the foolproof cover letter format:
Let’s get to what to include in your cover letter.
Use your resume header for your information, drop a space, city and date, another space, and below, the details of the hiring person, in this case, most likely the principal. Verify the job ad, and if in doubt—pick up the phone.
Check that you have these:
[ Your Full Name]
[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)
[ Address ]
[ Phone Number ]
[ Email Address ]
[ LinkedIn Profile ] (Optional)
[ City and Date ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]
[ Company Name ]
[ Company Street Address ]
[ City and Zip Code ]
Expert Hint: Don’t attach a PDF cover letter when you send a cover letter in an email.
Address your cover letter by title and surname in the salutation, just to be on the safe side. Start your cover letter by introducing yourself as a candidate for the open school counselor position. Give them a reason to keep reading by using a significant accomplishment to describe how you can help their school.
Be somewhat brief and concise here, you will go more in-depth in the second paragraph regardless. This is just for grabbing attention.
Use this to get you started:
Dear [Principal’s Name]:
I am [adjective] to offer my candidature for the open [School Counselor] position at [Target School Name]. With [number of years]+ years of experience under my belt, I have been able to achieve such outcomes as [metric/statistic/achievement] at my previous school, and am confident I will be able to achieve the same with the support of [Target School Name].
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The second paragraph should waste no time in laying out why this school counselor cover letter should be the last one they read. Try and estimate the impact you had on the school community, the number of people you helped in various situations and contexts.
Think about projects and resources you set up and how they benefited the students. Try and think what would be possible to transfer to the new working environment, and feel free to discuss that possibility.
Refer to the exact requirements in the job ad to know exactly which achievements from your resume to pick.
Check this one out:
You are looking for a [School Counselor] skilled in [refer to the requirements of the job]. At [Name of Your Previous Employer], I have excelled at [refer to the requirements of the job] by [describe what you did], which resulted in [improvement, metric, achievement, or statistic]. I have also devoted a lot of time to developing my organizational and monitoring skills through [relevant responsibilities, duties, or projects you’ve successfully completed, supported by metrics, if possible]. My proven expertise in [monitoring records/case management/securing funding/other important requirement] combined with [Target School Name]’s resources will allow us to achieve [important metric/outcome for your new school].
Expert Hint: Moving to a new area for this job? Different states have different certification requirements, which you can check here: Counselor Licensing Requirements by State.
Research the school you are applying to thoroughly. When it comes to the third paragraph, it is time to show you understand the reality of the school, and you believe it is possibly the best place for you to work and develop.
Don’t write generic cover letters. Remind them what’s in it for them by referring a piece of your track record to their needs. You are trying to create a blatant win-win situation.
Fill in the [blanks]:
My counseling at [Target School Name] would be beneficial to everyone, first the students, secondly myself, allowing me to [something important to you], and thirdly for you, as you will gain a committed staff member. The [values/principles of the school] are something that resonates with me, and will always keep me striving to provide world-class care. I am eager to apply my [skills/expertise] to help [Target School Name] [achieve a goal/improve/etc.].
Expert Hint: A lot of people entering counseling have a volunteering background. How to describe it to stand out from everyone else’s volunteering gap year? Check out the guide to putting your volunteering experience on your resume and cover letter in the best way.
There is time to beat around the bush, and there is time for straight talk. Now is time for straight talking. When signing off your cover letter, make sure to explicitly ask for a call or a meeting. Use a formal salutation, and look forward to working your first day as a school counselor.
Like this:
When could we chat about how my [your best, most relevant skill/experience/their most important requirement] experience can help [Target School Name] achieve [something important to this school]?
Best Regards,
[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]
[Your Full Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
And that’s it! Now you know how to write a cover letter.
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As you write a cover letter for school counselor positions, remember to:
Do you have any more questions about writing a cover letter for school counselor jobs? Did you find our school counselor cover letter examples helpful? Leave us a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!
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