Presenting Your Educational Background in the Best Light
Many people assume it's necessary to list their academic credentials--the degrees they earned and the schools they attended--near the top of their Resumé. This is not always necessary.
How much emphasis employers place on your educational background depends on whether the job you're seeking requires specific scholastic training or certification.
If it does, you would do well to place your Education section where potential employers will notice it. You want the material at the top of your Resumé to pique the employer's interest so he or she will want to continue reading it.
Highlight the details of your education by placing it at the top of the Resumé if...
You're a recent college graduate.
Academic training is a fundamental qualification for the position you're seeking.
You have an advanced degree or quite specific training as opposed to a lot of related work experience in the profession you're pursuing.
NOTE: If you did not attend college or have a general education degree (GED), it would probably be a good idea to eliminate the Education section entirely. Your Resumé is the place to highlight your strengths.
HINT: If you started but failed to complete a degree or certification program, list your primary areas of study [your Major(s) and Minor(s)], followed by the last year you were enrolled as a student. In many cases, employers will mistake this as your date of graduation, which can only work in your favour.
HINT: If you have completed some graduate coursework, but do not intend to complete a degree, you should note that you "Completed graduate coursework in XYZ" below your undergraduate degree.
Here's the formula for listing your educational credentials:
Name of the college or University, followed by the city and state in which it's located.
Degree (e.g., BA, BS, MA, etc.), followed by concentration (e.g., English Language and Literature, Chemistry, Marketing, etc.)
What Else Should I Include in the Education Section of My Resumé?
The Education section of your Resumé doesn't just have to be a list of degrees and certification you've received. It can also include things like your GPA (if it was 3.0 or higher), courses you took that are especially relevant to the field in which you want to work, if you completed any special projects employers might be impressed by, or if you studied abroad. However, be sure the additional education-related data you include on your Resumé isn't just filler. Employers hate reading filler, and you don't want anything to turn employers off to your candidacy.
Other Possible Sections of Your Resumé
Everyone's background is unique. In fact, you may want to include information on your Resumé that someone else might not choose to include there. When you introduce additional categories, you are identifying additional skills sets. Therefore, the challenge is to determine how to organize such information in categories, which will allow employers to quickly find the information they believe is most pertinent to hiring decisions. You might consider including categories like:
Internships
Special Projects
Civic Activities or Community Involvement
Awards and Honours
Languages
Licenses
Certifications
Professional Development Training
Computer Skills
Affiliations or Associations
Travels
As a rule of thumb, your resumé shouldn't exceed two pages in should avoid adding pages to your resumé for the sake of introducing supplementary categories ad nauseum. Less is definitely more when it comes to Resumé writing. Use space wisely (and spare your readers the hassle of skimming) by including information that potential employers will want - and need - to read.