Tips for Writing Your Resume – How to Format your Resume’s Education Section

 

how to list education on resume

 

 

The first step towards getting a job is to build an effective resume. A resume is a presentation of achievements and educational qualifications to meet the standards of a job. Listing your education in your resume is a pretty simple task, but without some basic knowledge, you might make it quite confusing.

Presenting your resume in a better way shows your level of standard towards a job. Here are some important strategies on how to list your education on a resume under different conditions.

 

How to list multiple degrees on resume?

 

Always put the highest priority education level at the top. Arrange from top with the highest education gradually towards the basic levels including high school. However if you’ve achieved a bachelor’s degree or above, its not important to provide high school information. 

 

Listing multiple degrees on a resume example

 

2012 Masters in Technology in Mobile Communications
School of Technology, Brooklyn, NY

2008 Bachelor in Technology in Electronics & Comm.
University of NEHU, Atlanta, GA

 

How to list GPA on resume?

 

Only provide your GPA if you are a student or recent graduate, and you have a GPA above 3.0 (unless specially asked for). Provide your major GPA in case its higher than your average GPA. Consider putting a lower GPA, If you are in a challenging role. If your school doesn’t follow the standard 4.0 GPA scale, do not bother including the scale for it might add confusion. However with a progressing carrier or with experience, the GPA doesn’t have much importance and it can be removed from the resume entirely.

 

How to list extracurricular activities on resume including honors?

 

Including extracurricular activities or academic honors in your resume can highlight your achievements towards your goals. It especially helps the students and recent graduates to enhance their resume presenting their dynamic skills towards a job. Your online activities may qualify for extracurricular activities, there are online groups for nearly everything, from building websites to organizing fundraising events. Try to see what some of the professional organizations in your industry are up to.

 

How to list extracurricular activities on resume example?

 

School of Technology, Brooklyn, NY
Bachelor in Science, Concentration in Electronics, graduated June, 2014

Major Campus Tech Fund Initiative: Increase charitable donations by 35% by building a donation web-portal which made it easy to manage strategic donor relationships. Effectively coordinated fund raising events with multiple organizations. Increased internal recruitment by sponsoring and coordinating on campus events.

Related Course Work: Attended workshop in Radio Frequency, Techno Lab, IT, NY

 

How to list education on resume if you didn’t graduate?

 

If you have attended a degree program, but didn’t graduate, you should include the credit points of the attended period, dates and the field of study undertaken. Alternatively you can also write “degree in progress” and list the expected graduation date. Note that this may disqualify you from some positions as some requires may be screening for full time requirements where “still in school” could be screened against.

 

How to list education on resume with no degree example:

 

School of Technology, Brooklyn, NY
Completed 70 credits towards B.Tech in Electronics, 2010-2013

or

School of Technology, Brooklyn, NY
Tech in Electronics, expected graduation date 2016

 

When should i move education to the bottom of my resume?

 

If you already have an experience in your field 5 or more years, then you should consider placing your experience at the top priority i.e. above education in your resume. The hiring employers would be more interested in your level of experience than your education. It also helps to make the experience speak for yourself and placing the graduation date on the bottom may benefit you in that regard.

 

How to list high school education on resume?

 

If you do not have a college degree, it is important to provide your high school information. In case you earned a GED, place it above your high school and mention the dates. 

 

list high school education on resume example:

 

2008 GED, High School Equivalent Diploma

St. Peter’s High School 2004-2007

 

How to list certifications or licenses on a Resume?

 

If you have achieved a license in any trade after high school, and it somehow relates to the job you are pursuing, its a good idea to place it above your high school in the Education section, or you can also create an extra section like Licensure (or similar) and mention it. 

 

Listing Certifications or licenses on a Resume example:

 

2006 St. Peter’s High School, Denver, CO

Welding Certification (2005)

 

Should I list graduation dates on a Resume?

 

It can be a big question for job seekers who are older than 40, whether to include the graduation dates in their resume or not. This is something that is completely based on their own judgement. If you are providing the graduation dates, you are readily revealing your age, which can be taken as a positive, negative or a neutral thing depending on different scenario. Or if you do not include it, the employers might think of it as a smart move, or a move to trick their intelligence. It is impossible to know of the possible outcomes, and so it is better to do what suits you the best.

 

How to list continued education on a Resume?

 

Some job seekers are already concerned that their qualifications do not match the HR requirements. If you do not own a degree, but have been participating in some training courses, then create a list called Professional Development and include your seminars, conferences, related courses and training in that list. Your training can be quite impressive for the employer to hire you for the job.

 

Listing Professional Development on a resume example:

 

– Professional Management Program
– Product Launch in Global Marketplace
– Web designing
– SQL and Excel Advanced Database Modeling

 

Above mentioned are some of the best used strategies for listing education on resume. Take some time to relate your school projects to the jobs you are applying for, this can sometimes help if you have no real work experience.