The Education Section is the most uncomplicated part of your resume. It is where you list down your education background. More than just displaying a list of all schools you attended and degrees that you completed use this crucial section to your advantage. Here are some strategies that will help put your education to work on your resume:
1. Which Level Should You List First?
It is typical that you start the list with the most recent education that you had. Your recent attainments will be counted as the most relevant information. The employer will first check on the highest level of education that you had. Make the information accessible right away.
2. What Information Should You Include?
Aside from the name of the schools and the years that you spent to finish your degree, provide other supporting information as well. Impress them with your honors and citations that you received. Make sure that you mention leadership roles in your extra-curricular activities. If you have a GPA that is higher than 3.0, list it down too. You can choose not to include your GPA rating if you got it for more than 3 years since graduating, and if it is below the 3.0 mark.
3. What about an Incomplete Degree?
If you took a relevant course but didn’t able to finish it, do not leave out this information but instead, write it in a way that it will sound as if you took the course in order to only earn precious units. Write down the school, degree, and the number of units you had. Or you can make it appear as if you are anticipating completing the degree for later by placing a target date of completion.
4. What if You Never Went to a College?
If all you have is your high school diploma to show, use your high school references for your education. In order to meet up with the HR’s requirements, you can include seminars, trainings, and conferences that you had during your high school. They are considered as professional development credits that will make up for the lack of formal college education.
5. Where to Position the Education Section?
Strategic placement of this section will depend whether or not it will work for your advantage. If you happened to graduate in a prestigious university, finished with high honors, or if you think that the employer seems to put more weight on education for the requirements, it is best to have the information at the beginning of your resume.
General Rules in Writing the Education Section
It is not typical that you right everything about your education information in your resume. It only adds up as inconsequential if you happen to include irrelevant information. Think of it as presenting your best foot forward. By giving the employer the information that he wants, you get to catch his attention right away. Do not bore him with little details that have nothing to do with the position that you are applying for.
Stick with using a chronological order in listing your education information as well as your working experience. This created an orderly manner which impresses anyone who happens to read your resume. When you are to list them in bullet forms, be prepared to answer follow up questions during the interview. It is important that you remember the things that you listed down in order for you to be accurate should you be asked about them later on.
Be specific, direct to the point, and honest at all times when writing any section of your resume. The education section is something that you can never lie about but you can write it in so many ways. Impressing the employer is as easy as structuring your education section very well to make it appear that you are an organized kind of person who can be an asset to the company. Showing off your skills in making the perfect resume is the same as showing off what you can be when you are going to be hired for the position.
Make an immediate impression by using the different sections of your resume, especially the one in education. Sell yourself effectively by writing the education section remarkably. Make it your strategy to have this section work in your advantage.
By the way you can turn to a resume writing service for help. These guys have professional writers and HR experts that know how to make a perfect resume for the target company.