Educational Psychologist CV Guide

What to include in a Educational Psychologist CV

Knowing what to include in a CV can be challenging, whether writing it for the first time or updating an existing one. The first thing to do is thoroughly read the job description and note the qualifications, skills, experience and attributes the employer wants candidates to possess. You can then reflect on your academic and professional background and align your most relevant credentials to the posting.

Once you know the employer’s needs, you can start writing your CV. To make it easier, decide on the main headings you want to include in the document. Most CVs have separate sections for contact information, professional summary, education, work experience, key skills, achievements and references. You can also add others where appropriate.

Employers have many CVs to read, and they will appreciate an engaging CV that is easy to navigate. Work through each section and keep them clear, concise and customised to the educational psychologist role. Let us now look at what you can include in the main sections, starting with one of the easiest, your contact information.

Contact information

Your contact information should be at the top of your CV, usually in bold and slightly larger text. It should be professional, clear and accurate so potential employers can reach you easily. Here is what you should include in this section:

• Full name – add your first name and surname, and make it prominent at the top.
• Professional memberships – you could mention affiliations under your title, such as the British Psychological Society (BPS) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Location – you do not need your full address – just your town, city and/or county.
• Professional email address – use a simple format like [email protected]. Avoid casual or outdated email addresses (e.g. [email protected]).
• Phone number – stick to one number and ensure it is up to date. If you have a voicemail, ensure it sounds professional.
• LinkedIn profile (if applicable) – only include it if your profile is relevant and polished.
• Professional website or portfolio (if relevant) – useful for showcasing work, especially if you have published research.

Avoid including personal identifiers in your CV, such as your date of birth, national insurance number, marital status and photo, as it poses security risks.

Professional summary

The next section after your contact information is your professional summary, which is also known as a personal statement, executive summary and professional profile. It is a 3-5 line paragraph, briefly highlighting your qualifications, experience, key skills, achievements and career goals.

Your professional summary is vitally important, as it is usually the first thing employers will read and sets the tone for your entire CV. If it is engaging, relevant and tailored to the specific role, it is likely to grab their attention and create a positive impression. On the other hand, if it is generic, uninteresting and lacklustre, they may not want to continue reading! It is your initial opportunity to grab their attention and demonstrate why you are a good fit for the education psychologist position.

There are several elements you can include in your professional summary, and here are some examples to consider:

• Professional title – clearly state your current or previous job title, e.g. “Educational Psychologist”. Use a suitable action verb at the beginning to make an impact. 
• Experience level – mention your years of experience in the field, especially if you have practice as an education psychologist.
• Qualifications – emphasise relevant qualifications, such as an accredited doctorate in Educational Psychology and registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• Areas of expertise – highlight your core competencies, such as psychological assessments, intervention planning, special educational needs (SEN) support and research.
• Key achievements – include any notable accomplishments, such as improving learning outcomes, implementing innovative strategies or leading successful interventions.
• Soft skills – emphasise critical attributes like strong communication, empathy, collaboration and problem-solving abilities.
• Career goals – briefly mention your aspirations, such as enhancing educational practices, supporting students with SEN or advancing research in the field.

Here is an example of a professional summary for an education psychologist:

“HCPC-registered Educational Psychologist with 5+ years of experience supporting children’s learning and development. Skilled in assessments, intervention strategies and collaboration with educators and parents. Passionate about fostering inclusive education and student well-being through evidence-based practices. Adept at delivering training and enhancing learning environments. Committed to driving positive educational outcomes with psychological expertise.”

Education

After your professional summary, you can add your education or work experience. You may want to add the former first if you have not yet had much experience as an educational psychologist and want to focus on your academic achievements.

The education section of a CV is where you provide details of your academic background. It is especially crucial, as formal education, accreditation, and professional training are necessary for the role.

A well-written education section demonstrates to potential employers that you have the necessary qualifications and expertise in psychology and education and meet the regulatory requirements for registration. If you also have any specialised training and honours, it can distinguish you from other candidates.

When writing this section, focus on the aspects of your academic background most relevant to the role. Here are some pointers on what to include:

• Highest degree first – list your most relevant qualifications at the top, e.g. Doctorate in Educational Psychology, Master of Science in Educational Psychology and Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
• Institution name and location – include the university or other institution name and location.
• Year of completion – highlight when you completed your degree or period of study e.g. 2021 or 2018-2021. You could also add the month and year.
• Grade/honours/classification – for your Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree, include the classification you achieved, e.g. First-Class Honours, Upper Second-Class Honours, Merit, Distinction, etc. For a doctorate, you can mention if you passed without corrections or with minor/major corrections, if you feel it is relevant.
• Accreditation and certifications – you could add British Psychological Society (BPS) Accreditation and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration. You could also include additional certifications in areas like child development, cognitive psychology, SEN support or research methods.
• Dissertation or research topics (if relevant) – if your research was particularly impactful, briefly mention it.
• Ongoing professional development – CPD is essential for educational psychologists, so you may want to provide details of any courses, workshops, seminars and conferences you have attended.

Generally, once you have a Bachelor’s degree and higher, you do not need to list your A-Levels or high school qualifications in detail on a professional CV. However, if you are a more recent graduate or if specific A-Level subjects are particularly relevant to the role, you could briefly mention them.

Work experience/employment history

Your work experience can come before or after your education section. It is where you highlight your professional roles, responsibilities and achievements and showcase your practical application of skills and expertise. It is one of the most important sections as it demonstrates to employers how you have applied psychological theories and interventions in real-world settings. It also highlights your specialisations, journey, growth and increasing responsibilities.

If you have had many previous roles, include those most relevant to the educational psychologist job. Here are some examples of the information to add:

• Heading  – include a heading -“Work Experience” or “Employment History”.
• Job titles – include your previous roles, e.g. Educational psychologist.
• Organisations – add the names of the companies you worked for.
• Key responsibilities
  • Add your duties in bullet point form and aim for 3-5 examples.
  • Start each one with a strong action verb, e.g. “assessed”, “implemented”, “collaborated”, and “developed”.
  • Focus on relevant duties, such as psychological assessments, intervention planning, collaboration with educators and families, and developing strategies for SEN support.
• Achievements and impact – include measurable successes, such as reducing behavioural challenges, improving academic performance or developing effective educational programs.
• Special projects and research – mention involvement in policy development, training programs or research initiatives.

Here is an example of a work experience section:

Educational Psychologist. Local Education Authority, London. September 2020 – Present.

• Conducted psychological assessments to support children’s learning and development.
• Developed and implemented intervention strategies tailored to individual student needs.
• Collaborated with teachers, parents, and multidisciplinary teams to enhance educational outcomes.
• Delivered training sessions that improved inclusive teaching practices, leading to a 15% increase in student engagement.
• Contributed to research and policy development to improve educational psychology services.

Key skills and achievements

Key skills showcase your abilities and strengths, helping employers quickly assess your suitability for a role. They are essential as they reinforce your expertise and achievements and can help your CV pass Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) filters that pick out specific keywords. Having a strong skills section can also differentiate you from other candidates.

You may notice that organisations detail the skills they want candidates to possess and often have essential and desirable criteria. Look at the job description and identify the skills mentioned and then reflect on the hard and soft skills you have, for example:

• Hard skills (technical and professional expertise) – are measurable, job-specific abilities learned through education, practice and on-the-job training. Some examples of hard skills for an educational psychologist include:
  • Psychological assessment – administering and interpreting cognitive, emotional, and behavioural assessments.
  • Data analysis – evaluating research and student performance data to inform interventions.
  • Intervention strategies – designing and implementing evidence-based programs to support learning and mental health.
  • Report writing – documenting findings and recommendations in professional reports.
  • Knowledge of educational policies – understanding education laws, special education needs (SEN) frameworks and safeguarding procedures.
• Soft skills (interpersonal and personal qualities) – enable effective interactions and relationship-building with students, parents and colleagues. Some examples of soft skills for an educational psychologist include:
  • Communication – explaining complex psychological concepts to educators, parents and students
  • Empathy – understanding and supporting students’ emotional and educational needs.
  • Problem-solving – developing tailored strategies to address learning difficulties and behavioural challenges.
  • Collaboration – working with teachers, parents and multidisciplinary teams to improve student outcomes.
  • Adaptability – adjusting approaches based on individual student needs and evolving educational policies.

Tailor your skills to the specific educational psychologist role by aligning your most relevant abilities. You can also combine them with your achievements, i.e. your key accomplishments and demonstrate the impact you have made in previous roles. We will look at how to focus on your achievements later.

You can incorporate your key skills and achievements in your work experience section or have separate ones for these areas. The latter may be preferable if you have many stand-out examples you want to highlight to potential employers.

Other information

While most CVs follow a similar structure with the main sections (including references) we have covered so far, that does not mean you cannot add, remove or move sections. You may have information that does not quite fit into the main sections or other positive aspects of your background that you want to stand out to employers. If this is the case, you may want to consider including extra sections and content, and here are some suggestions:

• Professional development – you may want to keep your education section for your formal qualifications, such as degrees, and have a separate section listing any training, courses, certifications, workshops, seminars and conferences that have enhanced your expertise.
• Professional memberships – you could have a separate section listing affiliations, such as BPS (British Psychological Society) or HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council).
• Key projects and case studies – you could include a section highlighting any impactful work, especially if you have led initiatives or research studies. You could also add any areas you focus on within psychology, such as neurodiversity, trauma-informed practices or assessment methodologies.
• Publications and presentations – you can highlight whether you have contributed to psychology journals or studies, as it can demonstrate your expertise in the field.
• Awards, grants and honours – if you have received any recognitions, awards or research grants, you could include a dedicated section for these accolades. It serves as a third-party validation of your expertise and achievements.
• Volunteer experience – you can include this information in your work experience section if you have had limited paid roles. Alternatively, you can include it separately to demonstrate your commitment, such as working with charities, schools or youth organisations.
• Languages and technical skills – if you speak multiple languages or are proficient in assessment tools and research software, note them. You could include them in your skill section or have a separate one.
• Hobbies and interests – only include this section if it is relevant and to show personality and relevant passions, like reading psychological research, volunteering with children with special needs, organising well-being activities, etc.
• Testimonials – if you have been self-employed, you could provide positive feedback or testimonials from parents and students that showcase your effectiveness and expertise.

If you add extra sections and information, ensure they add value and do not make your CV cluttered. You want it to be easy to read, engaging and tailored to the educational psychologist position.

References

The reference section in a CV lists 2-3 individuals (referees) who can vouch for your qualifications, skills, work ethic and professional character. These references are typically former employers, academic mentors or colleagues who have directly worked with you and can provide insight into your abilities.

Strong references are crucial, as employers will use them to verify the information you have included on your CV and confirm that you have the qualifications and competencies to fulfil the role’s requirements. Positive endorsements from trusted professionals can strengthen your application and differentiate you from other candidates with similar qualifications.

There are two main ways to complete the references section. First, look at the job description to see if you need to include referees on your CV. If not, add “References available upon request” under the section heading. If you need to add details to your CV, the next step is to choose 2-3 referees who can speak of your experience in educational psychology and ask for their permission to be contacted by employers. If they agree, you can include the following information on your CV:

• Full name – the referee’s complete name, as it appears in their professional capacity.
• Job title and organisation – their current position and the company, school or institution they work for.
• Contact details – email address and/or phone number. Ensure these are accurate and current.
• Your relationship with them – clarify how you know them (e.g. former manager, mentor or academic advisor).
• Brief endorsement or note – if space allows, you can briefly summarise why they are a strong reference for your application (e.g. “Worked together on student intervention strategies for two years”).

You can provide your referees with information about the job you are applying for so they can tailor their reference accordingly.