Include education on a resume
So you have spent time, money, and effort to complete some aspect of formal education. Or maybe you started working on this, but then, inevitably, life happened…you had to find a job to pay the bills, got married, had kids, moved, etc. etc There is a universe of things that life can throw at you that can disrupt even the most well-intentioned educational plans.
There are some general rules to keep in mind when including education on a resume.
1. DO NOT indicate the year in which you graduated. Unless you are in an educational, government, scientific, or highly technical field where having a graduation date is essential, please do not disclose your age when including this information. (Hiring managers do the math!) Sure, if you’re an adult student fresh out of a degree, it’s new and important to you just as it is to someone fresh out of high school who he immediately went to college. However, resist the urge to appear younger by listing your prom date!
With the exception of the four fields mentioned above, the cold, hard truth about education is this:
Most employers really 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, you can list that you graduated magna cum laude or summa cum laude… but that’s often not a deciding factor. as to hiring him or not; it just becomes a distraction with all the scholarships, awards, grades, etc. Keep it clean and simple.
2. A common mistake that recent graduates also make is that they want to list their education FRONT AND CENTER…naturally because this is usually the MOST IMPORTANT THING the person has done in their life to date. However, most hiring managers are really looking into what kind of experience the person has, not the person’s education. So the best advice is to put the education later in the summary instead of near the beginning.
3. List all of your education. Some people in this economy are becoming sensitive about feeling ‘overqualified’ or ‘overeducated’. Think of it this way: Employers are in the cat bird’s seat right now…they can afford to hire workers they couldn’t dream of hiring just five years ago. Thus, they are ‘selecting’ the best candidates and if they can find a top leader in a field who is willing to come work for them, they will gladly accept it. Who does not?
Additionally, if you did not complete a degree, you can indicate: “Schedule courses in: (study area).
Give yourself credit for the time you put into it, even if the end result isn’t what you expected. Shows initiative and desire to improve their knowledge and skills.
I’ve had a few clients I’ve worked with who had put the name of a title on their resume, but it turned out during our consultation, 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, it would be best for you to be as direct as possible about your educational background. Hiring managers know this trick well! Honestly, the EASIEST background check in the world to do is to check whether or not a person graduated from a particular institution. Manipulating it or trying to convey a different impression is a fast track to the trash can for your resume.
So this is an ‘either’ or ‘or’ situation.
Either earned your degree OR took program courses in a field.
If it is currently in progress, you can indicate:
Title Name (Spelling Please): Area of Study (Expected Completion Date: ______)
As for the rest of your education, anything other than from an accredited formal institution or career school falls under the category of “professional development” and can include everything from industry certifications, workshops, trainings, education units (CEU), congresses, seminars, conventions and the like.
You’ll want to call this specific section “Professional Development,” which conveys to an employer that you’re always actively taking steps to improve and hone your skills so you can do your job better.
Doesn’t work now? Do you have some resources? Try to keep up with industry trends by signing up 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.
Keeping your mind busy while looking for a job is very important. Sometimes getting laid off is the necessary opportunity to open a new chapter of 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 found out that she was the only unemployed person there; everyone else was there through her company. The amazing thing was that she got three highly ranked job opportunities by talking to the people there at the exam site… and she was so excited that the exam itself wasn’t the highlight of the day!
