How to Showcase EDUCATION on your RESUME
For every entry level profile, education is the gateway to good job. Not portraying your education effectively on your resume can have one miss a potential opportunity.
Academic qualification apart from experience and certifications is one of the most important aspect of your profile. Your academic details often serve as way of comprehending your suitability for the position. If your degree/specialization is the requirement of your target job/internship or includes any achievements that are required for it, this section may successfully distinguish you from other candidates.
Details you should necessarily mention
- The type of degree(s) you are pursuing or have completed starting from your high secondary to the most recent degree
- Your University/school’s name and location
- Year of passing
Pro Tip: Percentage is optional. You should only add it if you graduated and if it is brag-worthy. Most employers while hiring fresh graduates look out for candidates with a strong academic record.
Placing your education on the Resume
- Consider putting it before your experience section if you have recently completed your education or are still in its pursuit as your academics be considered first and then your experience if any.
- If you haven’t yet completed your degree, you can include your internship experience and other voluntary experience in a separate section just below your education. Employers are curious about what you’re currently studying and any specific coursework or recognition that you earned which might be relevant to the position.
How to effectively place it?
- You can either spell out your degree or just use initials
“Bachelor of Commerce” “B.Com”
- You can write out the name of the subject in which you are pursuing an honorary degree by separating with a comma.
“BA, English Hons” or simply write the subject in brackets “BA Hons (English).”
Phrases and Words that can be used to describe the advancement or completion of education
- In progress, expected + expected year, or pursuing if still pursuing the course
- Year of completion if already completed
Consider subsections
If you have a lot of information to include in the education section of your resume, consider breaking it into subsections or a tabular format to present the details in a neat and concise manner. The main section might include your schools and degrees, and then other sections may be included like “Awards and Honors,” “Certifications,” and “Professional Development.”
Pro Tip: In a situation where you have little to no work experience, include some extra points including Awards and Honours, Coursework Description, Extracurricular Activities, Publications if any (In accordance with the course you are pursuing.
It is of utmost importance to cautiously proofread your resume or have someone else do it to help you catch errors, and ensure that the arrangement is presentable before you present it to your potential employer. Also confirm that it’s formatted in such a way that it opens properly if you are emailing it to the concerned person. During an interview, be fully prepared to discuss all that you have written. Your interviewer can ask to explain or provide more detail.
Tools like Resumod help you with easing out your stress regarding effectively placing and formatting your education.
