How To List Education On Resume: 2021 Guide With 10+ Tips
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Mandela has left us with a compelling line. And education on a resume is the most important finish to a resume.
But how to list education on resume?
Listing education on a resume can be very difficult. Considering which field to include and worrying about the unfinished degrees can take a lot of your time!
Be it a high school resume, a college student, or a working professional, do NOT worry! We have got you covered. All your questions have been answered:
The following guide and FAQ shall answer all essential questions. Our professionals at Hiration have got you perfect templates for your resume. Check out our 20+ free customized resume templates here.
In this blog post, we will cover the following topics:
Education On Resumerelevant Coursework
City University of New York, New York, NY
Relevant Coursework: network & security applications, internet-of-things, cloud foundations.
- Museum of Science Student Guild
Some even suggest adding your thesis as an educational element. You may want to include a separate Thesis subsection under the appropriate educational degree and indicate the title of your thesis in italics,states Harvard Law School.
Our advice is, if its relevant, go right ahead!
Please note, of course, that two or more of the various education subsections above may be combined. Just stack them one atop the other.
Expert Hint: Only add extracurricular activities in your education section if they are relevant and affiliated with your time at the school. Otherwise, list relevant activities in a resume hobbies and interests section.
Are You Applying For Your Dream Job
Then you may also want to take a look at my article on what Hobbies Interests to Put on Resumes.
But the site contains more than just great resources to write the perfect resume! We can also help with the application processes of a number of US-based companies, including everything from Popeyes Chicken Application to the ABF Freight System Application process to the Cintas Application. Just type the name of your potential employer into our search box, and youll probably find that we have it!
Regardless of the company, its best to start preparing yourself for the potential questions that will come up in most interviews. So, check out our comprehensive guides discussing Strengths and Weaknesses for Job Interviews, on Answering Tell Me About Yourself in Interview, or responding to Why Do You Want to Work Here? Plus, answering the dreaded, Why We Should Hire You in 2021!
Plus, here are some highly recommended resources to interview like a pro if youre starting your journey in the job market: Answering Tough Interview Questions For Dummies and How to Create Positive Impressions.
Back to todays topic
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Include Your Recent Or Anticipated Graduation Date
Whether you’ve graduated with your diploma, are a current high school student or chose not to finish high school and earned your GED instead, include your graduation date or anticipated graduation date. A hiring manager can choose if they are comfortable hiring a candidate who still has some schooling left, depending on the requirements of the position.
If you’ve completed some high school and then left a traditional high school environment to pursue specialty education, like at a trade school, you can still include your high school name, and then also include the specialty or trade school you attended with the completion date as well. Similar to how you would list college education on your resume, you should only include the date if you graduated within the last three years. After that time, keep only the name of your high school listed if it is the highest level of education you have completed.
How To List College When You Didn’t Graduate
Whether you’re currently working toward a degree, or have no plans to graduate, don’t let a lack of a degree stop you from including your time spent at college or relevant details about completed coursework on your resume.
Your college classes, even without an earned degree, can help you meet an employer’s educational requirements.
If you did not graduate from college, make sure that your resume does not indicate otherwise. Many employers will do a reference check prior to hiring someone. Any information found to be intentionally misleading will end your candidacy and is grounds for firing if you have been hired.
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Otherwise Your Work Experience Should Come Before Your Education Section
If the situations above dont apply to you, and you dont have another good reason to list your education first, stick to the standard convention as lead with your work experience. Employers primarily want to know about your work history and achievements, so unless your education is very recent, youre better of focusing on your professional accomplishments.
How To Craft An Eye
A resume summary is a brief introductory statement at the beginning of your resume that helps to show your best attributes to the person reading it.
When writing your summary, it is important to include compelling details such as academic accomplishments or key work experience. This will catch the attention of employers and encourage them to read further into your resume and remember you later on.
To help demonstrate how to write an effective resume summary, here is an example of a weak one followed by a correction and explanation.
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Education For A College Student With No Work Experience
If you are a college student with no work experience, build your education section with your best academic achievements. Include relevant coursework, extracurricular activities, degree, awards and honors, expected graduation date and GPA where applicable.
You can also mention any college experience that applies to the role. Mention the experiences and skills you gained from your coursework or research and how they apply to the role.
Example of the education section for a college student with no work experience:
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
GPA: 3.65/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology
Expected Graduation: September 2019
Awards: Deans List, Autumn 2017
Extracurricular Activities: Assistant Editor of the Purdue Psychology Digest
The best way to make your education section stand out is to keep it honest and relevant. Mention only academic achievements that boost your chances of getting hired. Be strategic and put your credentials where they will attract the hiring managers attention.
Recent Graduate Within One To Five Years
If you’ve recently graduated from an academic program, place your education section before or in line with your work experience. Because most of your experience is academic, putting your education in a prominent place is acceptable and expected. Remember to include your date of graduation and any honours or achievements you want to highlight. If you attended multiple schools to receive your degree or certification, list the most prominent school where you were most involved. Here is an example:
2017-2021, Bachelor of Commerce Honour Degree in AccountingUniversity of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta3.8 GPAMember of Business Student’s Association and Network of Empowered Women
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Listing Education On Resumes
What about those unique educational situations that are outside of the sections mentioned above? As you can see, listing education on a resume isn’t so straightforward.
Unfinished programs – Special programs, even when finished, may not need to be specifically mentioned however, if you are close to completing a program at a good school that is relevant to the position you are applying for, then add it to your resume education.
High school-related activities – Everyone needs to start somewhere. Unfortunately, it can be hard to fill out a resume when you have little or no work experience but don’t worry! You still have the chance to display what you have to offer with any relevant coursework, extra-curricular activities, or hobbies that demonstrate your work ethic and areas of interest on the education section of your resume.
Certifications – Certifications are a great way to show that you go above and beyond to achieve something your school or current employer doesn’t mandate. Remember to not use any jargon or abbreviations that your prospective employer may not understand.
Workshops – It is best to include workshops only if they are directly related to the functions required by a prospective employer. For example, having completed a two-day behavior management workshop would be worth mentioning if you are going for a teacher’s job, but not necessarily if you are hoping to work in a restaurant kitchen.
How To List Education On A Resume With Examples
The education section of your resume provides hiring managers with a detailed insight into your background and how it relates to the role. When written to reflect the job requirements, your education section can give you an advantage over other candidates. The best way to list your education depends on your work and academic achievements.
There are several ways to list education on your resume. Reading and understanding the job description can help identify the perfect location and level of qualification to include when applying to a position. Not all jobs need your full credentials, so you can check the job listing to see what the hiring managers are looking for. In this article, you can learn about how to list your education on a resume.
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If A Degree May Make You Look Overqualified You Can Leave It Off
The only time you should consider not listing a qualification is if it isnt relevant and it could make you appear overqualified for example, if you have PhD in mathematics and are applying for jobs as an entry-level salesperson.
If you have postgraduate qualifications, list all your degrees, not just the most recent. You may think your bachelors degree in art history doesnt matter if you have a masters in engineering and are applying for jobs as an engineer, but itll look weird if you leave it off altogether.
An Example Of Education On Resume For A High School Senior
A resume for a high school senior will look like the following example:
EDUCATIONMarsland High School3.56 GPACourses: Mathematics, History, French, Drama
As stated above, a high GPA can be included, as it is here. Also, listing some of your main courses will show your employer what your areas of interest are and give you something to discuss at the interview stage.
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What Employers Are Looking For In The Resume Education Section
When employers review the education section of your resume, what theyre looking for depends on the requirements of the job.
They may scan for:
- Your schools name and location
- Your degree and field of study
- Graduation year
- GPA
- Relevant coursework, achievements, or honors
If youre a recent graduate, you may want to include a more detailed education section, since this will comprise the bulk of your relevant experience. Otherwise, youll focus more on your work experience. Different jobs will require varying levels of detail and varying levels of education.
For an entry level position, for instance, employers want to verify that you have a high school diploma or bachelors degree. For a higher level position, employers may prefer a graduate degree. Some professions require specific degrees or certifications.
Most job descriptions specify educational requirements. Review these requirements to determine whether youre truly a good fit for the position.
Options For Listing Education On A Resume
Not sure how to list your college degree on your resume? How should you list your expected graduation date if you’re an undergraduate student? What if you didn’t go to college? How about if you’ve already graduated? Alternatively, what do you do if you haven’t yet graduated but intend to complete your degree at some point in time?
Even if you didn’t graduate, there are options for presenting your educational background in a positive manner. An entry-level resume will often present more educational or training information than would a resume for someone who has been in the workforce for many years.
If you dont have a lot of work experience to prove your skills and capabilities on the job, it can be important to list any relevant college coursework, even if you didnt graduate with a degree.
Here are a few options for including your education, as well as for mentioning credit you have earned for college-level work on your resume even though you didn’t graduate.
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How To Write An Education Section If You Never Graduated
If youre a college dropout, or if youre taking aleave of absence, this part is for you.
You should always include even unfinished education on your resume. Employment gaps always make hiring managers a bit suspicious.
Just because you dont have a degree yet, it doesnt mean you cant put it on your resume. All you have to do is emphasize that youre still working towards attaining it.
The same holds true if you dont plan on ever finishing your studies. After all, you put some effort into them. Even more importantly, you paid the tuition.
What Are The Differences Between A Ged And A High School Diploma
There are major differences between a high school diploma and a GED.
The primary difference between a GED and a high school diploma is the time taken to complete the courses.
A high school diploma takes four years of high school to complete. And a GED, which is a test in 5 subjects, only takes 7 hours.
Apart from this, a GED does not require the candidate to acquire formal education.
Most employers in the USA accept a GED certificate as an alternative to a high school diploma.
GED certificates can even help you get into the military, which is extremely difficult with a high school diploma.
With that said, it would be a great addition if you listed your GED certificate in your resume.
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Resume Education Section Example
EDUCATION
Master of Science in Horticulture, Expected in 2021University of Melbourne, AU
Bachelor of Agricultural Science , 2015-2018Western Sydney University, AU
Awards and HonoursVice Chancellors Award for the Best Performance 2017
When you write the education section, the most important thing is be honest and strategic. Include coursework, certifications, honors that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
If you have been selected for the interview, you might ask some questions regarding your education. So be ready to answer them. Before you go to the interview, make a plan yourself on how to answer the follow-up questions regarding your education.
Experienced Professional With Five Or More Years
If you have over five years of work experience history, move your education section below your work history. A hiring manager will focus more on your work experience at this point in your career but still refer to your academic achievements and training. You can also exclude your graduation dates and grade point average if you have over five years of work experience. You want to highlight your skills and experience more than your academic history. Again, if you have multiple degrees or certifications, list them in order of highest degree first. Here is an example:
*The University of Victoria, Victoria, British ColumbiaBachelor of Science Honour Degree in Biology
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British ColumbiaMaster of Science in Oceanography *
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Should I List My Education On My Resume
Absolutely. The education section of your resume gives more information to recruiters about what youve done in your life, whether you have a GED or you graduated with a bachelors degree. Your fields of study, awards and honors, and any special coursework you have under your belt can help qualify you for the position youre applying to.
Adding High School And Ged On Resume
- If your highest level of education is a high school diploma or a GED, this should still be included as there are many jobs that are open to high school graduates as well as college graduates.
- Generally, this type of education section should be kept short and sweet. Listing that you have received either a diploma or a GED should be sufficient.
- If you have recently graduated high school or received your GED, including additional high school-related achievements may be beneficial
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What Interviewers Want To See In Your Resumes Education Section
The information each hiring manager looks for in your resume education section depends on the job requirements. Recruiters hiring for an entry-level position might look for the course you studied in college or type of degree. An employer interviewing for a managerial role in a finance company might want to see a business school degree or industry-specific certifications.
The requirements or education section of a job description will provide the academic qualifications for the role. Read the section carefully to ensure your credentials are a good fit for the job.
Be honest with the academic qualifications you include on your resume. It is easy for interviewers to confirm the information you provide. You can leave off information that does not support your chances of getting an interview.
These Tips Will Let You Know When Its Time To Let Go Of The Glory Days And Let Your Professional Work Experience Own The Spotlight
Know whether your high school belongs on a resume.
In the early stages of your career, youre likely going to struggle to decide what relevant information to include on your resume. Its a common conundrum. Among your considerations: Should your resume education section include your high school?
Short answer: Sometimes.
There are definitely circumstances that warrant listing your high school achievements on your resume. But there will also come a time when your work history will become the main point of interest to hiring managers. These pointers will help you determine when to cut your school ties.
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