Education Section I
Because some recruiters and hiring managers will not even consider hiring job candidates who lack certain education credentials, you need to highlight your academic achievements appropriately. Perhaps you recently graduated from college and have little work experience. In this case, you may emphasize your education by placing it before any work history. Again, market yourself effectively by featuring your strongest asset first. Is it education or experience? This article offers suggestions on how to present your educational qualifications.
While you are in college or up to one year after you graduate, your education section should appear before your experience section. Once you are a working professional, you should flip the order of these two sections.
Additional items in this section include the following:
- Expected graduation date: Listing the month or the season both work well here (e.g., Spring 2013 or May 2013).
- Relevant coursework: You may choose to list relevant coursework if it pertains to the position for which you are applying.
- Major and minor: You may choose to include both your major and your minor.
- GPA: You may include your overall GPA, or you may decide to
list the GPA of your major. You should exclude your
GPA if it is below 3.3. Certain industries are more concerned with GPA
than others, including consulting, investment banking, and trading,
which can require a 3.6 or 3.7 and above. It is best to research each
industry to better familiarize yourself with such requirements because
this can vary by industry and by company.
- Extracurricular activities: Recruiters may be impressed to
read that you were active in your college and that you belonged to
targeted student clubs. If you held any leadership posts, that
information should be included as well.
- Study abroad: If you have studied abroad, list that here. You should include the name of the university, the city and country, and the coursework.
Nontraditional college students (those who have significant work experience and then decide to obtain their degree) may want to list experience before education. Since this is unusual for a new graduate, you should consult with either career services or a career coach regarding this résumé order.
Here is an example of how to list your education information.
If you attended only one college, only that college should be listed in this section.
If you transferred from another college, you should list both schools in this section. The first school you list is the current school you attend, followed by the previous school. If and when you attend graduate school, law school, and so forth, your postgraduate school would be listed first.
High schools, no matter how prestigious, should not be included in a résumé.
If you have received additional training and certifications, this information does not belong in your education section. Instead, it can be listed in skills and additional information, which will be reviewed in the section of this chapter titled "Skills, Additional Information, and References."
Using the preceding information, Figure 4.3, "Sample Résumé – Header, Objective, and Education," illustrates what our résumé looks like thus far.
Figure 4.3 Sample Résumé – Header, Objective, and Education
Key Takeaways
- Your education section should clearly list your college(s) and include a number of important details, including GPA, majors and minors, and extracurricular activities.
- Your candidacy can be enhanced by including supporting coursework, so include that as well.
Exercises
- Create your education section, using the details listed in this chapter.
- Include all important aspects of this section: your
expected year of graduation, GPA (if over 3.3), major and minor,
relevant coursework, and extracurricular activities.
- Pair up with someone in your class, review their information, and critique it to make the section better.
- Have your classmate review your work by critiquing it so you can enhance your education section.
This text was adapted by Saylor Academy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensor.