Education Section In Your Resume
Education Section In Your Resume.
Today we will talk about the education section within your resume. This is a section where you list your academic qualifications such as bachelor’s degrees, Masters Degrees, diplomas, certifications and licenses, and so forth. I will share with you the most overlooked items within this critical resume section and pass on my learnings along with sample wording that you can use. A strong education section can help you avoid being eliminated in the job search.
First Or Last.
Should the education section in your resume be put at the beginning of your resume or should it be inserted at the end with the hobbies and interests area? This question is a source of much debate for many hiring managers, resume writers and HR professionals. Those who like to include educational details at the beginning of the resume formal logic that first impressions are everything. However, the believers of including the resume section near the and of the resume follow the logic that is most important element to leaving a lasting impression is to have the final word. Both approaches have its merits, so what should you do?
The answer really depends on your unique situation. Now what I just told you really makes me sound like an HR professional, but I really don’t mean to sit on the fence on this topic. Putting the education section in your resume first is a really good idea for you if:
- You have a strong GPA
- You are starting a new career and you’ve just finished some related training
- You are a student or someone just entering the workforce
- Applying for a job in academia or research
The above the four main reasons for you to put the resume section up front. Let’s discuss each point in a little more detail.
High GPA – Academic Powerhouse.
Interviewing students, I am often surprised to discover that some of them have learned really high GPAs, strong grades and other academic achievement that is not mentioned in their resume. One thing you will hear me say often is that employers hire people who can achieve great things. Listing your achievements in your resume will go a long way in convincing the manager you are a winner. A high GPA and good grades are achievements that you should be proud about and that you should mention up front in your resume. It shows often traits like strong dedication, intelligence, work ethic, and so forth.
New In the Neighbourhood
Another good reason to insert your education of front in your resume is if you are new to the field in which you’re looking for work. Common situations where this might occur if include students looking for work, those who had earlier changes, or those who have long gaps in employment. For the last two groups of job seekers, including your education near the top of your resume particularly beneficial when you just completed training related to the field you are newly entering.
Letters After Your Name.
If the job you’re applying for requires a specific level of education, training, diploma, certification, or license make sure you include this information up front to prevent you from being eliminated. A great way to communicate your educational credentials right away is to include them along with your name. For example, identifying yourself by associating your name with your degrees is an effective way to market yourself and establish credibility, e.g. “John Smith, CA, BComm” which can be inserted on your resume title, header and footers.
Creative Education Section Titles.
Rather than just labelling the education section, “education” be creative. Remember the hiring manager has screened thousands of sample resumes and so something different will catch their attention. For example, suppose you are nurse applying for work. Instead of using the label or resume heading, “education”, you could use a resume heading such as, “nursing qualifications”. By using job and industry specific words, target and customize your sample resume heading. You have a better chance of getting the attention of hiring managers as well as resume software used to search for candidates.
