When writing a resume, many job seekers focus primarily on their professional summary and work experience. The education section too often becomes an afterthought. And that’s a problem. Every section — and word — of your resume matters. Following are tips on writing and formatting your academic credentials.
Resume education section 101
Make it clear and concise.Include the institution you attended, the degree you earned, and the month and year you graduated. If you have a college degree, omit any information about your high school education.
Don’t be average.Only include your grade-point average if it’s truly impressive and you’re a recent graduate.
Achieve greatness. Any scholastic achievements and awards listed must truly be noteworthy.
Be a class act. Don’t list relevant courses unless you lack work experience.
Proofread your resume education section carefully.Nothing derails your chances of landing a job quicker than a resume typo. In fact, you’d be surprised at how many applicants misspell their alma mater!
Keep it moving.The prominence of the education section of your resume relates to where you are in your career. If you’re a recent grad, for example, it makes sense to place education-related information near the top of the document. But as your work history develops, details about your academic career should move toward the bottom as you emphasize your skills and experience.
Resume education section samples
For a job seeker who has been in the workforce, their resume education section might be as simple as this:
EDUCATION:
XYZ University, Toronto, ON
Bachelor of Arts in English, May 2012
For a recent grad seeking an entry-level role, however, the resume education section could look something like this:
EDUCATION:
ABC College, Vancouver, BC
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, May 2020
GPA: 3.8
Dean’s List: 2018-2020
Relevant coursework: Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting, Income Tax For Corporations, Cost Accounting and Business Management
What not to do
Not every job seeker’s education section makes the grade. In fact, goofs on this part of the resume are quite common. If you’re looking for a laugh, check out these mistakes from real-life resumes — that our company has collected over the years:
“EDUCATION: GPA was 94 per cent.”
“EDUCATION: I won an award for an essay in first grade and got my picture taken with the principal. That was a big win. My parents took me for ice cream.”
“EDUCATION: Perused degrees in human resources.”
“EDUCATION: I was a four-sport high school athlete, although graduation was 20 years ago.”
“EDUCATION: Enough to get the job.”
“EDUCATION: In junior high, I wrote and directed a play based on Greek mythology.”
“EDUCATION: Attended useless diploma mill.”
“EDUCATION: Graduate in 3010.”
Your resume education section can be straightforward, but it’s an area where (as you’ve seen above) many job candidates make unforced errors. Writing tight, avoiding irrelevant information and editing carefully will help make sure your resume measures up.
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