Dear future school counselor,

I will keep this page short and to the point. Here’s what I have for you today:

In the eBook, you will find multiple great answers to each of the following questions:

  • Why do you want to become a school counselor?
  • How would you gain trust of the students?
  • How do you handle criticism?
  • What goals would you set for yourself in this job?
  • How would you approach individual student planning?
  • How important is the paperwork for you?
  • How do you imagine a typical day in work as a counselor?
  • How will you evaluate your school counseling program?
  • What do you expect from teachers, parents, school administrators, and other counselors?
  • How would you work with angry/ passive parent?
  • What would you do if a student shared with you their suicide plans?
  • Imagine a student wanted to drop out of school. What would you do? What would you tell them?
  • If there was a conflict between a student and a teacher (or one of the school administrators), on which side would you stand?
  • Tell us about a time when you explained something difficult to someone. How did you get your message over?
  • Describe a goal you achieved in your counseling (teaching) practice, and who helped you with achieving the goal.
  • … and ten other tough questions you may face in your school counselor interview.

Check the sample to see how this book can help you:

 

Sample from the eBook


Q 9: How do you handle criticism?

Hint: School counselors often face criticism, from both students and teachers. Tell the hiring committee that you are ready to face constructive criticism, as you believe it helps you to become better in what you do.

You can also emphasize that you do not take criticism personally, and it won’t affect your relationship with the colleagues, or the students. It is simply a part of your job.

 

Sample answers

I try to do my job well, and I care about the results. Logically it sometimes hurts when someone criticizes my work—though they may be right. But I am aware that counselors are often criticized, and I count with criticism. I will try to understand each negative comment, and learn from it.

– Look, I am just starting in this job. I’ve graduated from college, I’ve been through internship, but I understand there’s still much to learn, and improve in the way I do my job. I am not afraid of criticism, just the opposite—I am happy to hear it, and I believe that feedback should flow freely at school, in all directions. Each critical remark helps me to reevaluate my work, and to become better in what I do. And I plan to keep this attitude in my entire career, since thing always evolve, students always change, and what works great with them today may not work in ten years time.

 

Q 10: What goals would you set for yourself in this job?

Hint: First of all, you should have some goals, since each responsible employee have goals. And you should not rely on the administrators to set the goals for you, for two reasons:

  • They do not understand your work as well as you do (it’s not their specialization)
  • The motivation to attain a goal is always stronger when we set it (it’s called inner vs. external motivation).

In terms of particular goals, however, you can either try to address challenges they face at school, one by one (such as lowering the drop-our rate, eliminating chicane, improving results of students, helping outsiders to integrate into collective in the classroom, etc), or you can simply say that your goal is to do your best for every student, within the scope of your job and position.

 

Sample answers

– According to the research I’ve done about your school and students (please correct me if I’m wrong), your drop out rate is 20% higher than the average in this school district. I believe that as a school counselor I can help to address this issue, and to get us to the district average (or do even better). This will be the goal I’d set for the first three years. I have also read about instances of severe chicane at your school, and I do believe to have a capacity to help addressing also this sensitive issue.

– My goals are very simple: To try my very best in each meeting with either student, or teacher. To be fully present in each meeting, to approach it responsibly, and to do my best… I know that I will experience some low days in work, just like everyone else, and things won’t always pan out the way we’d like them to. Nevertheless, my goal will be to try my very best.

End of the sample


 

These are just two questions. You will find 25 in the eBook, including personal, behavioral, and technical questions. But that’s not all.

To ensure you will get the job, I included in the book six principles you need to understand before you can ace this interview.

Without talking too much about them, let me show you another sample from the book:

 

Sample no. 2


Principle no. 3: Do your homework

People sitting in the hiring committee will know a lot about the school. They will know a lot about the entire district, and the problems educational institutions face locally.

But you know what? They expect a good candidate for the position of a school counselor to know as much as they do—or even more!

You should do your homework. Try to research particularly about the following:

  • The vision and goals of the educational institution where you will work.
  • Former school counselor and their career, why they left the place.
  • Major achievements of the institution (recognition of teachers, students, prizes and awards the school received in the recent years).
  • Things that make the institution unique, reasons why students should choose it instead of other, competing institutions.
  • Problems and challenges the school faces (there will always be some problems), especially problems that relate to the job of school counselor.
  • History of the school.
  • Expectations of local community, and the collaboration of the school with other public institutions.

Luckily we live in 21st century, and you won’t have to consult dozens of people to find the answers. FaceBook groups, online reviews, local news articles, social networks such as LinkedIn—all these tools, and obviously Google and the website of the school, will help you a lot with your research.

Make notes, print them, and read them before the start of your interview.

Good research will help you in many ways.

It will help you to find good answers to particular interview questions (questions that relate to the school), to calm down before your interview (since it is always easier if we feel somehow familiar with the place and the people we will meet), and to come up with a good question, once there’s an opportunity to ask a good question.

When you know a lot about the school, or even about the people in the committee, you will always find something interesting to point out, or discuss with them.

 

Ignorant candidates who rely only on their qualifications and interviewing skills, and do not even look at the website of the educational institution before their interview, are rarely hired, for any job at school.

Do not make the same mistake. Spend enough time researching about the school. Make the unfamiliar familiar. It will help you immensely in your interview.

End of the sample


Glen, author of the eBook

So that’s it. I do not want to waste your time with lengthy sales pages, and imaginary discounts, just like other people do on their websites, while selling various digital products.

You have read the samples, you know what the eBook is about, and surely you can tell whether it will help you or not.

I sincerely believe it will help you in your interview. It will help you a lot. And you can read it easily in two or three hours, it’s 12,000 words. Only things that truly matter, no secondary content.

Plus, of course, like with everything else we sell here on InterviewPenguin.com, you have a risk free sixty days money back guarantee. If you don’t like this eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know (email me at glen[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com) within 60 days and we will give you a full refund.

Quick Summary

  • Brilliant answers to twenty-five difficult questions you may get in your interview for a school counselor job.
  • Originally published in 2019, latest update: February 2024.
  • Several sample answers to each question, so you can choose the one that reflects your values and experience.
  • Six principles of acing the school counselor interview, things you simply need to know and understand, in order to make the right impression on the hiring committee.
  • Instant download, .PDF format (you can read it on any device (mobile, kindle, PC), and you can easily print it).
  • Secure and simple checkout with PayPal, you can pay with your credit/debit card, or with your PayPal account.
  • Price: $14, one time payment, no hidden fees or upsell. 60 days risk free money back guarantee. Sold exclusively on InterviewPenguin.com.
  • Click the checkout button below to proceed to the payment.

(After the payment you will be directed back to our website, to a protected page, to download your eBook. You will also receive a download link and instructions to your email, just to ensure that you will get the book without waiting, even if the redirect fails.)

(If you can not see an option to pay with your credit/debit card once you click the checkout button, click on “Create an account with PayPal”. You will then see an option to pay with your card (as a PayPal guest), without a need to register an account with PayPal.)

 

That’s it. Your interview does not have to be stressful, or difficult. You can interview with confidence, and give brilliant answers to all tough questions. Download the guide today, and succeed in your interview for a job of a school counselor.

Sincerely,

Glen Hughins,

Your personal job interview coach

P.S. Feel free to send me a message if you are still not sure how this guide will help you to get a job. I try my best to answer all messages within twelve hours (glen[at]interviewpenguin[dot]com).

Glen Hughins
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