Skills
Rehabilitation Counselor Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in rehabilitation counselors, and how to build and show them.
Rehabilitation Counselors need technical skills such as vocational assessment, case management, and disability knowledge, plus people skills like empathy and advocacy. They also use tools such as Case management systems and Vocational assessments.
Technical (hard) skills
- Vocational assessment
- Case management
- Disability knowledge
- Job development
- Assistive technology
- ADA knowledge
People (soft) skills
- Empathy
- Advocacy
- Communication
- Patience
Tools, equipment and technology
- Case management systems
- Vocational assessments
- Assistive technology
- Job databases
- Phones and laptops
- Resource directories
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how rehabilitation counselors put their skills to work:
- How to develop an employment plan
- How to request a workplace accommodation
- How to partner with employers to place clients
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Vocational assessment” and “Case management.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “empathy,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our rehabilitation counselor glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Rehabilitation Counselor training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.