Domestic Violence Counselor Resume Examples & Templates

Kellie Hanna, CPRW
By Kellie Hanna, CPRW, Career Advice Expert Last Updated: November 14, 2022
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The journey to your new position as a domestic violence counselor may be challenging, but it is a challenge you can overcome. Use your resume to market the best you have to offer and the things that your potential employer cannot do without. Include your skills, experience and any professional accomplishments you are proud of to stand out from the competition. You need to include information about any areas of specialization in your field, like working with children. It is also important to talk about your ability to empathize and communicate with victims. These skills are a necessity for the position you are seeking, and employers want to know you possess them. Note these abilities in both the Summary Statement and Highlights portion of your resume so they are easily accessible. You can write a great resume. Please take advantage of our domestic violence counselor resume examples when writing your own. Non Profit Administrative Assistant

domestic violence counselor resume example

Domestic Violence Counselor Resume Questions

1. How do you write a domestic violence counselor resume?

Even experienced professionals can face writer’s block when sitting down to create a resume. Fortunately, knowing some basic rules and accessing helpful resources can take a lot of stress out of the process.

You can start by deciding what information should go on your submission. Use the language in the job posting and your own experience to determine which skills and experiences best qualify you for the job you want.

Tools such as our domestic violence counselor resume sample can aid you in understanding how to structure and format your submission. For more personalized help, you can turn to our step-by-step resume builder.

2. How do you list schools in a domestic violence counselor resume?

Educational requirements for a counseling position may vary by employer as well as by state rules. Be sure to list any required degrees, licenses, or certificates.

Generally, you should list your undergraduate degree even if you earned it in a different field. Include further studies if they relate to your profession. Do not list high school information.

Each entry in your education section should consist of the name of your institution, the type of degree, your field of study, and your graduation year. If you are still in school, you can put down an expected graduation date.

3. What can you do to make your domestic violence counselor resume stand out?

You may have heard the advice to use metrics to communicate your professional accomplishments. However, unlike a project manager or an engineer, a domestic violence counselor’s achievements can be harder to measure. You may not be able to say you increased revenue or cut costs by a given percentage.

Our domestic violence counselor resume samples presents some other ways to showcase your achievements. The applicant describes a wide range of responsibilities and uses specific language to describe them. In addition, she provides a metric in the form of stating the number of families she worked with.

4. How do you make a domestic violence counselor resume for a first job?

If you have recently finished school or are about to graduate, you may wonder how to create an effective professional document without extensive relevant work experience. First, you may want to give more prominence to your education section and include relevant coursework and grades. Second, include participation in relevant student activities or volunteer work. While you can still use our domestic violence counselor resume sample as a guide to formatting and structure, your content will need to differ, as you do not yet have the applicant’s extensive experience.

You may have participated in internships with organizations or healthcare centers. Any type of advocacy work, even in other areas, also imparts valuable skills for this job. If previous work, studies, or other activities have given you insight into healthcare, the court system, or housing administration, you should include them as well.

5. How do you optimize your domestic violence counselor for an ATS?

Many employers today use an Applicant Tracking System to go through resumes and filter them using certain keywords. Submissions that pass go to the hiring manager’s desk. The job posting usually provides a good guide for the keywords your prospective employer will use. Instead of paraphrasing, include exact terms and phrases from the listing to describe as many skills and experiences as applicable to your situation.

Resume Text

Sandra Costella

123 Fake Street
New Cityland,CA91010
Home: (555) 987-1234
Cell: (555) 987-1234
email@email.com

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Experienced and empathetic Domestic Violence Counselor who evolves to new circumstances quickly. Skilled in counseling, active listening and finding valuable resources useful for patients. Personal experience with victims of domestic violence with a specialization in working with children.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

  • Victim advocate
  • Group counseling
  • Public speaking
  • Resilient
  • CPS investigations

WORK EXPERIENCE
January 2011 to January 2015
Company Name – City, State
Domestic Violence Counselor & Court Advocate

  • Provided intervention assessments of families.
  • Counseled individuals and groups regarding domestic abuse cases.
  • Answered hotline phones to speak with victims of violence.
  • Interacted with other agencies to provide shelter and resources for abuse victims.
  • Advocated for abuse victims at hospitals and in court.

May 2008 to December 2011
Company Name City, State
Domestic Violence Counselor

  • Established physical and emotional safety for more than 300 families.
  • Interviewed family members to survey household violence situations.
  • Encouraged self-empowerment in patients.
  • Found housing options for victims of domestic violence.
  • Participated in court cases, including those involving restraining orders.
  • Treated patients experiencing PTSD, anxiety and depression.
  • Founded a local domestic violence hotline.

EDUCATION
2004 University of California, City, State
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology

2007 University of Texas, City, State
Master of Arts, Counseling