Degrees Earned At Other Institutions
Except to show multiple degrees earned at Western Michigan University, do not list more than one degree following a person’s name. The following examples are a first reference to a speaker who earned her degrees at another university.
Incorrect: Rebecca McKenzie, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., will…Acceptable: Rebecca McKenzie, Ph.D., will…Preferred: Dr. Rebecca McKenzie will…
Do not mix degrees earned at WMU with degrees earned at other institutions. If Mary Smith earned a B.A. in 1995 from WMU and a Ph.D. in 2008 from the University of Illinois, list her as “Mary Smith, B.A.95,” or as “Mary Smith, Ph.D.” Never include the two-numeral class year construction with degrees earned from other institutions.
What If You Went Back To School To Get A New Degree
Are you changing careers? If you got a new degree becauseyou want to pursue another type of work, then its vital that you include yournew degree on your resume. Put it on top of your previous college degree.
When you switch roles, most of your previous work experiencewill be considered irrelevant. Lets say you want to switch from nursing toselling life insurance or IT to managing a restaurant. In those cases, the majority of yourprevious qualificationseducation, skills, achievementswill be inapplicable.
Thats where your new degree comes in. Youre like a freshgraduate in your new field, but a tad better. Your formal education willsatisfy the job requirements of most employers, and your transferrable skillswill boost your qualifications a bit more, so youre not seen as a totalnewbie.
How To Put Study Abroad On Your Resume
Adding a study abroad semester or year to your resume can show employers that youre a go-getter. This information doesnt need to take up much space and should be included in the education section as well.
The correct place to put study abroad on your resume is just below the university you graduated from. You can format it the same way as you format the other institutions attended. For example:
DePaul University, Chicago, IL, December 2009-March 2013
Bachelor of Arts, Major English Composition, Minor Journalism
Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy September 2010-December 2010
- Completed coursework in journalism and international affairs.
- Became fluent in the Italian language
Everything you include in your resume should relate back to the job youre applying for. Its good to mention coursework and other activities that apply to that job when including your study abroad experience.
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How To List Certifications
Relevant certifications are another piece of information to include in the education section of your resume.
In situations where someone is looking to change fields, obtaining a certificate or certification in another field may provide enough education to support the career change. This saves the time necessary to obtain an additional college degree.For many employers, certificates and certifications make an applicant stand out. Additionally, continuing education credits often help an individual seek leadership positions within their current company. For these reasons, pursuing a certificate or a certification is worth considering.
Heres a simple way to add a certificate or certification to your resume:
West Seneca State College | West Seneca, NY | May 2016Bachelor of Science, Accounting
Is It Ok To Have A 2 Page Resume
Two-page resumes are the new norm, says Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster. If your resume encompasses two pages, dont overthink it focus on the content on those two pages to make your skills and experiences shine. And remember that while it can help to have a longer resume, it isnt mandatory.
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How To List Education In Progress On Resume
Perhaps youre still in school now, looking for a job to make ends meet.
This means that you should add high school below, like so:
Townsend Harris High School, Flushing, NY
Graduated 2017
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If Youre Currently Pursuing A Degree
If youre still enrolled in school and plan on graduating, list your expected graduation date alongside the name of the school and its location in the education section of your resume.
Heres an example of how to list an expected graduation date on a resume:
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER Denver, COExpected graduation: June 2024
One way you can strengthen this section is by including any additional details that will demonstrate your relevant skills and qualifications to a hiring manager, such as academic achievements or relevant coursework.
Some examples of additions to include are:
- Major/specialization/certification
- Academic awards
- Scholarships
Including these will show a potential employer that youre disciplined and making the most out of your ongoing education.
Heres an example of how you can list achievements in your education section:
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER Denver, COB.A. in CommunicationsGPA: 3.7/4.0, Deans List for 3 semesters
- Awarded the Sarah Parker Scholarship for academic excellence, 2019
Additionally, heres how to list coursework on your resume:
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT DENVER Denver, COB.A. in Communications
Relevant coursework: Media Writing Skills, New Media Production and Management, Social Media for Social Change
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Do You Use An Apostrophe When Spelling Bachelors Degree
The short answer is that bachelors degreewith an apostropheis correct.
The reason for this is simple: In former times, a bachelors degree was a degree awarded to a bachelor. In old English, this meant a young man who had completed the lowest degree level at a university. Such a person was called a bachelor, so a bachelors degree was the academic designation ascribed to their educational level.
If Its Not Relevant To The Position
If your area of study was unrelated to the position youre applying for, then you dont need to include much detail. You can simply list the college and years attended.
If you excelled academically, include your academic achievements such as a high GPA, inclusion in the Deans List, or other academic awards or scholarships.
Heres an example of how to list an unfinished degree on your resume:
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Syracuse, NY2017-2019
If you took some courses related to the job, include those under your university information. You can list them by individual courses taken or by number of credits earned in a certain area of study.
Heres what that looks like:
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Syracuse, NY
Relevant coursework: Data Driven Inquiry, Big Data Analytics
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Dissertations And Miscellaneous Information
If you have received a Masters or a PhD and have produced a thesis or dissertation, it might also be appropriate to list them underneath your abbreviated degree section. This largely depends on the job for which you are applying if you are seeking work in academia, for example, it is advisable to include the title of your thesis or dissertation. For other positions, however, such information may not be necessary. If you choose to include this information, your listing would like the following:M.A. in English, Rice University, 2013Thesis: The Role of Gender in Literature of the Victorian AgeIf you are pressed for space, abbreviating may be the best option, since it will prevent your educational listing from taking up too many lines. Some argue that abbreviations also look cleaner on the page, and make the resume easier to scan. Ultimately, however, the decision regarding whether or not to abbreviate a degree is completely yours.
Where To Place Your Resume Education Section
The best placement depends on what employers would value more: your experience or education. Theres no set rule for where to put it, but here are a few guidelines.
Place experience before education if:
- You have several years of experience related to your goal. Hiring managers will likely be more interested in your work-related accomplishments than your education.
Place experience after education if:
- Youre an upcoming or recent graduate or have a couple of years of work history.
- Youre changing careers and continued your education to support your new goal.
- Youre in an academic or scientific professioneducation is usually listed near the top of CVs.
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Emphasize Your Strongest Credentials
Think about why an employer should hire you out of all the applicants for the job. What do you offer that they don’t? Perhaps you have practical work experience and skills that are relevant to the job. If your experience is stronger than your education, place your work history before education on your resume, and write about your career achievements, track record of results and industry knowledge.
Include a detailed listing of your accomplishments throughout your career. Prove that your work performance has been outstanding and you would be an asset to your future employer’s operation. By the time hiring managers read your resume’s Education section, they should be so impressed by the value you offer that educational shortcomings could be overlooked.
It’s true that some employers will not be interested in you because you lack the job opening’s educational requirement, but you will find other employers that welcome your experience, skills and expertise.
How To List High School Diplomas
Technically, a high school diploma is not a degree. You should never see High School Degree on a resume. But if you do not yet have a university degree , you should list your high school diploma in the education section. Under the Education heading, list your high school diploma in this way:
Education
You will list your diploma in this way even if you havent graduated yet. If the date is in the future, your hiring manager will know that you are in high school and on your way to graduating. You can add the words expected graduation in before the year if you desire.
You can also list your grade point average , but this is not required. Only list your GPA if it is 3.5 or above.
What if you received a General Education Development Diploma or a General Education Development Certificate ? This is the equivalent of a high school diploma, and it should be listed similarly:
Education
General Education Development Diploma
Should you list your high school education on your resume if you have later degrees? If you have just one additional degree, you can list your high school as well. Remember to place the college degree first and the high school diploma second, following the reverse chronological order.
If you have multiple graduate and undergraduate degrees, listing your high school information is not necessary.
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Highlight Alternative Education And Training
Maybe you lack a formal degree, but you’ve participated in ongoing training throughout your career. You can emphasize all of your continuing education by creating a Professional Development section within the Education section. Think about job-related training, certifications, conferences, in-service training, seminars, online learning and even self-directed study. For some professionals, this section can be quite impressive, and showing recent, up-to-date training can be more valuable than a dated degree.
Where To Place Education In Progress On Your Resume
The second issue you need to address is placement. Where should you place these details when youâre trying to figure out how to list education in progress on a resume? There are two main possibilities, depending upon whether the degree is needed for the job youâre seeking.
If the job requirements include the degree that youâre pursuing, then you should try to emphasize that information in your resume. Position it near the beginning of your resume, after the summary section. That way, the employer will see that youâre close to completing that requirement before he or she delves any further into the document. This placement helps to showcase your interest and suitability right away.
On the other hand, you should place this detail later in the resume if the degree isnât needed for the position. In that instance, you can place your work history and skills higher up in the resume and leave your education for the end.
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If Youre Taking A Break From College
If youre taking a break from college for a year or less, youre still a student. List your unfinished degree on your resume the same as you would if you were still attending college.
Just remember, its important to be upfront with your potential employers about resuming your studies. An employer wont be thrilled if they hire you for a full-time position only to have you leave 6 months later. In your interview, make sure to bring up the topic of your education and discuss the possibility of accommodating a more flexible or part-time schedule for when the time to finish your degree comes.
Should You Put Your Associate Degree On Your Resume
Now that you know what an associate degree is, you need to think about its importance on your resume.
Or, in other words should you put your associate degree on your resume?
Simply put yes.
But only under specific circumstances.
First of all, consider its relevance to the position you are applying for.
You should only list your associate degree if it is relevant, otherwise it wouldnt work in your favor.
Including it relevant associate degree on your resume shows your potential employer that you are really interested in that particular field of study.
Furthermore, you are so interested, that you are willing to go an extra mile to earn a diploma.
And if your associate degree is the highest degree you have earned thats great.
But what should you do if you have also earned a bachelors or a masters degree?
In that case, you should consider leaving your associate degree out of your relevant, as you have already earned a higher educational accomplishment.
But after all, its entirely up to you.
Your potential employer would value any effort on your part.
And earning an associate, or any other kind of degree, can really boost up your resume.
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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.
Is It Bachelors Degree Or Bachelors Degree
One of the ironies of education is that many people receive four-year degrees in the U.S. each year but arent sure whether their achievement needs to be written with an apostrophe. Even if you did well in English and grammar courses earlier on, such a detail may not be something you address every day.
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How To List Minor On Resume
A minor should be listed on your resumeResumeFollow industry guidelines & best practices when submitting your cover letter & resume to a corporate finance job. Download resumes and cover letter templates to be prepared for your job application. These resumes are designed to give you the best shot of being selected for an interview after the major, either on the same line or one line below your major. The key is to ensure clean formatting and easy readability. This guide will provide you with a detailed breakdown of how to list your minor on a resume.
Importance Of Listing Degrees Of Study
Listing degrees of study on your resume gives employers a better idea of your background and general knowledge. Many roles require higher education for proper function and usually ask for specific degree types. Although you may not have the specific degree they list, you may have one in a related area. For example, if a job posting asks for a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, but you have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business with coursework in accounting, you still may be eligible for the position. An employer wouldn’t know how closely qualified you are without the education listing on your resume.
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How To List Your Education On A Resume
For many applicants, the education section is the easiestpart to write on their resume. They just list their alma maters name, degree,and graduation date. Simple.
Its not always that simple though. For instance, what do you write if you switched school three times before completing your bachelors? How do you list your college education if youre still completing your thesis? What if you dropped out of an MBA?
This tutorial answers those questions, and everything elserelated to listing education on a resume.
First, lets start with the basics:
Where To Put Gpa On A Resume
You should put your GPA in your education section, next to your major. If youve earned honors at your university , those honors should be listed below your majorin italicswith your GPA beside them.
Heres how it should look:
DePaul University | Chicago, IL | December 2009-March 2013
Bachelor of Arts in English Composition
Bear in mind, you should only list your GPA on your resume if it is over a 3.5 and if youre a recent graduate. If youre a recent graduate and your GPA is below 3.5, use the space to talk about an impressive senior thesis project instead.
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