Your Resume’s EDUCATION Section
For some people who try to write their own resumes (because they don’t know that phenomenal professionals in the field of resume writing exist), their education section is usually presented in such a way that it raises a “flag” and, the more flags one raises while their resume is being perused by a potential employer, the less their chances are for getting a call or an email back.
There are several Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to the Education Section of a resume.
First, the Don’ts
1. Don’t put HIGH SCHOOL anywhere on or near your resume. (While there are a VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, for example – IF you have at least a COLLEGE DEGREE and also graduated from a PRIVATE high school or a Catholic high school and that information would help you land the teaching job at a Catholic school, then include it. If you graduated from the same private school as the owner of the company to which you are applying (you did your homework in the job search, just not in high school, right?), then include the high school experience on the resume. Other than those two examples, there is NO REASON to put the NAME and location and (I cringe to write it…) the YEAR you graduated from HIGH SCHOOL. (Same applies for earning a G.E.D.). Some employers write their ads to include, “must be a high school graduate.” So, if that is the case, simply write under the education (or Professional Development section) “High School graduate.” Do NOT, EVER EVER EVER put the YEAR you graduated from high school (or, again, earned your G.E.D.) That is telling the reader “exactly” (unless you skipped or were held back a few years) how old you are. Your age has NO bearing on the kind of job you will do for the employer. That information is discriminatory and doesn’t belong on the resume.
2. Don’t LIE about a degree you don’t have. The world is smaller than you think. If you write that you earned a degree from Harvard, and the person interviewing did too, you will find yourself stuck in a very uncomfortable situation. While I never advocate dishonesty on the resume, there are some things you can leave off or not be so detailed about.
3. If you are (seriously) thinking about going back to college but have NOT REGISTERED YET, do NOT include that on your resume. Until you are actually registered for your undergrad or Master’s program, you are NOT in it!
4. Don’t list all the courses you took in a program. Anyone can do that. Instead, hire a professional writer to review those courses and creatively incorporate them t-h-r-o-u-g-h-o-u-t the resume. Simply listing 20 courses is NOT effective and means nothing to the reader.
5. Don’t list all your degrees under Education if some of them are not pertinent to the particular job you are pursuing, or, at the very least, do not list what your major field of study was for that degree. For example, if you went to a Cosmetology School and completed that program, but have since gone on and earned a baccalaureate in Business Administration, do NOT list the beauty school UNLESS you are applying for a job as a Manager at a salon (not saloon!), spa, or barber shop. If you earned your undergrad degree in Nursing, but are now pursuing a job in your first love, accounting, simply state the name of the university and that you have completed a Bachelor’s degree from there, but do NOT say in which field. (They can call you and ask you). Remember, the point of a resume is to get noticed, to get a phone call, to get an interview – not to tell your life story.
6. Do NOT put you G.P.A. on your resume UNLESS you are applying for a job in pharmaceutical/medical equipment sales and only if it is 3.9 or higher. Leave it off altogether if it isn’t that impressive and let them ask you about it in an interview. (Be prepared for what you will say; we’ll cover that in another post.)
7. If you do NOT have a formal degree, do NOT have a section on your resume called “Education” – instead do a “Professional Development” section where you can include individual classes or seminars you attended.
The Do’s
1. Do list the entire name (no abbreviations) of the college or university you attended. If you graduated from the small liberal arts Jesuit-run college in University Heights, Ohio – JCU, write John Carroll University.
2. Include the city and state where you attended the college. If you earned your degree via internet, write where the college is headquartered. You can explain that it was a distance learning program in an interview.
3. List the most recent college experience first.
4. If you went to a two-year college for your basic courses and then transferred to a four-year college to earn your degree, you don’t need to mention the two-year degree.
If you need help with your Education Section on your resume (or any other section) do not hesitate to contact us, 24/7 at (877) 884-1960.
