Student Counsellor job description
A student counsellor supports students in a school or college with personal, academic and career concerns. The role gives students a safe place to talk and links families and teachers to the right help.
Why the role exists
Students face exam pressure, friendship problems, family stress and choices about streams and careers. The counsellor listens, guides and refers when needed. They work with class teachers, the principal and parents, usually report to the principal, and keep student conversations private within the limits the school sets.
What the person does
- Hold one-to-one sessions with students who ask for help or are referred by teachers or parents.
- Run group sessions on exam stress, study habits, friendships, safe use of phones and growing up.
- Guide senior students on streams, courses, entrance exams and career options with up-to-date information.
- Keep confidential session notes in a secure place and share only what the school policy allows.
- Meet parents to explain concerns and agree support at home and in class.
- Spot students at risk and follow the school's process for referral to outside specialists.
- Train class teachers to notice warning signs and respond kindly in the classroom.
- Support the school during exams, results days and any incident affecting students.
Skills and tools
- Active listening and calm, non-judgemental conversation with children and teenagers
- Knowledge of streams, courses and entrance exams after school
- Writing short, secure and respectful session notes
- Working with parents who are anxious or disagree with the school
- Group facilitation in a classroom or hall
- Judging when a case needs an outside specialist
- Fluent English and the local language of students and parents
- Discretion and professional boundaries
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Postgraduate degree in psychology, counselling or related field, preferred, or equivalent experience
- Prior counselling work with school or college students, preferred
- Training in career guidance or child protection practice, preferred
- Any registration or licence for counselling depends on the setting and facts; confirm with your own adviser
How the work is judged
- Students reached through sessions and workshops and how easy they find it to seek help
- Quality, confidentiality and timeliness of case records
- Appropriate and timely referrals made when a case goes beyond the school's scope
- Feedback from teachers, parents and senior students on guidance received
- Use of career sessions by senior students ahead of key decisions
Where the role can lead
- Senior counsellor or head of student welfare across a school group
- Career guidance specialist or college admissions adviser
- Trainer on student wellbeing for teachers and parents
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- A student tells you something in confidence that suggests they may be at risk. What do you do?
- A parent insists on knowing everything their child said in a session. How do you respond?
- How would you guide a Class 10 student whose parents want one stream and who wants another?
- Describe how you would run a workshop on exam anxiety for a hall of senior students.
- How do you decide when to refer a student to an outside specialist?
- A teacher sends many students to you for discipline. How do you handle that role?
Hiring tips for this role
- Test judgement on confidentiality and escalation with scenarios. Warm manners alone do not show how someone handles a risk case.
- Define whether the role is counselling, career guidance, discipline support or all three. Mixed expectations lead to poor fit.
- Check that the school has a private room, a referral list and a policy on records before the hire starts.
- Confirm any registration or qualification needed for this role with your own adviser, as it varies by setting and facts.
Questions about hiring a student counsellor
It is better to keep discipline with the coordinator or principal. Students speak freely only when they trust the counsellor is not the person who punishes them. Write this boundary into the job description.
Only what the school's own policy allows, which should be agreed in advance. In general, the counsellor shares concerns and suggested support, not the full detail of what a student said.
It depends on student numbers and needs. Some schools share a counsellor across branches or combine counselling with career guidance. Decide the hours and scope before you advertise.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates for the permanent role and supports the offer. Your principal meets the shortlist and decides on fit and boundaries.
Hiring a student counsellor?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.