So you have spent time, money, and effort completing some aspect of formal education. Or maybe you started working on this, but then life inevitably 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 best-intentioned education plans.
There are some general rules to keep in mind when including education on a resume.
1. DO NOT list the year you graduated. Unless you are in an educational, government, scientific, or highly technical field where having a graduation date is essential, do not disclose your age when including this information. (HR managers do the math!) Sure, if you’re an adult student just getting a degree, it’s as new and important to you as it is to a person just out of high school who he immediately went to college. However, resist the urge to look younger by listing your graduation 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 deal breaker. 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 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 ever done to date. However, most HR managers are really looking at what kind of experience a person has, not their education. So the best advice is to put the education later in the summary rather than 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 catbird 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 come and work for them, they will gladly accept him. Who does not?
Additionally, if you did not complete a degree, you can indicate: “Schedule courses in: (area of study).
Give yourself credit for the time you’ve 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 that had put a title name on their resume, but it turned out during our consultation, well, they REALLY never ended up finishing their title.
This kind of misrepresentation is one of the oldest tricks in the job search book…if this sounds like you, you’d be better off being as upfront as possible about your educational background. HR managers know this trick well! Honestly, the EASIEST background check to do in the world is to check whether or not a person graduated from a particular institution. Tampering with 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.
You either earned your degree OR took program courses in a field.
If it is currently in progress, you can indicate:
Title name (please spell): 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 into the “professional development” category and can include everything from industry certifications, workshops, trainings, education units continuous (CEU), congresses, seminars, conventions and the like.
You’ll want to call this specific section “Professional Development,” which conveys an employer who is always actively taking steps to improve and hone your skills so you can do your job better.
Doesn’t it 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 searching for a job is very important. Sometimes getting fired is just the right opportunity to open a new chapter of career improvement…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 her company. The amazing thing was that she got three highly rated 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!