How To Put Down Your Education In Your Resume
Now that you have an idea of where to put your education section, lets start with the basics.
In terms of structuring your education section, the general practice is to follow a reverse chronological order: list your latest educational entry first, and then go backwards from there.
Okay, but how far back should you go? Do you put your high school education in there as well?
Usually, if you have a relevant university degree, its not advisable to waste precious space on your resume by listing your high school education.
Now that weve got all of that out of the way, we can show you a general template of how to write down your education. You list the following features in this particular order:
- Name of degree : e.g. B.A. English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching*
- Name of educational institution: e.g. University of Groningen
- Years attended: e.g. 2016 – 2019
- Location of the program : e.g. Groningen, the Netherlands
- GPA : e.g. 3,84. Keep in mind, though, that you only list education if its at an impressive scale . This shows determination and hard work on your part. If its lower, you might want to omit it altogether.
- Honors : e.g. Magna Cum Laude
- Courses that are relevant to the job : e.g. Modern Popular Literature track
- Exchange programs : e.g. Exchange Program in Oslo, Norway
* Possible ways to write down the same degree:
The full listing for this educational entry, then, is:
EDUCATION
B.A. English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching
University of Groningen
Not Recommended Items For Education In Resume
- High school information if youve completed a university degree
- GPA on resume, especially if it is too low
- Graduation year or dates in school, especially if it is more than a decade in the past.
Here is how to list education on resume:
Here is a no-frills basic sample of education listed on a resume:
How To List An Unfinished Degree
Now, lets consider the two main scenarios for listing some college degrees and how to do it positively.
Your degree is in progress right now
This case is pretty simple. You are a college student now, and intend to obtain a degree in the matter of years . Here, you put your educational institution and a degree as if you were describing the complete degree, and include the date of getting a long-awaited diploma.
Take a look at a few pro examples:
1.University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA Anticipated May 2021
BS in Engineering
2. Cornell University, New York, NY Expected graduation 2022
BS in Design and Environmental Analysis
Current GPA 3.7
Along with the degree and university name, you may include the GPA, number of credits completed, or relevant coursework.
Do you feel that your college studies are not what you expected and would like to work in a different field? Take a look at our tips for turning your hobby into career.
You dont plan to complete an unfinished degree
Youve spent a few months or years in college but havent completed a degree. Whether you left college for financial reasons, to focus on work or because you realized that you wanted to pursue a different profession, you can still reflect this degree positively. As a rule, youll need to include the university name and the area of study:
1.University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Completed 18 credits towards BA in Management
2. Williams College, Massachusetts, MA
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Education Section Of Resume
Individual sections seem simple enough, but how does it all fit together? Here are some more tips for how to list education on the dedicated education section of your resume:
- Start with your highest degree first – You don’t need to order by date! Put your biggest academic achievements at the top when listing education on a resume.
- College education is the most important – If you are a professional graduate with some work experience, it is safe to say that you can remove most, if not all, of the information related to your high school education.â
- The small details matter – Double check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation, and pay attention to formatting. Sometimes there are different ways to present information, for example:
- You can spell out your degree or use abbreviations – Master of Arts becomes MA.â
- You can use periods to separate initials – M.A. .
- You can separate your degree from your major with a comma – MA, Sociology.
As you see, there is more than one way to format your educational experience, but the most important thing is to be consistent.
How To Put Education On Resume As An Experienced Professional
A resume’s education section will look different for a professional who has completed more than one degree and has significant work experience. In this case, listing education on a resume comes below work experience. Recruiters will always be more interested in skills gained on the job than your academic career, no matter how impressive sounding.
If you have more than one education, rank these in a hierarchy, with a Ph.D. or Master’s first, then Bachelor’s degree, then other professional courses. Here’s a good example of what it can look like:
Ph.D. in Business Administration Master’s of Science in Information Systems Duke University, Durham, NC
Bachelor’s of ScienceNorth Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
ââIf you have work experience and multiple degrees, it is best to leave your GPA as hiring managers will prioritize.
If you haven’t finished your degree, we’ve got you covered with our next example â so read on!
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Give Your Resume A Professional Upgrade
Whether you are still in college or graduated years ago, your resume should give the big picture of your professional background and position you well for the job. If youre not happy with the way your resume looks or it doesnt bring results, its time to seek expert help. The writing wizards from Resumeperk.com can prepare an impressive paper for you, focusing the recruiters attention on the strengths rather than shortcomings. We only work with in-house American or British writers and ensure your satisfaction with a written resume.
Increasing Employment Options With A Ged
For job seekers who haven’t graduated from high school, completing the GED can show employers that you have the same credentials as a high school graduate. You can list your GED on your resume and job applications, just as you would list high school, college and other relevant classes, and continuing education courses.
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List The Date You Earned The Certification
Listing the date you earned the certification is essential for two reasons. First, if the employer wishes to verify your certificate, they can use the date to confirm your file. Second, the date allows the company to know how long it’s been since you completed the certification process to earn recognition. If your certification requires renewal, also list the date you most recently renewed it. For example, a first aid and CPR certificate is only valid for a certain number of years before you need to re-certify.
You Started College At One Place But Finished Somewhere Else
If you attended college at one institution perhaps a community college and then completed your education in another place, you only need to list the university where you completed your degree. All the employer wants to know is which college supplied you with your degree at the end of your education they dont necessarily care or need to know how you arrived at this place. Save that resume space for more important information.
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Takeaways: Listing Unfinished Degree On Resume
No matter if you have completed your degree, if you are currently working toward it, or have dropped out, dont let anything stop you from pursuing your dream job.
When listing your incomplete degree on your resume, remember to:
- Mention your degree program, school name, and expected graduation date, if your education is still ongoing.
- If youre not going to finish your education, find a way to make your incomplete degree work in your favor and present yourself in the best light.
- If you are an experienced professional or were dismissed for a cause, youd better leave your unfinished degree off your resume
Now you have everything you need to make the best out of your incomplete degree.
***What are your thoughts? Did you list your job shadowing experience on your resume? Give us a shout-out in the comments below. Wed love to hear from you!
If You’re In College Or Just Graduated
At this stage, you probably have more credentials related toyour target job as a student, than as a working professional.
So if you havent had a job, project, or volunteer workrelated to the position youre applying for, put education before workexperience on your resume.
You might argue that its better to list the odd andpart-time jobs you did first. Maybe you think these job entries show thatyoure employable and at least know what its like to work for a living.
Perhaps some hiring managers might consider that fact.
But what if they dont read past your job title as Waitress, Cashier, or Barista? Allthe qualities and achievements you list below the job title will be ignored,too. Even if those skills are related to the job at hand.
For now, list education before your work experience first. Justconsider it your first step in convincing employers that you have thequalifications they need.
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Examples Of Education On Your Resume
Example #1: Standard
National Institute for Non-Profit Development San Diego, CACertificate in Grant Writing and Proposal TrackingMarch 2017
How do you list an incomplete PhD on a resume? How do you list an incomplete MBA on a resume? Some people might feel a certain level of shame at not completing a PhD or MBA, but there are often deeper reasons that are well worth exploring in an interview. Failure is a part of life and there is no shame in aiming high and falling short. If you are not exploring your past shortcomings in your interview, you are not fully exploring who you are. Be human, be humble and list it down .
Use What Youve Learned To Your Advantage Learn How And Where To Include Your Education On Your Resume
Include your education background on your resume.
Your resume education section seems like it should be the easiest thing to writejust list your school, program of study, degree, and date, and youre done. However, its not so straightforward for many job seekers. Unsure about the best way to present your education? On resume templates, youll find a few ways to best display your credentials. We laid out some common scenarios, examples, and strategies below to help you determine the best way to look smart.
Read Also: Where To Put Summa Cum Laude On Resume
Listing Dates Of Attendance: Graduate Vs Current Student
When listing your educational background on a resume, its customary to include dates regarding your time in college. Here are some tips on the best way to format this information.
First, listing the range of years you were enrolled in college is unnecessary. Instead, provide only the month and year of your graduation. If you havent graduated yet, list the month and year of your anticipated graduation.
Heres an example:
West Seneca State College | West Seneca, NY | May 2019 Bachelor of Science, Accounting
If you didnt graduate from college and arent anticipating returning to finish your degree, list the years of your attendance along with the department you were a student in, like the following resume education example:
West Seneca State College | West Seneca, NY | 2015-2017Accounting
How To List Your Certifications On A Resume
Employers look for specific certifications when hiring to ensure candidates. This is to ensure they have the specialized knowledge and skills required to perform the duties of the job. Adding professional certifications to your resume can positively affect the impression your resume makes on recruiters and hiring managers. In this article, we discuss the definition and types of certifications, as well as identifying when and how to include them on your resume with specific examples for listing current and in-progress credentials to help you get noticed.
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How To List Graduating With Honors On Resume
When graduating with honors, you have a few different ways to note that. Keep in mind that honor requirements vary based on the attended school. In Latin, cum laude means with honor. Some colleges and universities have three distinctions to denote the highest one achieved. Use the below as a guideline:
- Summa cum laude typically, students need to maintain a GPA of 4.0 or higher.
- Magna cum laude the next highest category usually honors those who achieve a 3.8 to 3.9 GPA.
- Cum laude for this category, the median estimate is a GPA ranging from 3.5 to 3.7.
- With distinction some schools use this wording as an alternative to the Latin distinctions.
A sample looks as follows:
MBA, specialization in Leadership, New York Institute of Technology, Graduated with distinction GPA: 3.8 July 2017
You may include your GPA to support you . Use the wording on your diploma or follow your schools guidelines.
All Applicable Education Matters
Even if you did not complete a degree or attend college, you still learned skills from on-the-job-training and other forms of education. Follow the guidelines regarding education placement to ensure you present yourself in the best way possible.
Dont Be Overly Cutesy
Most of us have stuff in our past that wed like to disguise on our resumes. If it happens that your Achilles heel falls in the education section, be strategic, of course, but not cheesy or dishonest. It probably wont end well. If you feel your education section is a little light, load this section with continuing education and professional coursework.
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Currently Pursuing Degree On A Resume
If youre currently pursuing your degree, make sure you have included your latest entry at the top of the education section of your resume. Keep in mind that you can call yourself a student if you have taken a hiatus of less than a year.
In this case, you should include your degree program and school name. You should specify the expected graduation date if youre continuing your education, or simply mention that your education is still ongoing.
If your grade point average is above 3.0, you might want to consider including it as well.
Dont forget to include any education-related experience that you have. That includes clubs and projects, as well as honors and awards. Show how good you are!
Heres a little example to get you going:
If youre a semester away from your graduation, you may have the opportunity to finish your degree as a condition of being hired.
Just to be sure, we want to mention one fact again if you have taken a hiatus of up to a year, you can still call yourself a student.
Dont hesitate, but mention all the information we have listed above, including the name of the school you are attending, the date you started, and the degree youre pursuing.
You can also include any relevant information, like memberships, research projects, or activities.
Writing A Resume With No Education
Listen, you might think that you do not have an education because you did not attend college or university, but even if you did not finish high school there are many roles that are looking for other aspects of life learning than grades and certifications. Adding “education” on your resume might not be as hard as you think:
- List incomplete educational qualifications and even mediocre high school results
- What online learning have you been able to take on board?
- What lessons have you learned in your non-working life that might help?
Education comes at you every minute of every day. If you have not been a hit in the classroom, think hard about what skills you will need on the job and where you may have picked up those skills before. Don’t be embarrassed – it won’t seem desperate and you are simply demonstrating creativity. It will give you an advantage over those people who leave the education section empty.
Take a good look at the sorts of jobs that you are applying to. More of them than you think will be open to employing someone who doesn’t have a stellar education but does have the right attitude. If they do not demand certain educational qualifications in the job description, then you are likely to have some wiggle room.
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List The Certifications Title
Using a font and font size that you included previously in the resume, list the full title of the certification as a bullet under the heading Certifications. Be sure to type the name correctly and to spell out any abbreviations. If the potential employer or hiring manager is unfamiliar with the certification, they will need to be able to conduct an internet search using the full title.
How To Write A Resume Education Section If You’re A Student
As a student, you should place your education section at the beginning of your resume. Whether you already have some experience or not, employers will be interested to know that youre still a student.
Include information about your extracurricular activities, relevant coursework or studying abroad.
Is your final thesis related to the job youre pursuing? Then you should mention it! Explain how it pertains to the job opening.
Internships. Paid or unpaid, it doesnt matter. The most important thing is that you can show youre motivated and willing to work.
If you havent done any internships yet, its high time you applied. In most cases you dont need any previous experience to get one and it can help you acquire many valuable skills. Moreover, its something that will distinguish you from your peers once you start looking for a job after graduation.
Finally, if youve already got your first degree, you can leave your high school degree out.
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