Include education on a resume

So you’ve put in the time, expense, and effort to complete some aspect of formal education. Or maybe you started working on this, but then inevitably life passed … you had to take a job to pay the bills, got married, had kids, moved, etc. etc. There is a universe of things life can throw at you that can disrupt even the most well-intentioned educational plans.

There are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind when including education on a resume.

1. DO NOT list the year you graduated. Unless you are in an educational, governmental, scientific, or highly technical field where having a graduation date is essential, please do not disclose your age when including this information. (HR managers do the math!) Sure, if you’re an adult student just finishing a degree, it’s new and important to you, just as it is to a high school freshman who immediately went to the University. However, resist the urge to look younger by listing your graduation date!

With the exception of the four fields mentioned above, the harsh truth about education is this:

Most employers only care if you graduated … Yes or No.

They don’t care what your GPA was, how many times you made the dean’s list, what scholarships you got, and sure enough you can list that you graduated magna cum laude or summa cum laude … but that’s often not the case. It’s a deciding factor as to whether or not to hire it, it just becomes a distraction with all the scholarships, awards, grades, etc. Keep it clean and simple.

2. A common mistake recent graduates also make is that they want to list their education FRONT AND CENTER … naturally because this is generally the MOST IMPORTANT thing the person has done in their life to date. However, most HR managers are really looking into what kind of experience the person has, not their education. So the best advice is to put the education later in the summary rather than near the beginning.

3. MAKE a list of all your education. Some people in this economy are becoming sensitive to feeling ‘overqualified’ or ‘over-educated’. Think of it this way: Employers are in the bird’s seat right now … they can afford to hire workers they couldn’t dream of hiring just five years ago. Therefore, they are selecting the best candidates and if they can find a top leader in a field who is willing to work for them, they will gladly accept them. Who would not?

Also, if you did not complete a title, you can state: “Schedule coursework in: (area of ​​study).

Acknowledge the time you have put into it, even if the end result is not what you expected. Demonstrates initiative and desire to improve your knowledge and skills.

I’ve had a few clients I’ve worked with who had put a title name on their resume, but it turned out that during our inquiry, well, they never REALLY ended up finishing their title.

This type of misrepresentation is one of the oldest tricks in the job search book … if this sounds like you, you should be as direct as possible about your education background. HR managers know this trick well! Honestly, the EASIEST background check that can be done in the world is checking whether or not a person graduated from a particular institution. Modifying it or trying to convey a different impression is a fast track to the trash can for your resume.

So this is an “or” or “or” situation.

Either you earned a degree OR you took program courses in a field.

If it is currently in progress, you can indicate:

Title Name (Please Spell): Study Area (Expected Completion Date: ______)

As for the rest of your education, anything other than from a formal, accredited institution or vocational school falls into the category of ‘professional development’ and can include everything from industry certifications, workshops, trainings, units of education. continuous (CEU), conferences, seminars, conventions and the like.

You’ll want to call this specific section “Career Development,” which conveys to an employer that you are always taking steps to improve and hone your skills so that you can do your job better.

Not working right now? Do you have any resources? Try to keep up with industry trends by registering for a class in your field through a trade association. It’s a great way to keep your ‘toe in the pool’ and keep up to date.

Keeping your mind engaged while looking for a job is very important. Sometimes getting fired is the same opportunity it takes to open a new chapter for career advancement … there just wasn’t time for that before. You never know where this can lead! A recent client of mine spent the money to get certified with another industry credential. One of the certification requirements was to take an exam. When she showed up at the exam site, she discovered that she was the only unemployed person there; everyone else was there through his company. The amazing thing was that she got three highly rated job opportunities by talking to people at the exam site … and she was so excited that the exam itself was not the highlight of the day!