Listing your education details might not be the foremost thing to do while writing a resume, but is nonetheless necessary. That does not mean adding your education details anywhere and however you want in your resume.
Applicants are expected to write their details in a polished and professional manner. Also, by emphasizing the correct parts, you may obtain some advantage over others.
Thus, knowing where to include your education details and how to write the section becomes of great significance. This article will tell you all you need to know before listing Education on a Resume.
What to Include in the Education Section on a Resume
Let us look at an example first.
Education
M.A. in English – ABC University, 2016-2018
GPA 3.9
B.A. in English – XYZ University, 2014-2016
GPA 4.1
Yes, that is it! This is all you need to write.
Now let us break it down into simpler parts to get a better idea of what to include.
- Your degree
- Your specific field of study
- The school or university you attended
- Graduation date or the years attended
- Your GPA if it is high enough
- Any awards or scholarships you received
- Any relevant accomplishments, projects, extra-curricular activities you have done
Remember, the above example is not the only format you can use to add your details.
You may spell out the degree instead of using initials (like M.A). You may also use commas or hyphens interchangeably. You can mention your graduation year in the beginning also.
Whatever format you choose, make sure it looks organized and your degrees are listed in the reverse-chronological order.
Where to Include your Education on a Resume
This is the part the applicants are most confused about. Should your Experience go before Education or the other way around.
Well, there is no hard and fast rule for that. You may put whatever you want at the top. Like if you have an impressive education history, better to add it first. Similarly, if your experience is perfect for the job, your working history should go first.
However, there are situations where putting one above the other tends to be a crucial factor.
Like, when you are writing an academic Resume, your Education section matters more. Hence, your Education section should be put in the beginning.
In case you have loads of working experience, writing your Experience section before Education will be an obvious choice.
How to write the Education section
When you are a seasoned professional
In this case, you already have significant work experiences as compared to your educational qualifications. While you still need to include your education details, your main focus should be on including all experiences and projects suitable for the position. Therefore, simply including your highest qualification would be enough.
When you are a recent graduate
In case you have recently graduated from a university, you have little or zero professional working experience. Here, your education details become somewhat more important.
You can add your degrees and qualifications, starting with the most recent one along with your school name and year of graduation. You may include your other certifications or extra-curricular activities if they are relevant to the job. Further, you can also mention your coursework or any awards you received during your study.
When you haven’t completed your education
Well, if your semesters are still ongoing or you have dropped out from your school, you can still mention your unfinished education in your resume.
You can list the coursework you completed and the credits you received for it. Yes, any awards, scholarships, or accomplishments you achieved in your school period can also be mentioned. If you have got any suitable license or certificates for the job, those too are yours to mention.
There is nothing wrong with listing some extra points in your Education section if they are relevant.
In the end, it is totally up to you what to include in your resume. Try not to forget though, this is a great opportunity to highlight what you have learned and set yourself apart from other applicants.
Keywords: How to write educational qualification in resume examples. How to list education on resume if still in college. How to list education in progress on resume. How to write educational qualifications in resumes for freshers, How to list high school education on resume. How to list education and training on a resume, currently pursuing a degree on resume example, how to write educational qualification in resume examples India
