The description of your main and additional education in the resume should be short enough. But, despite this, a few lines about your education and qualifications is a great opportunity to demonstrate to the employer the basis of your professional success in the present and future.
There are two things a recruiter needs to know about you. First- whether your education has any connection with the position you are applying for. Second- where did you get this education. Large state universities are more preferable for employers (they are more trusted), although this fact is not decisive.
Where should the section "Education" be placed on the resume?
In the “standard” resume, the templates of which can be downloaded all over the Internet, it is customary to place the “Education” section immediately after the description of the goal. And many applicants trustingly use this scheme and do not even think: "Am I doing the right thing?"
There are cases when the description of education should be placed at the very beginning, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Do you really think that when you see the name of a prestigious university, the employer will immediately grab you with a stranglehold?
Alas - this is a big misconception which you should immediately get rid of if you want to stand out from the crowd (after all, this is what you need!).
It's not where you got your education that matters, but what exactly do you know. This is what the recruiter wants to find out first of all - whether you fit the requirements of the vacancy or not. Why force him to scroll back and forth on your resume, forcing him to look for the right information throughout the document?
If you have just graduated from an educational institution and you have no real work experience, then describe the education immediately after the description of the goal. If you already have experience, then it is advisable to move this section to the end of the summary (after the description of the experience). Always follow the most important principle of resume writing - Arrange information in order of importance.
The main education is listed either in reverse chronological order, or also in order of importance (if you have several diplomas). The most relevant item is described first, and the item that is not at all related to it is not indicated at all.
- Indicate the full name of the educational institution, not its abbreviation
- Indicate the time of the beginning, end of training or incomplete (if you are still studying)
- Indicate the specialty you received
- If you can boast of academic success, then indicate the average score or the presence of a diploma with honors.
Describe also additional education(courses, seminars, master classes, etc.) if it intersects with what you have to do in a new job.
The presence of additional education indicates the desire of the candidate to professional development(especially if the applicant chose it himself, and not the company's management). Having such an education increases the chances of finding a job. However, first of all, it is not the formal side of the issue that is important for the employer, but real knowledge. This is easily verified in an interview. If there are no real skills behind the “crust”, then the candidate’s chances of getting a job offer will be equal to zero.
For example, in one case, the applicant indicated in the resume that he had completed an English language course. He came to the interview with a crust from one of "training schools" foreign languages. Everything was cleared up 10 seconds after the recruiter offered to talk in English...
The situation is similar with computer courses - having a diploma, a candidate is not able to create an elementary spreadsheet in Excel.
Therefore, if you are not sure about your knowledge or doubt that you can confirm it in an interview, then it is better not to indicate information about such courses at all. Remember: everything written in the resume you will be asked to confirm at the interview. Specifying false information is pointless!
An example of registration of education in a resume
In addition, it is worth noting that the importance of education in the resume is somewhat exaggerated. For employers, the most important thing is the professional competence of the applicant. Therefore, a specialist with a non-core education, but rich experience is preferable for the company than a candidate with a specialized education and little experience. However, other things being equal, preference is still given to a candidate with a specialized education.
The section of the resume, which reflects information about the education received, as a rule, does not cause any particular difficulties for candidates when filling it out. But even here you need to follow certain rules in order to avoid mistakes.
The sequence of listed educational institutions
Most often, the listing of completed educational institutions goes in reverse chronological order, just like when describing work experience. But you can deviate from this rule if you want to get a job in the specialty received at the previous educational institution. For example, in 2000, the college received the specialty "technician - technologist", and in 2007 - graduated from the institute and was awarded the qualification of "manager". When applying for a job as a technologist, it is better to put the education received in college in the first place. In other words, first of all, you need to indicate the education that allows you to apply for the position indicated in the resume.
You can divide the block "education" into two subsections - "Basic" and "Additional". The reverse chronology will go inside each of them. But what kind of education to talk about in the first place, and which one in the second will again depend on what position you are applying for. This option is relevant for those who do not work in the specialty received at a college or university, but have completed retraining courses and are now working in a new field.
Additional education
In the "Additional education" section, you should enter information about the seminars and trainings that you have attended over the past 2-3 years. This will demonstrate to the employer that you are following changes in the industry, systematically improving your skills and qualifications. But you shouldn’t go overboard with this, if the knowledge gained in the courses is godlessly outdated (most often this is found among programmers), or does not relate to the topic of the resume at all (cutting and sewing are useless for an accountant of a construction company), then it makes no sense to write about them .
Form of study
Some job sites offer job seekers to also indicate the form of study in their resume: full-time, evening or part-time. This information will not be superfluous, first of all, for students, because the employer needs to know in advance what work schedule to offer you, how often to let go to the session. Sometimes recruiters in the text of the vacancy themselves ask to indicate the form of training, because for one reason or another they want to see graduates of full-time departments, or, conversely, those who immediately reinforced their knowledge with practice. In connection with the introduction of the Bologna education system, employers began to indicate in vacancies that they need not just specialists with higher education, but also what level it should be, for example, only masters and specialists. We advise you to take this point into account when compiling a resume.
Decor
For each educational institution, you need to indicate the start and end dates, its name at the time of obtaining a diploma, faculty, specialty, and qualification.
When talking about your education, avoid abbreviations and ciphers in the names of educational institutions and specialties. Recruiters, of course, are erudite people, but sometimes it is difficult for them not only to decipher the name, but in general to understand this higher educational institution or secondary vocational one.
If at the time of writing your resume you are a student, then the month and year when, in accordance with the curriculum, you should be awarded a diploma, should be indicated as the graduation date. The employer must understand in advance not only that he is hiring a student, but also how much he has left to study. Putting the date of the current year as an end date on your resume will give the recruiter a reason to think that you dropped out of school. And who needs "dropouts"? The wording "at the present time" is also not the best option. Everyone loves specifics.
In a resume, this section is usually placed after the description of work experience. An exception in this case will be CVs of graduates of educational institutions. It is better for yesterday's students to talk in more detail about their newly received education, presenting it as a competitive advantage, indicating a high average score or specifying that they are the holder of a red diploma. It would be useful to enter the topic of the thesis, if it may be of interest to the employer.
It is probably not worth mentioning the completion of high school in a resume, because if you have a higher education, obtaining a complete secondary is beyond doubt. It would be desirable to add this information if the employer is looking for candidates with a good knowledge of English, and the school you graduated from just has a language specialization.
For many applicants, the education section is the easiest part of writing a resume. They simply list the names of the schools, diploma, and graduation date. Just.
However, it is not always so easy. For example, what would you write if you changed schools three times before graduating with a bachelor's degree? How do you list your college education if you are still working on your dissertation? What to do if you refused a master's degree?
How will you list your education on your resume? ()
This lesson answers these questions and everything else related to listing education on a resume.
To get started, let's start with the basics.
Writing the education section of your resume (5 key points)
- Always include the following information: diploma obtained, specialty, name of your school, its location and year of graduation.
- Start with a college degree in the profession you work in.
- List all other diplomas in reverse chronological order.
- Remove high school education if you have already completed college.
- Remove the end date if it was more than five years ago.
Where will you place your resume on your resume?
If you're still in high school
List your education at the top one-third of your resume, right after your skills review. Let education raise your price, even if you already have work experience.
If you are in college or just graduated from high school
At this stage, you may have more credentials related to your target job as a student than as a working professional.
So if you didn't have a job, project, or volunteer job related to the position you're applying for, put your education before the start of the job section.
You might argue that it's best to list the odd jobs and temporary jobs you've had in the first place. You may think that these job records show that you are able-bodied and at least know how it is to work in order to live.
Perhaps some employers can consider this fact.
If you have not read further than the title of the works, for example: "waiter", "cashier" or "coffee maker"? Any merit qualifications you have listed below the positions will also be ignored. Even if those skills are related to the job you are applying for.
For now, list education before work. Just think that this is your first step towards convincing employers that you have the qualifications they need.
If you are already a professional
At this stage, employers place less emphasis on GPA and coursework for experienced candidates than they do for fresh graduates. Because of this, an experienced professional's training is either listed after their work history or at the bottom of the resume, just after the skills section.
How to indicate education in a resume (with examples)
1. High school
Below, various examples of sections of education in a resume, depending on what stage of secondary education you are in.
High School Examples
If high school is your highest level of education, you should list it as follows:
Graduated in 2008"
And if you're still in school, just change the second line to look like this:
"Western High School, Baltimore, Maryland
I will graduate in 2018"
If you have not completed high school:
List the name of your school and location, followed by the years you attended.
"Edmondson-Westside High School, Baltimore, Maryland
Attended school from 2006 to 2009"
If you passed the exam
Some people who did not complete their high school education took the General Education Examination (USE) instead.
If this is you, list the institution where you took the USE test, followed by information about your school.
"Unified State Examination as an analogue of a high school diploma
Richland Adult Education Center, 2012
Spring Valley High School, Columbia, South Carolina
Attended 2008-2010"
Vocational school (technical school)
If you studied a profession after high school, you can list it in addition to your high school education if it is related to the job you are aiming for.
Here is an example:
Dorsey School, Madison Heights, Michigan
HVAC Technician, 2008
Portage Central High School, Portage, Michigan
2. Not yet a bachelor
Below are different ways to list a college degree on your resume.
college graduate
"Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, 2010
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
You can also write your specialty in deciphered form, rather than an abbreviation:
"Bachelor of Arts in English, 2012
UCLA, Los Angeles, California
Still at school
If you are still learning, just put " currently» next to the course you are taking.
"Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, currently
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"
You can also write "expected" followed by your expected graduation date.
"B.N in the economy, expected in 2015"
New York University"
Unfinished education
Not everyone who attends college graduates for whatever reason. There's nothing wrong with that, so don't let your education go to waste by excluding it from your resume.
Include the name of your school, then enter your start and end dates so that it is clear that you are no longer attending. Then write how many credits you had in your chosen direction. Put your high school education after that.
"Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2008-2009: Passed 32 credits in the direction of Bachelor of Science in Education»
J.P. Stevens High School, 2007
Edison, New Jersey"
3. PhD student
A degree in your field will increase your credibility as a candidate. That is why it should be listed before the undergraduate degree.
The example below impresses a candidate in the IT sector.
"Master in Computer Science, 2017
Bachelor in Computer Science,
You may list an additional degree that is not related to your line of work, so it may be better to list it after your undergraduate degree if it is not related to your current position.
For example, if you work in the IT sector, a master's degree in political science is irrelevant, except perhaps for the skills you are studying for your dissertation. To include this information on your resume, highlight any term paper that may be applicable to your job.
"Bachelor in Computer Science,
Michigan State University, 2010"
Master in Political Science, 2016
Coursework: Models and methods, security research"
This advice does not apply to everyone, as it all depends on your career plan. For example, the Master in Business Administration is applicable to many jobs in the management role.
Incomplete higher education
The strategy here is similar to that used with undergraduate degrees. Include an expected end date if there is still a lot of coursework left before you graduate.
"Master of Natural Sciences, I will graduate in 2016"
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
But if you've completed everything but your dissertation, you can write " everything except dissertation”, after your program at the end of your studies. However, be careful there is about it.
"Master of Biology
Everything but the dissertation, 2014
City College of New York
A bachelor's degree should always be listed after graduation theses.
Termination of postgraduate studies
You can still include a master's or doctoral degree on your resume even if you haven't completed it or dropped out of the program entirely.
To avoid confusion, you can list this in a separate section " Research" or " Professional education” instead of listing it along with your other academic achievements.
Write the number of courses taken in the subject, the name of the institution and the dates you studied there.
“15 credits in applied mathematics
University of Maryland, 2008-2009"
This example shows how you can list a master's degree in "Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Scientific Computing" if you only did part of the coursework (i.e. Applied Mathematics)
You can also put it all on one line and this reduces the number of completed courses and incomplete higher education.
"Postgraduate Coursework in Applied Mathematics, University of Maryland, USA, 2008-2009"
4. Certification
Some applicants may not have the formal education required for the job. But they made up for it with certificates, courses, seminars and training events. The training and education you are currently receiving can be listed in the education section of your resume or in a separate section. Professional education».
Follow the following format:
“Name of the educational institution, who conducts classes or who conducts certification, date of receipt, location”
Here is an example:
"Oracle SBC Troubleshooting Certification, Pearson Vue Test Center, 2015, Hong Kong"
The indication of the place of study is optional, with the exception of licenses and certificates, for a specific country / state.
If you have not completed the tutorial, you can list it as " Currently” or write an estimated completion date.
"Implementation of Oracle SBC by Oracle, Toronto, (to be completed, September 2017)
These templates can give your resume a better look, or you can check out more professional resume designs on GraphicRiver:
What else can you add to your resume if you have no work experience?
Fresh graduates with no work experience sometimes have trouble filling out a one-page resume. This should not be the case if you are creative in how you display your qualifications. Large fonts are not needed.
Below is some useful information you can add to enhance your resume:
Average score (GPA, not applicable in all countries)
List the GPA of coursework related to the job you are applying for. Do this only if your GPA is at least 3.0.
«Bachelor in Economics, 2017
Ohio University, Cleveland, Ohio
GPA / Average score 3.75 "
Relevant coursework
You may also list subjects or sections related to the job you are applying for. Don't know what items are relevant? Gather job ads for five similar positions in the field, and then list the most common skills or educational requirements listed there. Compare this list of keywords with transcripts from your college to find the right term paper.
Here is an example for a recent graduate applying for an entry level position as a specialist in a clinic
"Bachelor in Biomedical Engineering, 2015
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Relevant coursework: quantitative experimentation and design, systems physiology, biomedical systems analyses, biostatistics"
Check out this guide for more information on how to use keywords on your resume:
Awards
List the awards, scholarships, and awards you received during your studies. You can list them after your education if there are less than three things to list.
If you have received more than three merit badges, it is best to list them in a separate section titled " Awards and prizes».
Please include the name of the institution that provided the award and the date it was awarded to you. Below is an example format:
Sample resume from Towson UniversityOr, another option:
Sample Resume from a Certified Professional Resume WriterFAQ
What if you returned to study to get a new diploma?
Are you changing careers? If you are pursuing a new degree because you want to take on a different job, it is important that you include your new degree on your resume. Place it on top of previous college education.
When you change direction, much of your previous work experience will be considered irrelevant. Let's say you want to move from being a carer to selling life insurance, or from IT to running a restaurant. In these cases, most of your previous qualifications - education, skills, accomplishments - will not apply.
This is where it comes to the new diploma. You are like a graduate in a new field, but a little better. Your formal education will meet the requirements of most employers, and transferable skills will elevate your qualifications even further, so you won't be perceived as a complete novice.
What if your diploma is not work related?
I know someone with a degree in design who is now a life insurance agent, I know someone who graduated as a carer and who worked in IT for many years before becoming a real estate agent. This happens more often than you might think, so don't let it stop you from following your dreams.
Below are two ways to reduce the lack of real education in the field of work you are aiming for:
- Specify the relevant thesis. Let's say you have a degree in psychology, but you want to work in marketing. If you have taken courses in social psychology, communication, grammar and business, these courses show that you have the knowledge necessary for the job.
- List professional courses or ongoing training you are taking to compensate for the lack of formal training on the topic.
What if you attended several schools to get one diploma?
List only the school where you graduated or completed your studies. Schools are required to refer students to submit their transcripts as well as a detailed list of the subjects they completed at their previous school.
Your study records will be merged when you graduate, which is why you should list this on your resume. If you enter the wrong school, you may get a negative result from your employer's pre-screening.
One side of the coin
Having a college education no longer guarantees you a job. However, higher education is one of the requirements for high paying jobs. Thus, you must learn to list your education on your resume in a way that portrays you as a qualified and knowledgeable professional, and not just a student who did a minimum of work.
Now that you've finished listing education on your resume, why not improve other parts of your resume?
Browse our professional resume templates on GraphicRiver for great resume designs. Plus, learn more about how from our comprehensive series. There are several resume strategies that are useful to learn in order to land the job of your dreams.
To get any job, you must have the necessary knowledge and skills, without which it is very difficult to be noticed by the recruiting manager. But where can you get such knowledge and skills? How to confirm that you definitely have them? To do this, in the resume there is a section "education".
Having an education, the most important requirement for almost every position, be it an engineer or a hairdresser, you definitely need a diploma confirming your professionalism.
Where do you need to start? First of all, indicate the period of study, the month and year of admission and graduation, then write its full name, it is better to avoid abbreviations, you should not hope that the abbreviated name will improve your resume.
Next, indicate the faculty where you studied, the name of your specialty. Be sure to write what qualification you received (for example, bachelor, master). You can also specify which department you studied - part-time or full-time.
An example of a completed education section:
September 2003 - July 2008 Kiev National Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Information Systems, specialty "Programming", Master's degree (full-time department).
If you have more than one education, then list them in order, first what you received first, then the next.
This section of the resume should contain only exhaustive information about your education. Clarity and brevity will show your ability to correctly present information and highlight only the right things.
07 Feb 2018
When filling out a resume, you will definitely come across the section "education" and "additional education" which must be filled out briefly and clearly. Evaluating your education, the recruiter must understand that it corresponds to the position presented.
Despite the fact that diplomas from state universities have more weight in matters of hiring, it will not affect the final decision of a potential employer in any way.
There are five important things to keep in mind when completing the education section:
In this section, you should indicate: diploma, specialty, school, year of graduation.
It’s worth starting with the education in whose profession you work;
Other diplomas must be listed in reverse chronological order;
High school education should not be listed if you graduated from college;
End dates are not set if it was more than five years ago.
Where should education information be posted?
The recruiter should not seek out the data he needs. If you have no work experience, and you just graduated from a higher educational institution / college, then this information should be indicated immediately after the “vacancy” column for which you are applying.
If you have work experience and considerable, then information about education must be indicated after the “work experience” column.
Tip: First of all, you should indicate the most important information for the recruiter.
Educational institution:
Faculty, specialty:
How to indicate education in a resume, example
- Vocational school (technical school)
- Pavlov Vocational Technical School, Saratov
- HVAC Technician, years of study, 2014-2017
- 2014-2016 College of Public Records Management
Incomplete higher education
If you did not graduate for any reason, then this information can also be included in the resume. It is necessary to indicate the date of the beginning and end of study.
- Lomonosov University, Moscow, years of study - 2015-2017
Specialty: economist
Incomplete higher education
This information is indicated when you continue your studies, you do not need to set a graduation date.
Moscow Institute of Informatics and Computer Engineering, year of admission - 2017
Specialty: programmer
Form of study: daytime
Form of study
Some job search sites offer job seekers to indicate the form of study in the resume: daytime, evening or part-time. This information will be useful to both students and employers in order to understand which schedule is most suitable for the candidate. In connection with the introduction of the Bologna system of education, employers note that they need not just specialists with higher education, but also what level it should be, masters and specialists.
Education
- 2011-2016 Institute of Economics, Management and Law, Chisinau
Faculty of Economics
Specialty: Economics and management at the enterprise
2017 Ural Center for Business Solutions
Training "Formation of the skill of active sales"
- 2010-2015 Russian State Social University
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Department of Social Philosophy
Specialty: teacher
- September 2012 - July 2017 Moscow National Polytechnic Institute, Faculty of Information Systems, specialty "Programming", master's degree (full-time department).
- Higher education
1997–2002 Moscow Pedagogical University.
Specialty: English teacher.
- Education:
2004 - 2009 High Institute of Management
Faculty: Economics
Specialty: economist
- Moscow State University, 2010-2015,
Specialty: accountant (bachelor)
- Moscow State University, 2011-2016,
Specialty: technical translator (bachelor)
Additional education in resume, example
Additional education:
01-07.2010 English courses, language school
05.2011 Training "Skills of effective sales"
This section of your resume comes after your basic education.
This section should include:
Personal courses in specialization;
Advanced training: trainings, courses, seminars, etc.;
Computer courses on what programs;
Language classes.
First you need to specify the period of study (year, month), the name of the educational institution and the topic of the courses / seminars / trainings, etc.
Indicate only those trainings that have increased your professional level.
Advanced training in resume example
- UMC of accountants and auditors, 2015-2016 Advanced training - seminar "New VAT taxation"
- August 2016 - October 2017 Advanced training courses "Accounting", "Modern business management";
- September 2015 - October 2016 Trainings "Effective financial management";
- July 2017 Awarded the highest qualification category;
- June 2017 - September 2017 Seminars on accounting.
Education
- 2014 Training center for professional secretaries, advanced training in the specialty secretary-referent, personal assistant
- 2015 Training courses for accompanying tourist groups
- 2015 International Center for Professional Education Course "Secretary work using a PC"