Where To Put Certifications On Resume

Save Resume Space For The Most Important Information

Listing online courses doesnât take up valuable space on your resume that could instead be filled with actual relevant experience. Letâs get to that in a bit.

Online courses, such as those taken on Coursera or Udemy, should be carefully assessed using the above checklist. In addition, itâs more important to surface the backing institution than the actual platform the course was taken on .

Taking an online course that doesnât necessarily yield official certifications may still be useful for advancing your career. Although not required, taking courses can show interest in a particular field. This can be especially useful to candidates targeting a job that requires skills not highlighted by the rest of your resume.

Some online courses only help demonstrate part of the required proficiency. These can be left out of your resume along with any others that arenât taught by a well known institution. Lessons taught by the less official online courses can still be useful. For example, they would be great talking points with prospective employers. Save the valuable space on your resume!

Why Should You Add Certification On Resume

Certifications are like adding your accomplishment rather than just the responsibilities.

Why shy away from highlighting your achievement!

A certification on resume is a representation of your urge to keep learning and your dedication to go an extra mile that others may not have thought of.

But if still, you are wondering that why at all should you add a certification on resume, here are some reasons no one will ever tell you about:

Certification Makes The Interview More Conversational

Oh, you got a certification in Python!

When I was about to complete my B.tech in software engineering, I researched the most sought out programming language and finally settled at the Course by !

Awesome, but why did you take this extra effort!

Because I am a life-long learner, and keeping myself updated keeps me motivated to take up any challenge and deliver the best results!

See how the conversation just because of certification on resume highlighted your technical skills and your soft skills.

Your certifications on resume reflect the employers that you have upgraded your skill-sets with time. In addition, they may ask specific questions related to the course, which gives you the chance to glorify yourself even better and speak at length about the particular skill you acquired.

Certifications Let You Negotiate Better

Willing to know the secret to get a better pay package than your counterparts?

Get a certification!

Are you looking to add unique skill sets to your resume?

The Importance Of Listing Certifications

Employers want to see your certifications because they indicate your skill level, show expertise in your field, and offer concrete proof that you are a valuable hire to a company. The process of obtaining certifications is often time-consuming but can prove beneficial because certifications show a determination to learn, a dedication to the profession, and substantiated proof that you are qualified. Additionally, if you are undergoing a career change or starting out in your field, a certification can help you customize your resume and provides evidence to employers that you possess the skills necessary to succeed in your position.

You May Like: What Does A Cover Page For A Resume Look Like

List The Prospective Earn Date

If you are working on a specific certification program in progress, you can still list it under your certification section. Be sure to include the date you expect to be certified and how far along in the process you are currently. This is common for more extended certification programs that may take several years to earn.

How To List Certifications On A Resume

Earning a certification demonstrates your passion and provides evidence of your specific expertise and skills. Including your certifications on your resume can make your job application stand out to potential employers and set you apart from your peers. If you have earned one or more certifications, you will need to know when and how to include them on a job application. In this article, we will discuss what certification are, explain how to list them on a resume and look at some successful examples.

Read more: How to List Education on a Resume

Read Also: Graduated With Honors Resume Sample

What Are The Best Certifications To Have

While it ultimately depends on your career field, the most in-demand certifications that employers often look for include job-specific credentials. For instance, credentials in information technology, computer science, health care, education, administration, marketing and business can comprise job-critical certifications that many organisations require for employment. Here are some certifications that are often in high demand across different career sectors:

Include The Certification Title

List the full name of the certification, not just its common name or abbreviation.

Example: If you are a Certified Professional through the Association of Clinical Research Professionals:

• Incorrect: ACRP Certified Professional or ACRP-CP

• Correct: Association of Clinical Research Professionals Certified Professional

Recommended Reading: How To Put Poster Presentation On Resume

Your Designated Certification Section

Most CVs and résumés are split into sections, and if you have more than one relevant certificate, then its a good idea to have a designated section. This can go towards the end after youve listed your employment history, education and skills.

Unlike in your career summary, your certification section needs to contain all the details of your certificate, including:

• Name: The full, official name of the certificate or qualification. If you are unsure, check the certificate itself or consult the certificate provider.
• Issuing body: The full name of the issuer / provider. Note that this refers to the body issuing the certificate and may be different to the training provider for example, in accounting, the CFAB certificate is issued by the ICAEW, but the training may have been provided by an education contractor, such as Pearson.
• Date: The month and date of when you were issued the certificate . Many certificates particularly in healthcare, for instance expire and require retraining, so its important to date them. If you want, you can also make a note of the expiration date, although this is optional .
• Location : If you want, you can list the location that you did your course or training at, although, again, this is optional.

Ideally, it should look something like this:

Also, note that education and certification are different on a résumé, education usually refers to your degrees or high school education, whereas certificates are generally stand-alone courses.

• Topics:

How To List Certification On Resume

• Mention only relevant certifications that add value to your current/target profile.
• List your certifications in a separate section on your resume.
• Provide the details of the certifying authority, date, and location .
• Follow the reverse chronological order to list your certifications.
• Mention the expiry date in case your certification has one.

There’s a certifying authority, the certification itself, the date of completion, and other details! But there is only so much space in your resume.

After experimenting for over 5 years with clients from different industries, our professional resume writers have created the winning formula for writing resume certifications. And we will teach you everything about how to put certification on your resume.

Here are the things we will learn in this blog :

We will share the winning formula with you for writing the certification section on your resume in this post. By the end of this post, your resume will have a certifications section that will outshine the competition.

Both landed jobs through campus placement. With their GPA, who wouldn’t hire them?They excelled in their respective companies and were having the time of their lives.

But as luck would have it, they both realized they needed a change. Why spend the prime years of their lives stuck in a single company? They had to explore!

Now, it was time to one-up their gamethe time to start climbing the fabled corporate ladder.

Recommended Reading: Languages Skills Resume

Include Key Certifications In Your Career Summary

If there is a particular certificate that is significant to your proposed role, then its acceptable to refer to it briefly in your opening description. For example, if you were applying for a personal trainer role, you could say:

Experience personal trainer with a proven track record of improving client health and wellness. Capable of delivering general and customised health and fitness programmes for all ages, with particular emphasis on personalised goal attainment, innovative science-backed delivery and the development of a safe and fun client environment. ISSA certified.

Straight away, this lets recruiters know that youre credible and that you are have achieved direct recognition from a respected industry body it gives your entire application more weight. You can then expand on what exactly your certification is, with additional details, further down the page.

What Are Some Certifications To Put On A Resume

Depending on your career field and specific credentials, there are many certifications that are beneficial to include on your resume. For example, in the medical fields, nursing certifications, medical assistant credentials and other health care certifications can be advantageous to include. Technology certifications are also effective indicators of professional experience in the technology sector, and there are also business-focused credentials you can list to showcase your skills and qualifications. Here are several common certifications that can be beneficial to include:

• First aid and CPR certifications

• Human resources certifications

• Management and leadership certifications

• Sales and marketing certifications

There are many more credentials you can earn, depending on your career goals and level of experience. While some certifications are available to almost all professionals, some are job-specific and industry-specific and require proficiency in the field to qualify for related credentials.

Related:How To Include Accomplishments on Your Resume

Read Also: How To Send A Resume Email

Are They Important In Your Industry

Not all professions put great stock in certification in graphic design, for instance, employers will likely be more interested in your portfolio and your technical skills than anything else.

In, say, the IT industry, though, its essential to be able to prove what systems or applications you are competent to work on. In this instance, it would be wise to list all your relevant certificates, especially if they are known to be in demand.

Include The Issuing Authority’s Name

The next step is to include the name of the issuing authority. You may separate it from the certification’s name with a dash or include it in the next line. The purpose of listing the issuing authority’s name is to make it easy for the hiring manager to research or verify your certification. It’s also relevant, as the issuing body determines the prestige of the certification.

Also Check: Resume For Promotion Within Same Company Template

If The Certification Is Credible

Not all certifications are equal. A quick Google search of Information Technology Certifications reveals over 830 million search results. Mixed in with certification programs from trusted organizations are programs and online courses that promise to help launch your career. Whether the claims are valid or not, opt for certifications recognized within your industry as more credible.

If you hold certifications that command respect within your field, list them on your resume. The more credible your certifications, the more value they bring to your job search.

Project Management Certifications For Your Resume:

When it comes to certificates for Project Managers they are always a plus.

They show that youve invested lots of time to boost your career and learn new skills. And that you also wanted to get better knowledge for your work.

If your certificates are from trusted organizations. If they vouch for you, its a good thing for the Hiring Manager to trust them.

What are the best project management certificates to feature on your resume?

You can see our Top 10 list:

More on the topic of a perfect Sales resume see here.

You May Like: How To Make A Resume As A 16 Year Old

Gain A Competitive Advantage

If you’re applying for a new job or hoping to land a promotion, the right certification can help you stand out among other competitors. Employers want to hire and promote employees who have demonstrated knowledge in their field. A certification is a great way to show your abilities and excellence in your chosen profession while giving you a competitive edge among competitors.

Even if you have a similar background to those vying for the same position, having a certification on your resume may end up being the determining factor as to whether or not you’re hired or promoted over another candidate.

Why Include Certifications On Your Resume

Professional certifications can help you progress more quickly in your career.

There are three major reasons to include certifications on your resume. These are:

• First, obtaining a professional certification shows your passion for your chosen field. The fact that you put in the time and effort to get certified speaks volumes about your commitment to continuing professional development.
• Second, it is a verification of your particular expertise or skill. It is proof that you possess the necessary training, information, and knowledge to undertake a certain job.
• Third, and this is a benefit you can reap almost instantly, obtaining certifications can lead to an increment in your pay.

Finally, many recruiters manage and track applicants with the help of Application Tracking Systems, which analyze and sort the information on resumes into categories, and then scan this data for keywords to determine whether the application should be selected for the recruiters perusal.

Certifications could help you beat the Application Tracking System, and distinguish your resume from that of your peers.

But which certifications are worth including?And how many certifications are enough?

Lets find out!

Don’t Miss: How To Send Your Resume To A Recruiter

Finally Determine Whether Certifications Warrant Multiple Mentions

Much like determining whether or not a certification needs its own section, mentioning a certification multiple times is only necessary when its a requirement of the position being applied for. For example, you could mention that youre a CPA in your objective, contact information and certifications section if youre applying for an accountant position.

Related: Words to Avoid and Include on a Resume

Cpr Certification On Resume

CPR certified on resume is not only for medical professionals. It’s also an essential certification for teachers. Here’s how to put CPR certification on resume:

CertificationCPR Certified,Americal Red Cross, April 2018 – February 2020

However, dont add the information if you are applying for a job that doesnt require it, for instance, Account management. Since its not relevant, you are better of without that certification on your resume.

Note: The CPR certification is only valid for two years. And make sure your certification is valid before putting it on the resume.

You May Like: Resume Written In Spanish

List The Title Of The Certification

Within a separate section of your resume, include the full title of the certificate first. Use the same font and text size you use throughout your resume so this section coordinates with the entire document. Be sure you type the title of your certificate correctly. It is also important to spell out any abbreviations so hiring managers can understand what the accolade is for if they are unfamiliar with the specific certification.

Where To Include Certifications On A Resume

If the certification is a requirement for the position, then you want to either list it next to your name in the header or in your resume title. A hiring manager only looks at a resume for a few seconds so you need to quickly show that youâre qualified for the position.

Here is an example of a certification next to a name:

You could also list your certification in the title of your resume. Utilizing a resume title is very effective for any resume and we wrote a good post on writing a resume title and header here.

Here is an example of listing your certification in a resume title:

Also Check: How To List Presentations On Resume

For Certifications That Are Essential For Your Job

If you are, say, a nurse, accountant, social worker, or other professional who cant actually practice your field without your certification, youll want to make it very obvious, usually mentioning it more than once. It should go in both your header next to your name and in an education, skills, or training section. For example, if youre a licensed social worker, you would list Your Name, LSW.

If the certification is required but doesnt have a title or degree associated with it, then put it near the top in your resume objective.

Finance And Accounting Certifications

Finance professionals like bookkeepers and accountants often pursue professional certifications to showcase their expertise. Here are several of the common certifications in the finance sector:

• Certified public accountant certification

• Certified public bookkeeper certification

• Chartered financial analyst certification

• Chartered certified accountant certification

You May Like: How To Send An Email With Your Resume

How Do You List Certifications On Your Resume

If youve decided to list your certifications or licenses on your resume, there are a few places you can do it. You might consider making a Professional Certifications, Licenses, or similar section or, Yurovsky says, you can include them in your Education sectionwhich you might consider renaming Education and Certifications for clarity.

Generally, your certification and license sections should go at the bottom of your resumebelow your work experience but above education. However, you always want to lead your resume with the most important information, so if youre an entry-level candidate, you might consider moving your certifications and licenses up to the top of the page.

For each certification and license that you list on your resume include:

• The full name of the certification
• The issuing organization
• The date you earned the certification
• The location
• Additional additional details or add-ons

If youre still working on the certification, give your reader the proper context and avoid any awkward interview moments by including In Progress next to the name of the certification and/or Expected before the month and year youre on track to complete the program, Yurovsky says.

How would this look in practice? Here are a few examples:

Certifications