Since guidance counselors are responsible for ensuring that children develop socially as well as academically, your interviewer will likely ask a myriad of questions. The following guidance counselor interview questions and answers are designed to gauge your abilities and determine your qualifications.
Why Do You Feel You Are Ready to Be a Guidance Counselor?
Many people would answer a question like this with some information about their education and credentials, and while this is acceptable, it should be followed up with a bit of more personal information. You should take some time before your interview to reflect upon this so that you can provide your interviewer with an answer that is meaningful. For instance, you can provide some information about a particularly difficult case, whether you actively participated in the case or observed as part of your training. Similarly, you could provide information about a personal experience, particularly if you or one of your own children was helped by a guidance counselor in the past.
What Would You Do if a Student Reported He Was Abused by a Teacher?
Part of your role as a guidance counselor is ensuring proper relationships between students and teachers. As such, at some point during your career, you may be faced with a particularly difficult and personal issue. Be sure to take your time when answering such a question; a quick response indicates that you will not take the time to think the situation through. “I would first review the school’s policy for handling such issues” followed by your methods for implementing the policy is always the best answer.
Do You Work Well with Others?
This is an important question because you will be required to work directly with other personnel in order to meet the needs of individual students. For example, if a high school student is struggling academically in algebra, the counselor’s job is to not only to assist the student in securing a tutor, but also to speak with the algebra teacher so that a learning plan can be developed. An answer such as “I understand the importance of ensuring that everyone works together in order to meet the needs of students. I feel that my communication skills and my ability to think objectively allow me to work well with others to meet goals” is a great choice.
How Would You Handle a Particularly Disruptive Student?
In some cases, you may be asked to meet with students if they have behavioral issues or if they are overly disruptive. Your superiors will need to know that you can work with these students and help them solve their behavioral problems. “I would attempt to find the root cause of the problem, whether it is an issue at home or perhaps an issue with one or more students at school. Then, I would work with the student to find the best way to resolve the situation” is a good answer, but you should be sure to elaborate further based upon the school’s policies and the interviewer’s exact question.
Above all, you will need to answer each question in a manner that proves your dedication to students and their well-being. If you can effectively communicate this to your interviewer, you will prove yourself to be the best candidate for the position.
