When it’s your last few days in grad school, there are a lot of things on your mind. It isn’t only about leaving the place you have called home for the last four years or so, but it is also about what is awaiting you out in the real world. You hired the best dissertation writing service for yourself and even scored an A on that as well, but there are a lot of things that need your attention to keep up with the fast-paced world. For instance, once you have graduated, it’s time to start finding a job for yourself and pave way into the corporate world.
As a student, and as someone who has never made a resume before in life, you are not sure where to begin, what to include, how to not make the resume fluffy. You don’t know which degree should you list for the job you’re looking for, whether your degree in HR would be relevant if you’re applying for a content writing job. You scratch your head wondering whether you should add your GPA or not. There are countless thoughts and doubts that cross your mind.
Let me simply this for the fresh-grads in particular. Take a deep breath first. Because the education section of your resume may not always be the star of your document but if you are well aware as to how to properly list down your education can be significant for making it to the next step of the hiring process. So, in this blog, we will discuss in detail all the ins and outs of crafting the education section of your resume.
What must be included in the Education Section?
The education section doesn’t have to be something too extraordinary, as a matter of fact, even if it includes some basic information, the resume is good to go. Make sure that the educational record that you mention is in the reverse-chronological order starting from the latest to oldest. The general information that must be included in the education section of the resume is as follows:
• The name of the school you attended – e.g., University of Cambridge.
• The location of the school – e.g., Cambridge, United Kingdom.
• The nature of your degree – high-school diploma, associate’s degree, GED, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree
• Year of Graduation – if applicable. Some people might still be enrolled in the program while applying for a job
• Major course or field of study – e.g., Economics.
• Minor course or field of study – if applicable.
• GPA – rest assured; this is not a mandatory part of the education section. If you were a below average student and scored a GPA you weren’t proud of, don’t add this part to your education section. If it is above 3.5, add it then only. You’re good to go with or without it.
Adding Work Experience to Education Section
If you’re a graduate just out of college with little to no work experience, don’t stress over it too much. Nobody expects you to have five years of work experience under your belt while you were hustling in grad school as well. But there still are ways to make your resume attractive for the hiring committees. In case of little or no work experience, the education section is a good chance to show off what you know.
Extra information that can be added in the education section and that would make your resume attractive include:
• Internships that are prerequisite of the completion of your degree
• Relevant coursework
• Social Action Projects
• Academic awards
• Activities on campus, such as marketing galas
• Assistant to course professors or other academic professionals
When adding extracurricular or on-campus activities in your resume, you have to be mindful not to add information about sports clubs or other clubs that aren’t connected to your qualifications. You can however add any leadership position you’ve held on campus to highlight management experience.
Listing Incomplete Education
In most cases, the applicant is still a student who may have a partially-complete or incomplete educational credential that they would want to list on their resume. When listing incomplete education on a resume, it is imperative to remain highly mindful and avoid using the words like “unfinished” or “incomplete” as wording of such sort has an impact on the hiring committee. For people who are still in the process of completing their education, it is mandatory to note the expected time of completion. The correct way to write is, expected graduation May 2022.
Adding Certifications on Your Resume
In certain cases, a person doesn’t go to college or through formal educational programs and instead rely on certifications to educate themselves. Or even if they may have attended college, but have done other trade schools or other programs resulting in certifications, it is important that these certifications are mentioned by when relevant. These certifications make an impression that the candidate is well-aware of the practical implications of the task and that they have certain experience, if not all.
If you aren’t crafting a long-form of a resume, i.e., a CV, the education section will definitely be a small concise summary of your academic achievements and credentials. But it can be a longer one for those who have ample educational background but limited work experience. So the person drafting the resume has to be super smart about how to make do with the little or no work experience in a way that your resume still looks attractive. Something that the hiring committee would want to go through and something that would make them want to connect with you. However, always avoid deceptive wording as companies can always run background checks.
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