how to put high school degree on resume

When Should You Include Your High School on Your Resume?

In This Guide:

Should you include high school on a resume, how do you list high school on your resume, high school resume sample, takeaways: high school on resume.

So you are wondering whether to include your high school on your resume.

Or maybe wondering how to include it?

Don’t worry.

In any case, we got you covered.

Keep reading and you will find out:

• When should you list your high school and when it’s better to leave it out;
• Should you include high school if you didn’t attend college;
• How do you list high school on your resume

And, as a bonus, you will see an awesome high school resume sample.

If you are wondering how to build your resume, you should check out our Resume Builder . It will get you going in no time and you’ll be ready to apply for your dream job.

Let’s dive in.

Is your resume good enough?

Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

If you want a short answer, we can give it to you right away:

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When should you list your high school?

In order to answer this question, we should get to the answers to a few other questions.

The first thing you should ask yourself is:

• Is my resume too short?

Depending on the job description and your work experience (if any), your resume should be one or two pages long.

If your resume is too short the hiring manager won’t get an overview of your suitability for the position.

Most of the time, your resume is going to be one-page. It makes sense since you probably don’t have that much work experience. Though, you might still tell yourself to push for a two-page resume.

However, it’s not as effective as you think. In fact, a one-page resume is more powerful. It just depends on the approach you take and how you do it.

Instead of reinventing the wheel, it’s smarter to see what works.

So you can check out our Resume Examples page on Enhancv and search for an entry-level position resume, or you can stick around and see the awesome example we have for you.

• Is your education your strongest qualification?

Hiring managers are generally more interested in your work experience and your skills, rather than your education.

So, if you have some work experience, you should include it.

But if you are a high school student, college student, or fresh graduate, you will probably need to put yourself in the best possible light, using only your education.

• Is education a primary requirement?

Education is a crucial section that many headhunters expect to see in your resume, even if not asked for.

Besides, it won’t take much space on the page and can be read within seconds.

You’ve got nothing to lose!

So, all in all:

If you are a high school student, college student, fresh graduate with no work experience, or if your high school diploma is your highest education, you should definitely add your high school education to your resume.

When is your high school best left off? Or, when to stop listing it?

Including your high school in your resume makes up for the lack of work experience and gives you better chances for being called by the hiring manager.

But there are certain situations when it’s better to leave it off your resume.

If you were dismissed for a cause, better left unsaid, you should better leave your high school off your resume and transfer the focus to your skills and accomplishments section.

What is more, a few years after you finish high school, the hiring manager will start caring more about your more recent accomplishments.

Once you get to that point, you can safely delete your high school from your resume.

A clear sign that you can leave your high school out of your CV:

You have trouble fitting all your information on one page.

Should I put high school on my resume if I didn’t attend college?

If you didn’t attend college or only took a few courses, you should consider not including your high school details on your resume.

As you gain valid, relevant work experience, you have the option of leaving college and high school off your resume entirely.

There are lots of things you can put on your resume besides college and high school education.

You can often include relevant coursework, certifications, awards, volunteer positions, and even hobbies and clubs.

However, if you don’t have work or other relevant experience, you should definitely include your high school information on your resume.

In your education section, you should list the name of your high school, city and state, and the years you attended.

If you have any major achievements, such as being the president or founder of a club, you should list one or two of them.

Keep in mind that you should describe your work, rather than just mentioning it. For example, I planted 300 trees as part of the environmental club.

When describing the classes you took, you should tailor them to the position you’re applying for.

If you’re applying for a job in retail and have taken classes in Business and Math, it would be really relevant to put it on your resume. Language classes would also be relevant.

If and when you have a college education, list it above your high school details.

High School GPA on a Resume

If you’re currently a high school student or just graduated, you should consider including your GPA on your resume.

But not always.

You can include it with no regrets if your GPA is higher than 3.5.

You should think about leaving your GPA off your resume if:

• Your GPA is lower than 3.5
• You are a college or university student long enough to list that GPA instead
• You have a couple of years of relevant work experience

So, as we promised, we give you an awesome high school resume sample.

Check it out.

So keep it in mind and use it to build your awesome high school resume.

If you need more help, you can always check out our Resume Examples , or build one from scratch with our Resume Builder .

Your resume is probably the first impression that a potential employer would have of you.

Make sure that you present the most important information about you in a way that stands out to hiring managers.

Depending on your education and your work experience, putting your high school information on your resume might be a good idea.

When considering it, you should remember:

• Include your high school details only if it’s your highest level of education, or you are still in high school
• Include your GPA if it’s higher than 3.5. If it is lower, you might want to leave it off your resume.
• Include your high school details properly, depending on whether you graduated or not.

So now you are good to go.

Now you’re ready to write your resume and get your dream job.

*** What are your thoughts? Did you list your high school details on your resume? Give us a shout-out in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!

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• Resume and Cover Letter
• How to List Education on Your...

How to List Education on Your Resume (with Examples)

10 min read · Updated on March 27, 2024

Use your education to show you have the knowledge to land the job

Your education is an essential detail to include on your resume, as it indicates that you're trained in your field. Even if your formal education isn't directly related to your current career path (perhaps you made a career change, for instance), it's still worthwhile to show that you succeeded in a high-level learning environment.

As with much of resume writing, the content and format of your resume Education section is fluid and will depend on where you are in your career. Still, it's important that you get it right to prove you're qualified for the job you want.

In this article, you'll learn how to list education on your resume and see examples that you can use for inspiration as you craft your own. 

What to include under Education on a resume

It sounds simple – you list the degrees you've obtained and the schools where you got them. 

But, wait! There's more.

In some instances, it may be appropriate to include your GPA, some relevant coursework, or even give a nod to some major project you worked on. Much of this depends on whether you're fresh out of school or have some experience under your belt. 

Here are some other things to consider when writing the Education section of your resume:

Does your education section go at the top or bottom of your resume?

Do you include a degree if you're still working on it?

Does high school belong on my resume?

Let's start with the basics.

1. Degree earned

When you finally graduated and received your diploma, what did it say? For example, you may have achieved a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Whatever it was, it's the most important education detail you can put on your resume, because it's the official evidence of your education.

One of the most important things to remember is that you should list your degrees in reverse chronological order. That means you start with the most recent one (which is likely to be your highest) and work backward. Also, once you get into college there is no reason to add high school. Employers know that you have to finish high school to get into college, so they'll assume you graduated. 

Remember that one degree type can be applied to a variety of fields of study. For example, a Bachelor of Science degree can be earned for both physics and computer science. Therefore, in addition to the degree itself, you must include the major for which the degree was earned. This way, a hiring manager knows exactly what topics you've studied.

If you completed any minors or concentrations, you can include those too.

3. University, college, or institution

Add some context to your education by listing the university, college, or institution where you went to school. This is especially important if you attended a well-respected program in your field, because it will make you seem all the more impressive.

4. Years attended

The timeframe that you were in school is generally something you don't need to worry about including unless you're still in school or graduated within the last year. Additionally, you might add the dates you were in school if you need to take care of a gap in employment. Outside of these conditions, you should leave off the timeframe you were in school.

Whether or not you include your GPA in the Education section of a resume depends on many factors. If you earned your degree 20 years ago, your GPA is likely a defunct measure of your current abilities. If you earned your degree recently, however, adding your GPA can be a great move – but only if it's 3.5 or higher. You can also indicate any distinctions you earned based on your grades, such as summa cum laude , if applicable.

6. Extracurricular activities

If you were in an honors society, you can list your membership. If you were part of a fraternity or sorority, it's a toss-up. While you might think this is a good inclusion because it demonstrates you were participating in service-related activities or so on, Greek rivalries can extend way past college years and you wouldn't want to accidentally tip off your hiring manager that you belonged to a rival group.

7. Certifications 

Outside of formal education, you may also have taken the initiative to earn supplementary certifications or complete online courses that are relevant to your field. Highlight these in your resume Education section, especially if they are on niche or high-level topics that prove your expertise far beyond a more generalized curriculum.

Here's an example of what all that looks like:

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Business Administration | ABC University | 2021-2024

Dean's list - summa cum laude

President - Marketing Club

Certifications:

Project Management Professional (PMP) | Project Management Institute

Conditions to consider, aside from the basics

Some of those basics may be optional - as we mentioned, you wouldn't include the dates of your degree program if you've been out of school for more than a year. When you begin to craft the Education section of your resume, there are other things to consider as well.

You completed high school

Attending college may not be among the goals you've set for your life. That's okay!

If you decide to graduate high school and go straight to work, your career can still be rich and full. At this point, though, a lot of people ask if they should include high school on their resume. 

A few rules of thumb about adding high school to the Education section of your resume:

Exclude high school altogether if you go to college

Exclude high school if you've attended trade school

Include high school if you have no additional education, professional development, or certifications

Include high school if the job description specifically mentions that you need a high school diploma

Include high school if you're applying for a job while still in high school

This is what the Education section of your resume would look like if all you have to put in it is high school:

Diploma or GED [whichever is appropriate] | DEF High School

Graduated: 2023

Relevant courses: Accounting, Business Law, and Ethics

Just because high school is the highest education you've obtained, doesn't mean you can't take the opportunity to inject some relevant keywords into your resume. 

PRO TIP: Check out our article on tailoring your resume to different jobs to understand how important relevant keywords are when writing your resume.

You have an undergrad degree

Once you graduate from college and start searching for your first entry-level position, it's assumed that you'll remove any information that refers to your high school activities and focus on your new undergrad degree.

Go back to the basics to build your Education section when you earn your Bachelor's degree. 

Include your degree and major

Add the name of the school where you obtained the degree

Throw in some extras, like achievements, coursework, and affiliations

The last point – about adding extras – is extremely important if you have little to no work experience . Adding that you were a Resident Advisor or won first place in a robotics competition could be the thing that puts your resume at the top of the yes pile. 

You have an advanced degree

Once you enter the world of Master's degrees and PhDs the Education section of your resume becomes more robust and might include things like the title of a dissertation, fellowships or internships. 

As before, always start with your highest degree and work backward. Here's an example of an Education section with advanced degrees:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – Leadership Studies | CCC University 

International Student Scholar

Dissertation: Exploring the Relationships of Principal Preparation Programs and Leadership Styles on School Accountability Indices

Master of Arts (MA) – Counseling | BBB University 

Bachelor of Science – Psychology (cum laude) | University of AAA

You started college at one place but finished somewhere else

If you attended college at one institution – perhaps a community college – and then completed your education in another place, you only need to list the university where you completed your degree. All the employer wants to know is which college supplied you with your degree at the end of your education; they don't necessarily care or need to know how you arrived at this place. Save that resume space for more important information.

You didn't attend or finish college

If you attended college but didn't graduate, you may want to list the relevant courses you took, especially if you made it to some of the higher-level classes, to demonstrate the skills you built or the disciplines you were exposed to during your coursework.

You're still pursuing a college degree (undergrad or grad program)

If you're still attending college for either your undergraduate or graduate degree, you can simply add an expected graduation year to this information. You can add a list of a few courses you've completed if 

They're higher-level courses that are relevant to your job goals

You don't have a lot of relevant work experience to market on your resume.

You earned your degree more than 5 years ago

If you earned a degree or certification more than 5 years ago, place your Education at the bottom of your resume and remove the graduation date. It's important to demonstrate you've earned the degree, but there's no need to draw attention to how long ago this occurred.

Doing so will allow you to focus your resume on your skills, accomplishments , and professional history. For those who have many years of professional experience, education becomes less important because you should be moving forward in your career.

Where does the Education section of your resume go?

If you're new to the workforce and your new degree is your best selling point, the Education section should appear toward the top of your resume , because 

You most likely have limited professional experience to list on your resume

Your education is the core competency that you wish to highlight for an employer

After you have a few years of relevant experience under your belt, the education section gets shifted to the bottom of your resume, and your work history will get pushed farther up on the page.

Key takeaways

Presenting your education on your resume in a thoughtful way will open a lot of employment doors. Here's what you should keep in mind as you write the Education section of your resume:

You list education on your resume in a certain way based on what stage of your career you're at

The main components of your Education section are degree, major, school, years attended, and certifications

Tailor your Education section based on keywords and qualifications mentioned in the job description

Be honest about ongoing education or degrees you've decided not to complete

Your Education section is fluid

Remember, there isn't one resume format that fits all job seekers. Be strategic when placing your Education information by considering where you are in your career and how it will help you to land the jobs you're after. 

Find out if you are showcasing your education on your resume - get a free resume review from TopResume.

This article was updated in December 2023. It contains work by Amanda Augustine and Lauren Settembrino  and Heather Rothbauer-Wanish .

Recommended reading:

Resources for In-Demand Job Skills You Can Learn Online

How To Speed Up the Resume-Writing Process

The Most Essential Trait You Need to Land Any Job

Related Articles:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

How to Create a Resume With No Education

Why You Lose When You Lie on Your Resume: Learning From Mina Chang

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How to List Education on a Resume in 2024 (With Examples & Tips)

Not sure what degree to list? If you should include a GPA? It just so happens that there's a variety of ways to effectively list your eduction.

The education section of a resume may not always be the star of the document but knowing how to properly list your education can be essential for advancing into the next phase of the hiring process.

In this guide, we will cover all the ins and outs of crafting an education section for your resume. 

We'll cover the following:

• What to Include in an Education Section?

Tips for Listing Degrees (College, High-School, GED)

Listing incomplete education.

• Where to Include Education on a Resume?

What Employers Look for in an Education Section

Beautiful resume templates to land your dream job.

What to Include in an Education Section

As we've covered, different formats of resumes may require different information to be included within an education section.

In general, there is some basic information that should be included within the education section of a resume:

• The name of the school — "e.g. Georgia Institute of Technology"
• The location of the school
• Your degree ( high-school diploma, GED, associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, etc. )
• Graduation year ( if applicable )
• Major field or department of study (if applicable )
• Minor field or department of study (if applicable and relevant )
• GPA ( If you're a student or graduates who held lower GPAs, this bit of information may be good to omit unless specifically requested by the employer )

Here's what that looks like for and university grad:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA B.S. in Computer Engineering, 2006 - 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

For high-school students, you can do something like the following:

Georgia Institute of Technology • Atlanta, GA High School Diploma, Graduated in 2010 GPA: 3.9/4.0

Remember, including a GPA  is optional. Only add it if it's required by the job listing or it's relatively high. If your GPA is low (under 3.5), it's better to just leave it out.

Listing Education with Limited Work Experience

In resumes that have limited or no work experience , as may be the case with college students or recent graduates, the education section may be a good opportunity to show off educational achievements instead.

Additional information that can be included in longer education sections can include:

• Internships completed as part of a curriculum 
• Academic awards or sponsorships
• Relevant coursework
• Academic assistantships with professors or other academic professionals

As covered, in documents such as CVs the education section could be fairly lengthy.

However, the education section for most resumes will be one of the shortest sections.

This is mostly because standard resumes will be used for entry-level or mid-level positions, while longer-form resumes like the CV will only come into play for more prestigious or hard to obtain positions. 

It is much more important to show either a robust work history or detail relevant and transferable skills, using your education as support rather than the main point of interest. 

Here are some quick tips for deciding what educational information to include in a resume:

1) When including professional hobbies and extra curricular activities, it is important to keep relevance in mind

Incorrect: Do not include information about sports clubs or other clubs that cannot be connected back to your qualifications for a job.

Correct: If you held leadership positions in clubs or other extra-curricular activities, this can be useful information to include to highlight non-paid leadership or management experience.

Keep your descriptions simple and concise

Incorrect: Including long-winded and wordy paragraphs explaining the relevance of a certain piece of information. If a piece of information is relevant, it should be easily explained in one, simple sentence.

Correct: Use bullet points to separate bits of information to keep your resume easy to read or skim.

The readability of a resume can be the defining factor of whether or not a job recruiter or potential employer moves the candidate into the next phase of the hiring process.

As such, using clear and concise wording and formatting is essential for not just the education section, but for all sections. 

Here are a few tips for different formatting options depending on the level and type of education you have completed.

1) Adding High School and GED on Resume

• If your highest level of education is a high school diploma or a GED, this should still be included as there are many jobs that are open to high school graduates as well as college graduates.
• Generally, this type of education section should be kept short and sweet. Listing that you have received either a diploma or a GED should be sufficient.
• If you have recently graduated high school or received your GED, including additional high school-related achievements may be beneficial (such as leadership positions, honor roll awards, athletics, etc.)

2) Adding Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees on Resume

• When listing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree on a resume, always include the name and location of the institution, as well as the date or expected date of graduation.
• While the education section should still be kept short, inclusion of any collegiate level academic achievements, such as honor societies or dean’s lists, can be useful to include.
• Don’t go too crazy including coursework of extracurricular information – stick to including the most relevant information. 

3) Adding Graduate School or Doctoral Programs on Resume

• Graduate and doctoral students may feel inclined to always include this information; however, it is important to be wary of including too much academic information in scenarios where it may render you overqualified for the position.
• Graduate and doctoral information is more likely to come into play for candidates seeking higher level positions at the management level. 
• For candidates seeking jobs in academic or scientific fields, a CV-style resume and longer-form education section providing higher level of details regarding graduate or doctoral programs may be necessary.

4) Adding Certifications on Resume

• In some cases, a candidate may not have attended college but may have completed a trade school or other program that resulted in various certifications. These certifications should be included when relevant.
• Certifications such as CPR or First Aid can be useful to include in most resumes, although they should perhaps be saved for a separate certifications section .

5) Listing Incomplete Education on Resume

Incomplete education can be tricky to include in a way that sounds positive — as such, if you have incomplete education, be wary of your wording and avoid words such as “incomplete” or “unfinished.” Instead try to do the following:

• Include relevant coursework or credits earned during your duration of education before the point of departure from the institution.
• Omit any wordy or lengthy explanations of why the education is incomplete. 

However, we've seen this be a common problem that many candidates have. Continue reading below to see how to effectively list education that is left incomplete. ‍

In some cases, a job applicant may have a partially-complete or incomplete educational credential they want to list on their resume.

Incomplete education can result from a variety of circumstances, including:

• A person who is still in the process of earning their diploma, GED, or degree, but has not yet earned the credential or graduated.
• A person who started a degree and completed relevant coursework, but ultimately did not finish the degree program.
• A person who chose a different career path than what they studied for, but still has relevant coursework for the new career path.

When listing incomplete education on a resume, it is important to stay highly mindful of how you are wording your limited educational credentials — as words such as “ unfinished ” or “ incomplete ” are not ideal to include within a resume. 

Here are some quick examples on how to properly list incomplete education in the education section of a resume:

For applicants who are in the process of completing a degree, it is important to note the expected timeframe of completion.

Incorrect: ‍ B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Not yet complete

Correct: B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Expected graduation May 2021

For applicants who began a degree, but ultimately did not complete the degree, it is key to be mindful of how you frame the education you did receive. 

Incorrect: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

Why is this incorrect? Sure, this example indicates you, at some point, attended a university.

However, it provides no insight as to what relevant coursework or studies you may have completed.

Here's the correct way to describe your educational experience instead:

Correct: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC Completed 20 credits towards a BS in Communications

Alternatively: This could be a good opportunity to include a bulleted list of relevant coursework.

For applicants who did not complete high school, it is important to note if you either earned a GED or are in the process of earning a GED.

Incorrect: ‍ Watauga County High School Boone, NC Incomplete

Correct: General Educational Development Diploma Earned May 2021 — OR — Expected to earn May 2021

Generally speaking, the majority of jobs will require applicants to have earned at minimum a GED certification in order to qualify.

In some cases, an applicant may lack a degree but may be certified by a trade school.

For instance, a beautician would want to include any beauty and health related certifications or licenses earned under the education section. 

Take a look at this resume example of a college student below to see how to do this.

Where to Include Education on a Resume

When it comes to placing your educational credentials on a resume, there are many considerations to make.

Resumes can serve a variety of purposes and, as a general rule of thumb, should be tailored for specific jobs . 

It is also important to take into consideration the level of education you have completed, as this will impact how it should be presented as well.

For instance, a job applicant seeking a position in academia would have a much heavier emphasis on education and academic-related achievements — than someone seeking a job in a corporate environment.

Ultimately, not all resumes are the same, so the placement of the education section will differ depending on the type of resume being used and the intention behind its structuring. 

Choosing the right resume format

There are several different types of resume formats to choose from, but the main ones that are used are as follows:

1) Reverse-Chronological

‍ Emphasis is placed on the most relevant work experience, listing jobs from most recent to oldest. Education can be placed before or after the work experience section. However higher degrees that qualify a candidate for the position may be beneficial to mention sooner rather than later. 

2) Functional

‍ Functional resumes place a much heavier emphasis on skillsets and areas of expertise. This format of resume is typically used by job applicants lacking the relevant work experience or educational credentials. In this format, the education section may lead if the applicant has educational credentials but limited work experience but should follow after the skills section if education is limited. 

‍ Hybrid resumes combine the reverse-chronological work experience ordering with the emphasizing of skills. This can help to supplement resumes of applicants who may have some relevant work experience but still need to beef up their resumes with a skills section . The placement of the education section will depend on how applicable or high level the credentials are and should generally be kept brief. 

4) Curriculum Vitae (CV)

‍ CVs are a type of long-form and multi-page resume used most commonly by applicants seeking positions in either academic or scientific fields. In a CV, the education section will be a prominent component and should appear early in the document. This type of education section should include all credentials, published works, projects, awards, or other academic achievements — no details should be spared. 

The below example of a Physician Assistant's resume is listing education in the bottom-right corner as it's using a reverse-chronological resume format to shine on it's work history.

Employers can gather a variety of information about a job candidate from an education section, including:

• A job applicant’s work ethic, reflected through GPAs or other grade-related information
• Relevant skills or training an applicant has received through their schooling
• Name recognition of specific universities, such as ivy leagues, that may give a candidate a leg up on the competition
• Insight into a candidate’s interests or talents based on academic-related extracurricular activities included 

Understanding what employers are looking for in an education section included on a resume is key to understand how much or how little information to include.

What an employer is looking for will vary depending on the nature of the job being offered. 

For instance, an entry-level communications job at a corporation is likely to require a bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.

Comparatively, a job in the welding industry may require the completion of a trade school program but not require a four-year degree. 

It is of the utmost importance when you are applying to various jobs that you read the job descriptions provided carefully, as this is where you will find the necessary information regarding what educational credentials are required of eligible candidates.

This will also help you to tailor your education section according to what credentials or qualifications you have that meet the requirements of the job. 

In general, what an employer is mostly looking for is simply that an education section exists on a resume.

The majority of employers will want candidates who have shown a commitment to their education, reflected through the inclusion of an education section.

For candidates lacking a completed education, it is still considered best practice to include some information regarding what level of education was reached before the point of incompletion, as well as the inclusion of any relevant coursework and knowledge gained from the time the candidate spent pursuing further education. 

Here is a quick rundown of a few key factors to consider for applicants who may be unsure how much information to provide in an education section for a specific employer or position:

• The education section should prove that you have the credentials necessary to complete the job at hand.
• Oversharing of education can be detrimental in some situations, as overqualified candidates may not be considered by employers.
• Job descriptions will always be the best place to look for indicators regarding how much educational background information an employer is looking for.
• Never lie or over-exaggerate — while not all employers double-check applicants’ educational histories, many still do, and dishonesty can cost you the position in the long run.

Final Thoughts

Unless you are crafting a longer-form resume, such as a CV, the education section will generally be a fairly short summary of your academic credentials and achievements.

Education sections can be longer in some cases where job applicants may have hefty academic backgrounds but limited work experience.

Ultimately, the key to making a strong education section is to include only the most relevant information.

Always avoid deceptive wording, as employers can fairly easily run academic background checks if need be. 

Check out our resume templates to get your creativity flowing and get started on your ideal resume today. 

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What to Include in Your Education Section

The education section on a resume gives hiring managers a glimpse into your academic achievements , interests, and skills.

It can demonstrate your commitment to learning, your ability to succeed in a structured environment, and the relevant knowledge you've acquired.

The information you should include in this section, though, varies based on things like your career level, the exact job you're applying for, and how recent your education is.

This means you don’t always have to be super detailed. Some of the information about your education is optional, and some of it may even be redundant if you have relevant work experience, so you should only use it if you think it can give your resume a boost.

Let’s start with the details most employers expect to see:

Essential Information

• Degree Name. Include the type of degree and the relevant major. (E.g.: BFA in Graphic Design)
• University Name. Add the name of the institution you studied at. (E.g.: University of Saint Andrews)
• Location. If the university isn’t well known or the name doesn’t specify where it is, include the general location. (E.g.: St Andrews, Scotland)
• Years Attended. Usually, only the years you attend there are enough, but the mm/yyyy format is also popular. (E.g.: 09/2018 - 06/2021)

Optional Information

• Honors and Awards. If you’ve received any acknowledgments, list them here. (E.g.: Dean's List, Summa Cum Laude, Merit Scholarships, Valedictorian)
• Relevant Coursework. List three to five courses that directly apply to your target job. (E.g.: Marketing 101, Marketing Strategy, PR Basics)
• Thesis or Dissertation. We recommend including this for graduate-level degrees in research-heavy fields.
• Minor. If relevant, include any additional areas of study. (E.g.: BA in Creative Writing, Minor in Journalism)
• Grade Point Average. Only include your GPA if it's 3.5 or above on a 4.0 scale. Anything lower can undermine your application.
• Extracurricular Activities. Mention any clubs or organizations that seem relevant. (E.g.: Debate team, Theater Club, School Newspaper)

Here’s an example of an education section that includes information from both categories:

Getting ready to find a job? Start by learning how to write a resume with our detailed guide!

How to Format Education on Your Resume

Now that you have an idea of what to include in your education section, let’s explain how you should do it.

In terms of structuring your education section, follow a reverse-chronological order ; this means, list your latest educational entry first and then go backward from there.

And remember – if you have a relevant university degree, there’s no need to waste precious space on your resume by listing your high school education .

As a general rule, if you’re an experienced professional and you have a Master’s degree, you can also omit your undergrad degree. Hiring managers are a lot more interested in your work experience section, so your education section should only focus on the basics.

However, if you’re a recent graduate , you might want to include more details to give your resume an extra kick. It’s always a good idea to leverage your education if you don’t have enough relevant work experience.

Now, regardless of your level of experience, add the name of your degree at the very top of the entry in your education section.

The same degree can be written down differently, for instance:

• Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Culture with a Minor in Teaching
• BA in English Language and Culture, Minor in Teaching
• B.A. English Language and Culture (Major), Teaching (Minor)
• BA, English Language and Culture

Here’s an example of what the formatting in your education section should look like:

If you graduated from a famous university with a good reputation, you can highlight that first. For example, list “Harvard University” before the name of your degree.

Where to Place Education on Your Resume

Another important thing to consider is where to position the education section on your resume.

This mostly depends on where you are in your career. Do you have a lot of relevant achievements in the field, or are you looking for your first job ?

As a rule of thumb, the top third of your resume should be reserved for your accomplishments , which are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

So before you place this section on your resume, ask yourself: is your education your biggest selling point to the hiring manager?

Most of the time, it won’t be. Work experience is way more important for just about any position above entry level, so it should be listed first.

Let’s look at an example of a resume that puts this into action:

As you can see, this architect resume starts by listing their relevant work experience and then includes a detailed entry of their most recent degree.

When Does Education Go Before Work Experience?

While your work experience section is generally more important, there are a few cases where you should list your education first.

These include:

• You have no work experience. When you have absolutely no work experience yet, you should focus on your academic achievements instead.
• You just graduated college. If you don’t have relevant work experience, you’re often better off not listing it. For example, if you’re applying for an entry-level office job, the part-time teenage jobs you had won’t be anywhere near as relevant as your recently earned BA in Marketing.
• You are currently studying. If you’re in the process of earning a degree that’s relevant to your targeted field, it’s better to list education before work experience. For example, if you’re making a career change , you would want your new education to be the first thing the hiring manager sees.
• You recently earned a new degree. Getting a fresh MSc, Ph.D., or MBA in your field is worth showing off. For example, if you’ve been a line manager for years but earned an MBA to qualify for an executive position, your education section should go first.
• You are applying to academia. Usually, when applying for a research or teaching position in academia, you’ll need an academic CV , not a resume. In that case, your education will always come first.

Not sure if you need a CV or a resume ? Check out our guide to learn what the difference between the two is and when to use which.

Use a (Free) Resume Template

Creating a resume can be a hassle.

You have to find a template that works with your favorite text editor, set the page margins, adjust the line spacing, choose a professional font , and all while making sure you never go past page one.

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16 Examples of Education on a Resume

Looking for inspiration?

We’ve compiled a list filled with real-life examples of how education can be listed on a resume, with practical examples for different types and levels of education:

#1. High School Education

If you’re a high school student, you might have some volunteer experience or extracurriculars you can show off. In that case, you can start by listing those sections, so long as they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for.

For example, if you volunteered with your local branch of the Red Cross, that’s a good experience to have when you’re applying to work at a shelter.

In most other cases, the education section would take the upper hand, and it would look something like this:

High School Diploma

Chapel Hill High School

2017 - 2021

• Courses: AP Science, Mathematics, Advanced Chemistry

If you’re still in high school, you can disclose it in your resume by writing down your expected graduation year or otherwise specifying that you’re currently still there.

2021 - Present

#2. General Education Development

If you were homeschooled or haven’t graduated high school, the previous example won’t apply to you.

But if you still received a General Education Development certificate, you can mention that in your resume in the following way:

GED Diploma

Durham Literacy Center

Just like with high school education, you can include the location of your school or GED center, as well as any relevant courses, if you have enough space.

#3. Associate Degree

If you went to a community college or opted for a vocational program, you can list it in your education section the same as any other undergraduate degree.

Associate degrees are typically cheaper and take less time than a bachelor’s degree. They tend to be focused on specific occupations and place more emphasis on daily job functions. Other than that, they follow the same formatting as any other educational entry.

Let’s look at some real-life examples of different types of degrees at this level.

First, an Associate of Arts degree:

AA in Business Designation

Community College of Denver

2015 - 2016

Summa Cum Laude

Next, here’s how you would list an ongoing Associate’s of Applied Science degree:

AAS in Medical Assisting

2018 - Present

Some associate degrees are what’s known as “transfer degrees.” Here, the long-term goal is to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program.

Similarly, if you’ve completed accredited courses at a community college that can go towards a degree, you can list them under your education section, like this:

Medical Assisting Certificate

• 30 credits completed

#4. Certificates

Certificates can be included on your resume, either as part of the education section or in a dedicated section.

Unlike broad academic degrees, certificates can show specialized expertise and commitment to professional development. They tend to demonstrate more focused, essential skills that are directly applicable to a particular job or industry.

Treat these entries the same as any other: list the name of the certificate, the institution or organization that issued it, and the year you obtained it.

Here’s an example of how to list a professional certificate in an education section:

Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

American Institute of CPAs

And here’s how they would look in a separate section:

CERTIFICATES

• Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) - National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2020
• Certified Nutrition Coach - American Nutrition Association, 2023

But there are also other certificates you could list , such as after specialized software courses:

• Maya Autodesk: Advanced 3D & Animation Udemy, 2022
• Creation of Pixel Art Scenes for Video Games Domestika, 2023

#5. Undergraduate Degree

There are different ways to list a bachelor’s degree.

Let’s take a look at three different cases for a candidate with an engineering degree.

First, if you’ve graduated from university and received the degree, list it according to the following template:

B.Sc. Mechanical Engine ering

University of California, Berkeley

2002 - 2006

If you obtained a double major, you would write it down as:

B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering

If you have two or more majors, keep in mind that you should list the major that’s most relevant to the job you are applying to.

For example, if you majored in Applied Languages and International Relations, you should focus on the languages for a job as a translator.

Lastly, if you’re still attending college, just omit the finishing year when filling in your education section and add “Present” instead, like so:

But there are also different ways you can specify that you’re still studying. Instead of “Present,” you could write:

• 2021 - Current
• Expected Graduation: 2024
• 2021 - 2024 (expected graduation)
• 2021 - In progress
• To Be Completed: 2024

#6. Graduate and Postgraduate Degrees

Graduate-level education is, in general, more detailed since it requires participating in a more focused area of research on top of your graduate-level work. 

At this level, you probably contributed to the field with a dissertation of your own, which you should include in your resume.

Here’s an example:

Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences

University of Rochester

Dissertation: Imaging, Computational Analysis, & Neural Representations in Young Children

Graduate and postgraduate education often includes scholarships , fellowships, or outside funding involved, which you might want to include in addition to all the general information about your degree.

Here are some real-life examples:

MBA in Business Administration

University of Maine

• Avangrid Scholarship
• Magna Cum Laude

When it comes to honors and awards, there are different ways you can list them to save space on your resume. Here’s an example that mentions them but leaves more space for the dissertation title:

MSc. in Information Systems

WU Vienna University of Economics & Business

Salutatorian, Summa Cum Laude

2015 - 2017

Dissertation: Leveraging User-Generated Content for Advertising Purposes Through Information Systems

And if you’re still studying, don’t forget to check out our student resume templates to get started on your job hunt.

#7. Unfinished Education

Even if you didn’t graduate from university, you can still mention it in your education section. Just be strategic about it.

If you have several years of relevant coursework from a degree program that relates to the job you're applying for, it can show that you’re knowledgeable even without the final credential.

B.Sc. in Civil Engineering

34 credits completed

2018 - 2019

However, if you only have basic courses or your degree isn’t relevant to the role, you might be better off skipping it altogether. There’s no need to draw attention to an unfinished degree if it won’t help you impress the hiring manager.

Need more examples? Check out our 90+ resume examples for different professions .

Do you still wonder something about education on a resume? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions here:

#1. How Do You Put Your Degree on a CV?

Adding your degree to your CV is pretty much the same as adding it to your resume.

List your degrees in reverse chronological order, with the most recent degree on top. Always include the essential information, such as the degree name, your major, the name of the university, and the years you attended. If relevant, you can include your GPA, thesis title, study abroad experiences, and academic honors.

#2. How Do You Write Down Your Bachelor’s Degree?

There are different ways that a bachelor's degree can be written down on your resume. Usually, there’s no need to spell out the full degree name, so there are ways you can abbreviate it for your resume. These include:

BA (Bachelor of Arts) BS (Bachelor of Science) BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration) BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing)

Just use the specific abbreviation that matches your degree type. (E.g.: BSc Computer Science, BA History, BBA Economics, etc. )

#3. What If I Have an Education Gap or Took Time Off from Studies?

Treat any gaps in your education the same as you would treat an employment gap . Be upfront with the hiring manager and list the start and end dates to account for the time of the gap on your resume.

Use your cover letter to briefly explain the gap without going into too much detail. Hiring managers are understanding, and reasons like health, family, or professional experience are all common to justify education gaps.

#4. How Far Back Should I Go When Listing My Education History?

Generally, you only need to list basic information about your education if you graduated a long time ago. Your work experience and more recent achievements will have a lot more weight than details about your time in college 14 years ago.

For most professionals, listing just your highest degree is more than enough. However, an academic CV for scientific or research-heavy roles might need a more comprehensive educational background.

Key Takeaways

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of our article!

We’re confident you’re an expert on how to list education on a resume by now, but before we part ways, let’s quickly wrap up our main points:

• Your education section belongs after your work experience section, though there are some exceptions.
• If you don’t have any work experience, recently earned a relevant degree, or if you’re applying for a research-oriented position or in academia, the education section should be listed first.
• When listing your educational entries, use a reverse chronological order. Start with the most recent degree you have and go backward from there.
• If you have some sort of higher education, there’s no need to list your high school education.
• Unless your GPA is exceptional, don’t list it. It might undermine your resume otherwise.
• There are different ways to list your education, depending on the type of school you went to and what you want to highlight. Scroll back up if you want to see some examples.

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How to list education on a resume [examples].

Dayana Aleksandrova

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Table of Contents

First things first, basic formatting, how to list high school education, mention awards.

Education is tough. You spend four years in college, stressing about exams and living off of gummy bears and ramen, often curled up on the library floor. That’s the best case scenario. Reward your efforts by expertly putting your education on a resume.

It’s crucial to know how to list your education on a resume at every stage. Applicants get confused by all the possible scenarios. What if you never finished high school? What if you only completed high school? What if you dropped out of college? Don't worry.

We will teach you how to:

• List your high school experience even if you never graduated
• Include your education if you’re still in college
• Present your education on a resume if you never graduated college
• Mention your college education once it’s completed
• Leverage skills and extracurriculars to complement your education

VelvetJobs Expert Tip

Need help? Check out our resume builder .

#first-things-first

Have you ever wondered what goes first, education or experience? They are both important and should be easy to spot on your resume.

You can have your education positioned:

• At the top of your resume, before experience
• After your experience but before your interests and hobbies

Both alternatives work.

If you have recently graduated, list education before experience on your resume. This is because, at this point, education is most likely the most relevant and extensive experience you’ve had.

If you’ve decided to go back to school after a few years in the workforce, you should put your work experience before your education. It's better to see that you can, say, generate $20,000 in sales over six months than a theoretical finance course you took.

Make sure to make education a priority on your resume. While you may choose not to put it at the top, don’t bury it at the very bottom. The bottom part of your resume should be for hobbies and interests, certifications and volunteer work.

Learn How and Why Put Hobbies on a Resume (20+ Real Examples) !

When should you put education after your work experience?

If you’ve been working for a few years and have a few solid positions to show, put your education after your experience. After all, companies want to hire you for what you can do , not what you’ve learned in theory.

Of course, a degree can be a very helpful asset, but the experience here has a higher value. If you’ve been working for 5-10 years, your experience has become more relevant and recent than your degree so you can put your education in the second part of the resume.

#basic-formatting

We will go over the basic formatting requirements of listing your education on your resume.

• List your highest degree first (Ph.D-MA - BA - Associate)
• If you put your college degree, you don’t need to list high school

It makes sense to list your highest degree first. It will be the one you obtained most recently and the most valuable of all. If you’ve got a Ph.D, it would be at the top of your resume. You can leave off the rest of your degrees in that case, especially if they are in the same discipline.

For example, if you have a Ph.D in Neuroscience and a Master's in the same sphere, just list your Ph.D. Besides the doctorate, Master’s degrees go next, followed by Bachelor’s and finally, Associate’s degree.

Additional details to include:

• School you graduated from
• Major/ minor
• Year of graduation
• Location of school

These are the four additional pieces of information you should mention when listing your education on your resume.

The name of your school is important. The area of study matters as well. If you had both a major and a minor, list the major first . The year of graduation is important as the recruiter will be judging your progress based on it.

Finally, the location of the school is a good piece of information to have, but it isn’t crucial. It’s important in case the name of your college is popular. For example, when you say you graduated from “Trinity College,” the recruiter would ask which one - the one in Ireland or Connecticut.

Here is an example of what this format looks like:

for example

2015 MA in Psychology

Boston University, Boston, MA

3.8 GPA Followed by:

2013 BA in Psychology

• Trinity College, Hartford, CT

As you can see, this candidate has listed their HIGHEST and MOST RECENT degree first, followed by their previous education.

Need some extra help? Check out these resume templates .

bonus tips:

• Every space on your resume counts. Shorten “Master’s” to MA, “Bachelor’s” to BA, etc.
• It’s good to put your GPA on your resume as long as it’s higher than 3.2.

If you attended an Ivy League school (Harvard, Princeton, Yale), you could lead with the name of the school instead of the major.

#how-to-list-high-school-education

We will follow the same format as above. If you didn’t graduate high school, simply say:

• Name of High School, Town, State
• Attended school from YEAR - YEAR

For example:

• Union High School, Gilford, NH
• Attended school from 2003 - 2005

Since your education is not the strongest suit on your resume if you didn’t finish high school, go ahead and emphasize your relevant work experience and qualifications instead.

If you are still in high school, list the following:

• Expected to graduate YEAR

It would look like:

• Expected to graduate 2010

Finally, if you didn’t finish high school, but later completed a GED, say this: GED High School Equivalency Diploma

• Institution, State, YEAR
• Attended High School From YEAR - YEAR
• GED High School Equivalency Diploma
• Greenville Center, Gilford, 2010
• Attended High School From 2003- 2005

Why do we list both institutions? This is because you began your education in high school and finished elsewhere. Together, the two add up to what the recruiter needs to know. You'll see this information in all good resume templates .

If you finished high school

Listing your completed education is very simple. Just say the following:

• Graduated in YEAR

It would look like this:

• Graduated in 2013

Looks simple? That’s because it really is, no catch. While your high school experience can be quickly summed up in a few lines, you should put more effort into discussing your skills and experience in case this is your highest level of education.

We know you're a rockstar. Check out these 50+ Essential Skills to Put on a Resume (And Get the Job) !

Now let’s talk about college education on your resume. We will look at how to list it in case:

• You never finished college
• You are still in college
• You completed a college degree

Simply list it like this:

• University of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH
• 2012-2014 Completed 70 credits towards BA in Economics
• Graduated in 2012

Here, we list your high school along with the college courses you’ve taken in order to demonstrate a more wholesome educational experience. If you did the work and completed a certain number of courses, definitely mention it.

Here is the best way to list your education on your resume if you are still in college :

• BA in Economics in Progress

Simply mention when you will have your degree. You can use the phrase “in progress,” or “anticipated,” or “expected.” These terms are interchangeable.

Listing a completed college degree on your resume is very straightforward. Simply say:

• YEAR Degree Type in Discipline
• University, City, State
• 2015 BA in Economics
• University of Boston, Boston, MA

#mention-awards

Let's have a look at how to list degrees higher than BA on your resume. Feel free to include additional details such as:

• Honors and awards
• Relevant courses taken
• Extracurricular activities and volunteer work
• Published work

It is always a good idea to mention any honors you’ve received with your degree or whether you’ve been a part of any societies such as Phi Beta Kappa.

This is what an example looks like:

• Honors BA in Economics, Summa Cum Laude
• Graduated in 2015

Other honors can include any scholarships you’ve received on Dean's List .

It’s a good idea to mention details about the courses you’ve taken if they are relevant. For example, if you are applying for a position in politics and you’ve taken courses in international political economy, politics of developing countries and international relations, do mention those courses.

Your resume should be one page long, so only mention these details if you have space left.

You can spend more time on your education section in case you have little to no work experience. That way, you will demonstrate that this is where the majority of your efforts have been focused.

What if you graduated with a degree that isn’t relevant to the position you are applying for? Then simply list the courses you’ve taken that can be helpful in the industry.

For example, if you’d like to work as a Human Resources Specialist, but you studied Economics, that’s fine. List courses that may be relevant, such as Psychology 101, Behavioral Psychology and Social Psychology.

• Bachelor of Arts in Economics
• Relevant Coursework: Psychology 101, Behavioral Psychology, Social Psychology

You can back your resume up with relevant extracurricular and volunteer experiences as well, such as:

• Mentor programs
• Debate team
• Sports teams
• Creative writing
• Student government

These extracurricular activities demonstrate that you’ve closely worked with people in a team and as a leader, as well as have imagination and creativity.

Don't be shy, it's fine to show off. Here's How to Mention Accomplishments on Your Resume (10+ Examples)

Here are the things to remember when discussing education on your resume.

It’s important to talk about your studies when you apply for a job. Though your experience will be more important if you’ve got ten years of experience under your belt, if you are just starting out or are still in school, your education matters.

You can list any sort of education - both high school and college, regardless of whether you completed a degree or not. There are different ways to speak about your education, depending on whether you have completed your studies, have dropped them or are still in progress.

You should leverage your extracurricular activities , honors and rewards and mention details about your coursework in order to position your candidacy best for the job.

Make sure to be concise in your education description, as your resume should be a neat one page. It’s easy to choose whether to put your education at the top or bottom of your resume, depending on how much professional experience you’ve accumulated.

If you have years of solid work experience behind you, place your education after your experience. In case you have recently graduated from school or don’t have much professional experience to show, put your education second.

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How to List Education on a Resume With Examples

Quick Navigation:

What to include in the education section of a resume

Where to list your education in a resume, what interviewers want to see in your resume’s education section, how to format education on a resume.

• Examples at different life stages for listing education on a resume
• Education FAQs

The education section of your resume provides hiring managers with a detailed insight into your background and how it relates to the role. When written to reflect the job requirements, your education section can give you an advantage over other candidates. The best way to list your education depends on your work and academic achievements.

There are several ways to list education on your resume. Reading and understanding the job description can help identify the perfect location and level of qualification to include when applying to a position. Not all jobs need your full credentials, so you can check the job listing to see what the hiring managers are looking for. In this article, you can learn about how to list your education on a resume.

The information to include in your education section depends on your academic qualifications. 

Here are popular educational, academic and professional development credentials to include in the education section of a resume:

• Secondary diploma, high school diploma, or GED
• College diploma
• Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, PhD or Doctorate degree
• Professional degree or certification
• Trade school diploma, certificate, or apprenticeship
• Professional licenses or memberships
• Online class or course
• Name of schools and location
• Discipline (including major and minor where applicable)
• Year of graduation (optional)
• GPA (include only if you are a current or a recent graduate with a strong GPA of at least 3.5)
• Awards and honors including Latin honors, Dean’s List and others
• Relevant coursework, research and other academic activities
• Professional development courses and certification
• Licenses (if you aren’t listing them in a separate section on your resume)
• Membership of extracurricular clubs and organizations

The ideal location of the education section depends on your academic achievements and experience. If you are in college or graduated one or two years ago, it’s better to highlight your education at the top of the resume. This will show the interviewer your academic achievements relevant to the role, even if you have limited work experience. 

If you have enough work experience to impress the employer, consider putting the education section at the lower part of your resume.

The information each hiring manager looks for in your resume education section depends on the job requirements. Recruiters hiring for an entry-level position might look for the course you studied in college or type of degree. An employer interviewing for a managerial role in a finance company might want to see a business school degree or industry-specific certifications.

The requirements or education section of a job description will provide the academic qualifications for the role. Read the section carefully to ensure your credentials are a good fit for the job.

Be honest with the academic qualifications you include on your resume. It is easy for interviewers to confirm the information you provide. You can leave off information that does not support your chances of getting an interview. 

While people have different education backgrounds, employers expect that education on a resume be formatted in a readable way.

Follow these steps to format education on a resume:

• First, list school or education provider’s name, type of school (if unclear) and location
• Second, list the time period that you attended or date that you graduated, making sure it is clear whether this education is completed, ongoing or unfinished
• Third, include the specialization, degree, certification or diploma, if applicable
• Fourth, list the field of study, major and/or minor, if applicable
• Lastly, list your GPA if this would be helpful and relevant to include on your resume

Education examples on a resume

Here are examples of how to list education sections on resumes for people at different points in their career:

Education for a working professional

If you are a working professional with up to 5 years of experience, place your education section below your professional experience section. In your case, the function of the education section is to show employers you meet the academic requirements for the role.

Recruiters are more interested in your recent achievements at work, not educational accomplishments. If you gained higher academic qualifications recently, place the education section at the top of your resume if it applies to the role. Rank advanced degrees from the most recent.

Example of the education section for a working professional:

Georgetown University Graduate School of Physics | Washington DC

Master of Science in Fluid Dynamics

University of Baltimore | Baltimore, Maryland

Bachelor of Science in Geophysics Studies

Education for a recent graduate

If you graduated less than five years ago, put your education section below or in line with work experience. Give your work experience a prominent position on the resume to show your readiness for the demands of a professional environment. Include your schools, attendance dates, awards and honors, and your GPA (3.5 and above), but keep it short.

Example of the education section for a recent graduate:

Michigan State University, Michigan 2012-2017

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics

Statistical Analysis Certificate

Sloane Scholar

Education for a college student with some work experience

If you are a college student with work experience, place your education section above work. Include the name of the institution, degree type and the expected year of graduation. You can also mention coursework, extracurricular activities, organizations and other academic achievements relevant to the role. Don’t include your GPA if it is below 3.5.

Example of the education section for a college student with work experience:

California State University, California

Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance, September 2017

Minored in Accounting

Relevant Coursework: Accounting Systems, Actuarial Sciences, Anti Money Laundering Protocols

Extracurricular activities: Treasurer for the Association of Accounting Students

GPA: 3.95/4.0

Education for a college student with no work experience

If you are a college student with no work experience, build your education section with your best academic achievements. Include relevant coursework, extracurricular activities, degree, awards and honors, expected graduation date and GPA where applicable.

You can also mention any college experience that applies to the role. Mention the experiences and skills you gained from your coursework or research and how they apply to the role.

Example of the education section for a college student with no work experience:

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

GPA: 3.65/4.0

Relevant Coursework: Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Social Psychology

Expected Graduation: September 2019

Awards: Dean’s List, Autumn 2017

Extracurricular Activities: Assistant Editor of the Purdue Psychology Digest

The best way to make your education section stand out is to keep it honest and relevant. Mention only academic achievements that boost your chances of getting hired. Be strategic and put your credentials where they will attract the hiring manager’s attention.

Education Section FAQ

What order should i list education in.

Education is usually listed in reverse chronological order. For example, list a graduate degree first, and then your undergraduate degree.

Most people list the highest level of education first. Start with the highest level of education first, and then the second-highest, and then third highest (onwards).

Should I list all my education on my resume?

Not necessarily. Only list education if it is relevant for the job posting. For example, if you are a college graduate, you don’t need to put high school education on a resume.

What takes priority – education or work experience?

Whether education or work experience is more important is determined by the job posting and your qualifications.

Generally, experienced candidates should list their previous work experience first, if the experience is relevant for the job.

However, teens, students, recent grads, and candidates with less work experience could list education and relevant qualifications first.

When should I leave education off a resume?

Most people list the highest level of education relevant for the job, even if they are experienced candidates. But the more relevant work experience you have, the less important the education section becomes.

Always read the job description carefully to identify whether the employer requires specific education qualifications. Add that education to your resume if you have completed it.

How to List Education on a Resume in 2024 (With Examples)

When you set out to write your resume , listing your education is a major component.

Depending on the industry you work in or the job you are applying for, you may need to alter the content or position of your education section.

This article includes:

Within this ResumeGiants article we’ll show you how to list education on your resume , how to detail high school diplomas and higher education, as well as how to list education in process if you haven’t yet graduated.

We’ll make all of this easy to understand by providing many examples. Let’s start!

How to List Education on a Resume

Listing education on a resume requires a specific format . To begin, you’ll need to start with the most recent item first under the heading of “Education,” and then work back in time.

So, if you have an advanced degree , you’d list that first, followed by your bachelor’s degree and/or your high school diploma. If you have a few degrees , then you may also choose to not list your high school diploma, especially if you are short on space.

Take a look at the examples below and note that you can decide what level of detail to include.

You can add bullet points of your accomplishments academically, or you can keep things to the point and simply state the degree, school, location, and the year you obtained your certificate or diploma.

Here are a few examples of how to list education on resume .

1. Multiple Degrees on a Resume

M.Sc. Biology, University of California, California, 2019 BS, Life Sciences, University of Florida, Florida, 2017

2. Highlighting One Degree on your Resume

B.A. Psychology, Georgia College, Georgia, 2002

• Graduated with a 4.0 GPA
• Awarded the Entrance Scholarship

3. Highlighting a GED or High School Diploma

High School Diploma, Mackenzie High School, Richmond, Virginia, 2002

Where to Position Education on your Resume

There are 2 possible positions for your education on your resume, and you need to consider the type of job you are applying for and your current level of experience.

The first section, beneath your name and contact information, is the objective statement or summary section of your resume. Next, will be either your education section or your experience section.

Let’s discuss 2 scenarios to illustrate when you should have your education positioned front and center, and when you should have your experience before your education.

When to Position your Education Before Experience on your Resume

If you are applying for a job that requires specific education , then you might want to have your education section before your experience.

Education could also be positioned first if you have limited experience.

This way you are highlighting the qualities that make you a good candidate without drawing too much attention to some skills or qualifications that you don’t have yet.

For example, if you just graduated from school with a degree in business, but you don’t have much work experience in the same field, you likely want to put your education first.

If you apply for positions in finance, the hiring manager will want to know you have a business degree. If you are changing professions, and this is your first job in finance, you’ll want to highlight your education before your experience in another field.

When to Position your Experience Before Education on your Resume

On the other hand, if you have extensive experience in the profession already, you may want to have your experience lead, with your education listed next on your resume.

For example, if you are applying for a job as a manager in a restaurant, and you’ve worked for the last ten years managing wait staff in restaurants, then your experience shows how qualified you are.

Even if you have a certificate in hospitality, your specific experience shows you are right for the job.

As you can see, you’ll have to use your best judgement about the placement of your education on your resume, but it should still be highlighted, even if it does come after your experience section.

Whether you have a high school diploma, a GED, or a higher education degree or certificate, you worked hard for that and should state it on your resume.

We’ll show you exactly how to list your education on your resume in the following sections.

How to List your High School Education and GED on your Resume

Within the education section of your resume, you can list your GED or High School Diploma, just like you would any other degree or certificate.

Like the examples we shared above, you can also put a couple of bullet points beneath your diploma to showcase any academic achievements that are relevant to the job you are pursuing or that you are proud of.

Keep in mind that if you have a Higher Education Degree (or more than one post-secondary degree), you may want to leave your GED or high school diploma out of the education section.

It will save you some space on the page, and the hiring manager will assume you have your high school equivalency if you have a university or college degree.

To get you started, here are a few examples of how to put High School Education on a resume :

• GED, Detroit, Michigan, 1995
• High School Diploma, Alex May High School, Middleton, 2002, Honor Roll
• High School Diploma, Mercy Tech School, Georgina, 2020
• GED, Online Academy, Wisconsin, 2016

Depending on the resume template you choose, you may have the date first, or even on the next line. Use the template for guidance to keep things looking consistent throughout.

How to Put Graduate Level Education on your Resume

The same guidance applies if you have graduate level education to list on your resume. If your GPA was amazing, or you won a scholarship, you can certainly list those accolades.

You may want those additional details when your experience section is short, which may be the case if you are just graduating and looking for your first job.

Begin with the highest degree you’ve earned, and then work your way back to your bachelor’s degree or your first college diploma. With advanced or multiple degrees, you can leave your high school education off the list.

Here are 3 different examples to give you an idea of how to populate the education section on your resume.

1. Single Degree/Diploma Focus

Let’s start with a single degree, while highlighting a few points:

BA Art History, 2021 Northeastern College, NY

• Graduated Magnum Cum Laude
• President of the Art Society

Next, let’s look at listing a single degree without adding any bullets :

Bachelor of Science, Nursing, 2000 Grand Bend College, New Jersey

2. Multiple Degrees

Finally, let’s look at how you’d list multiple graduate level degrees on your resume:

PhD Aerospace Engineering, 2021 University of Toronto, Ontario

M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, 2017 University of Waterloo, Ontario

B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, 2015 Western University, Ontario

If it’s important to the job you are hoping to land, you could add bullets explaining what your thesis topic was or what courses you focused on during your degree.

How to List Education in Progress on a Resume

If you are still in university or college, then you might be wondering how to list your current education ongoing on your resume.

When you chronologically list items on your resume, you start from the most recent and work your way backwards.

For a degree in progress or certificate that you haven’t completed yet, you can state the date range as the start date to the present. Or if you are certain that you’ll graduate in a particular year, you can state that year in the future.

Here are a few examples of how to list education if you’re still in college :

• Bachelor of Education, XYZ University, CT, 2019 – Present
• Master of Science, H University, NY, 2022
• Electrical Technician, ABC College, Georgetown, 2021 – 2023
• Hospitality and Tourism Management, BComm, XYZ University, Netherlands, 2022

Still Looking for Help with How to List Education on a Resume?

If you’d like more help with your resume, look no further than our online resume builder .

You can build your own custom resume to see where exactly to list your education, or you can download our free resume templates for inspiration.

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How To Write A Resume In 7 Steps (With Examples)

• How To Write A Resume
• Resume Skills Section
• Resume Objective Section
• Career Objective Section
• Resume Reference Section
• Resume Summary Section
• Resume Summary Example
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Resumes are still the most important document in your job search . Generating a professional and interesting resume isn’t easy, but there is a standard set of guidelines that you can follow. As hiring managers usually only spend a short time looking over each resume, you want to make sure that yours has a reason for them to keep reading.

If you’re looking to write a resume, rewrite a resume you already have, or are just curious about resume format, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will go through the steps to writing an excellent resume, as well as offering examples for what sections of the resume should look like.

Key Takeaways:

A resume is a short document that details your professional history in a way that tailors your experience and skill set for the particular job you’re applying for.

Resumes follow a few standard formatting practices, which hiring managers and recruiters expect to see.

Highlighting your work experience, skills, and educational background with relevant keywords can help you get past applicant tracking systems and into more interviews.

How to write a resume

Writing a resume involves using the proper formatting, writing an introduction, and adding your work experience and education. Stuffing your entire professional life into a single page resume can feel overwhelming, but remember that you’re distilling the relevant parts of your professional experience in order to catch the eye of the recruiter .

Formatting your resume. To start, use a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google docs. Standard resume formatting calls for:

1 inch margins

10-12 point font

A professional, commonly-used font

Additionally, there are three resume formats that are commonly used. Most people should stick with a chronological resume format , but the combination resume format and functional resume format can be effective for more advanced workers or those who have significant gaps in their resume.

Write a resume header . It doesn’t matter if you have the best resume in the world if the hiring manager can’t contact you. Every single resume should include the following contact information:

Your full name. First and last.

Your phone number. Use a personal phone number, and make sure your voicemail is set up properly.

Your email address. Nothing inappropriate — [email protected] is a safe choice.

Location. City, State, Zip Code is fine, but you can include your full mailing address if you think it’s appropriate.

Your social media (optional). LinkedIn is the obvious one you’d want to include, but make sure your profile looks good. If you have an online portfolio , either on a personal blog/website or on a site like Journo Portfolio , feel free to include that here as well.

Your job title. Also optional, but can be useful for applicant tracking systems.

Resume introduction. You have four options for your resume introduction: a resume objective, summary statement, resume profile, or qualifications summary. For most job-seekers, a resume summary statement is the best choice. Regardless of which resume introduction you choose, avoid first-person pronouns (I/me/my).

Resume objective. A resume objective is the goal of your resume. Since the objective of every resume is to land a job, this is not the most original or impressive opener you can have.

On the other hand, it’s a good choice for an entry-level applicant or someone who is changing career paths . This should be a 1-3 sentence summary of why you’re motivated to get the position you’re applying for.

Who should use a resume objective: Entry-level applicants, career-changers, and recent college graduates.

Resume summary. This is the best opener for most job-seekers. As the name suggests, a resume summary highlights the most salient aspects of your resume.

It should include your current position, how many years of experience you have, some of your biggest achievements, and possibly your career goals. This should be a 1-3 sentence spiel and should include some quantifiable experiences.

Who should use a resume summary: Most job seekers; anyone with quantifiable accomplishments to emphasize and a broad range of skills.

Qualifications summary. A bullet point list (4-6 points is the sweet spot) of your qualifications for the position. It’s best used by applicants going for jobs that require a fixed skill set. It’s not a great choice for entry-level applicants who lack quantifiable achievements.

You’ll notice that a qualifications summary takes up more space than a resume objective or summary, but it can actually save the hiring manager time if you provide a bunch of valuable information right off the top.

Who should use a qualifications summary: Those applying to a job with requirements for certain skills and job-seekers who have a lot of experience in their industry and/or field.

Resume profile. A resume profile is similar to a resume summary, but goes into more detail about your accomplishments at your current or former job, while also telling the reader about your career goals. Think of a resume profile as a section that pulls all the best parts of your work experience section into one place.

Who should use a resume profile: Anyone with significant accomplishments under their belt, expertise in a niche field, or applying to a job in the same industry that they have lots of experience in.

Resume headline. Resume headlines aren’t necessary, but you can include one alongside any of the four types of resume introduction listed above. A resume headline comes between your contact information and the resume introduction of your choice.

Headlines can be used by entry-level applicants and experienced job-seekers alike. The important point is that your headline should be short and to the point. Additionally, you should use title case when writing your resume headline (capitalize words as you would for a book title).

Who should use a resume headline: Any job-seeker who wants to showcase their experience or unique value right off the bat.

Work experience. Your work experience section is the place to let hiring managers know that you have relevant experience that would allow you to handle the job you’re applying for.

If you’re using the chronological resume format, your work experience section would come after your resume summary/objective. In a funcitonal reumse, it would follow your skills section. Either way, work experience should be listed in reverse-chronological order (most recent experience at the top).

When listing your work experience, you should include all of the following information:

Job title. Start by stating the position you held at the company. These are easy cue for the hiring manager to look at and determine whether your past positions would help you succeed at their company.

Company Info. Include the name of the employer, the location where you worked, and perhaps a brief description of the company, if it isn’t a well-known name.

Dates Employed: Use the mm/yyyy format if you want to be sure that most applicant tracking systems (ATS) will pick it up. Whatever format you use for dates, be consistent, or your resume will look sloppy.

Job Description. Don’t just list your job’s responsibilities; hiring managers and recruiters already have an idea of your duties based on the job title. Instead, list your most important and impressive responsibilities/achievements at the job with bullet points. Determine which of these are most relevant for your new role based on the job description.

Ideally, each bullet should be no longer than a single line. However, two lines is acceptable, if used sparingly.

Always start with a strong action verb, followed by a quantifiable achievement and a specific duty. For example: “Developed ad campaigns for clients, increasing sales by an average of 27%.” Each job title should include 3-5 bullet points.

The order that you include this information can be changed around, as long as you are consistent throughout your resume. However, the bullet points detailing your job’s achievements should always be the last item for each entry.

It’s important that you tailor your resume’s work experience section to the job you’re applying for. We recommend reading the job description carefully and highlighting the action verbs in one color and the skills, adjectives, and job-specific nouns in a different color.

Educational background. In almost all cases, your education section should come after your professional history. If you’re a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you may choose to put your educational achievements first.

Like the section on your professional history, educational experiences should come in reverse-chronological order, with your highest level of education at the top. If you have a college degree, you don’t need to add any information about your high school experience. If you didn’t finish college, it’s okay to give a list of what credits you did complete.

Each educational experience can be listed in the following format:

Degree/Program Name College/University Name Dates attended

You don’t need to add anything else, especially if your resume is already impressive enough. But if you’re struggling to fill up the page, or you feel that aspects of your educational experience will help make you a standout, you may consider also including:

Minor. If you think it rounds out your not-exactly-relevant-to-the-job major nicely.

GPA. Only if it was 3.5 or higher. Otherwise, it’s not going to do you any favors to include this.

Honors. Dean’s List, Cum Laude, etc.

Achievements. If you wrote a killer thesis/dissertation that showcases intimate knowledge relevant to the job to which you’re applying, you can include its title and a very brief description.

Extracurricular activities. Only include if they’re relevant. For example, if you’re applying for a management position and you were president of your student government.

Certifications/Licenses. If the job you’re applying for requires/likes to see certain certifications or licenses that you have, you may include them in this section as well.

Skills section. Your impressive skills should be scattered logistically throughout your professional history section, but you should also include a section solely dedicated to highlighting your skill set . Skills can be broken down into two categories:

Hard skills are skills you learn through training and indicate expertise with a technical ability or job-specific responsibility.

Soft skills are your personality traits, interpersonal abilities, and intangible qualities that make you more effective at your job.

Your resume should have a healthy mix of hard and soft skills, as both are essential to job performance. However, since soft skills are harder to prove in the context of a resume, we recommend leaning more toward hard skills. Additionally, whenever you list a soft skill, make sure that it has a correlating item in your work experience section.

For example, if you say you are skilled in collaboration, you should mention a time when a team project was a major success somewhere in your work experience section.

Optional sections. If you still have space left or there’s more you want to show off that doesn’t quite fit in any of the above sections, you may consider adding an additional section covering one or more of the below categories:

Language . Being bilingual is always impressive, and can be included on a resume for any company. Highlight this more if your position involves liaising with international distributors and/or clients. Don’t lie about your proficiency level.

It may be best to not mention it if you’re not particularly proficient speaker . Such as if you took courses in school, or haven’t really managed to gain fluency. It can end up looking like an attempt to inflate your credentials, which you want to avoid.

Volunteer experience . Always a good thing to include. It shows you’re a team player who behaves in a way that promotes the greater good, without thought of personal gain. Especially good for entry-level candidates and those applying for jobs at a non-profit. If you have gaps in your work history, you can also consider including volunteer experiences in your work history section instead.

Personal projects. A personal blog, published works, or a portfolio of your past projects are all good things to include. They show you take initiative, enjoy and take pride in your work, and that you can handle the responsibilities of the job, if relevant.

Certifications/licenses. If you didn’t include these in your education section, this is another good place to list relevant certifications or licenses that you have.

Interests . This is largely just a space filler if your resume is light in other areas. However, if your hobbies are directly related to the job that you’re applying for, it’s not a bad idea to include them. And it might draw a recruiter’s attention if you end up sharing some of the same interests as they do.

If you have several seemingly random items that are valuable, but don’t warrant creating a whole separate section for, you can also make a section called “Additional Experience.” Here you can include all of the above categories in one place. Just make sure that each item is clear and easy for readers to understand.

Resume samples

Now that we have a good idea of how to write a resume, let’s take a look at some example resumes:

Jack Pilgrim Washington , DC 14015 – (555) 444-3333 – [email protected] – www.linkedin.com/jpilgrim Resume Summary Graphic designer with 3+ years of experience creating and implementing promotional materials and social media graphics. Worked with sales and marketing teams to increase inbound calls by 23% YoY through compelling digital media. Adept at planning, managing, and prioritizing multiple deadlines at once, and thrives in fast-paced work environment. Work Experience Creative Designs | Washington, DC Lead Graphic Designer | June 2018-Present Worked with sales and marketing teams to create landing pages, sales proposals, and supporting media elements to drive sales by over $250,000 per quarter Trained, managed, and mentored team of 4 junior designers to fulfill 40+ project orders on a weekly basis Conducted UX research through surveys, usability testing, and data analysis to plan content marketing strategy, driving organic search traffic by 12% Presented proposals, results, and status updates to set of 4-7 clients, ensuring customer satisfaction at or above 95% for 3 years straight Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Junior Graphic Designer | July 2016-May 2018 Translated client needs and branding strategies into design and content strategy, increasing client retention by 22% Reduced project turnaround time by 8% by Utilizing web-based ticket system for completing and archiving finalized pieces Posted digital artwork to network IPTV using web interface to produce high-end info-graphics and other materials Happy Place | Alexandria, VA Marketing Intern | September 2015-July 2016 Assisted marketing team with data collection, analysis, and presentation using Google Analytics Drew up storyboards for new marketing campaigns alongside sales team, increasing brand awareness through social media Wrote 500-1000 word articles to pair with graphical elements on page, leading to a 40% boost in engagement on company website Education Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, Georgia May 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Skills Adobe Creative Suite Typography HTML/CSS WordPress Collaboration Organization

Allison Neederly Chicago, Illinois , 60007 | (333) 222-1111 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/allison.neederly Resume Summary Dedicated customer service representative with 4+ years experience resolving customers’ needs in-person, online, and over the phone. Top achiever at XYZ Inc. with a 100% customer satisfaction rate for Q1 of 2020. Friendly personable, and knowledgable about company’s products and services. Relevant Skills Customer Service Responded to upwards of 200 customer queries daily with XYZ Inc., reducing the average wait time by 56% and increasing customer satisfaction rates by 13% Ability to resolve conflict and create a positive atmosphere for shopping for both new and existing customers through technical proficiency Expert product knowledge and communication skills, and experience training and mentoring new customer service staff Web Chat and Phone Skilled in 3 web chat platforms for helping online customers resolve their queries quickly and accurately Achieved fastest call resolution rate at XYZ Inc., with an average resolution time of under 5 minutes per customer Performed outbound calls for customer satisfaction surveys, as well as writing web-based surveys for 10,000+ customers Troubleshooting Detailed product knowledge allowed for customer technical issues to be resolved at rate within top 5% of all customer service associates at XYZ Inc. Created manual for step-by-step directions for troubleshooting that was implemented for team of 100+ customer service reps Positive attitude took average tech-related negative response from 1/5 stars to 4/5 stars, increasing trust in brands and services Work Experience XYZ Inc. | Philadelphia, PA Customer Service Associate New Look Global | Burlington, VT Junior Customer Service Representative L.L. Bean | Burlington, VT Sales Associate Education University of Vermont | Burlington, VT May 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Humanities

Priya Laghari New York, NY | (222) 111-0000 | [email protected] | www.priyabizdev.com Resume Profile Strategy Development: Grew John Deere’s international sales by 13% by tapping into undeserved countries in Southeast Asia Management: Oversaw a team of managers representing marketing, sales, and product teams. Streamlined collaborative, cross-functional communications through agile and scrum management system CRM: Developed, customized, and implemented new customer relationship management database for accounts totaling over $10M in value Work Experience Business Development Manager 01/2015-Present Microsoft | Redmond, WA Developed product strategies and roadmap for Google AdWords, increasing inbound traffic by 26% YoY Reduced time training on new software by 50% for new and existing employees by implement e-learning programs Spearheaded digital marketing campaign worth $1M that saw a return of 200% in first year by qualifying leads earlier in the sales funnel Regional Sales Manager 11/2012-01/2015 Big Things Inc. | St. Louis, MO Managed territory encompassing 29 regional locations with an annual revenue of approx. $55M Worked with C-level executives to plan business strategies, resulting in 20% reduction in overhead costs Increased client retention by 12% in first year by implementing a CRM approach based on account profiling and elevating levels of relationship selling Account Manager 02/2009-11/2012 Solutions Corp. | Chicago, IL Implemented and developed CRM strategic plans, increasing retention of long-term clients by 22% Maintained 50+ accounts totaling over $35M in value Generated leads through one-on-one consultation via phone inquiries, online check-ins, and meeting office walk-ins Relevant Skills CRM: Proficient with Salesforce, Zoho, and HubSpot; some experience with Keap. Used various CRM software over a decade to successfully manage customer relations and quick to adapt to new software and tools that aid in quality of customer experience. Salesmanship: Negotiated and closed over several deals worth $1M+ and skilled in upselling and cross-selling. Adept at working closely with marketing and product teams to maximize the efficiency of the sales funnel for both inbound and outbound traffic. Presentation: Represented Microsoft Northwest Region at quarterly board meetings, ensuring all stakeholders were kept abreast of new developments and opportunities. Also deliver monthly presentations to big clients and vendors to maintain positive relationship. Data analytics. Expert at integrating data from various analytics platforms, including Google, Microsoft Power BI, and SAP BusinessObjects Education Colgate University | May 2008 MBA Fordham University | May 2006 Bachelor’s Degree in Business

For more resume examples and templates:

Resume examples by job

Google docs resume template

Resume templates

Resume builder

Resume Headers Samples:

Tip : Never put your contact info in the header of your document; some applicant tracking systems might miss it.

For more on how to write a resume header:

Resume Header

Resume Titles

Resume introduction examples

Entry-Level Resume Objective.

Recent graduate with a bachelor’s in Marketing from the University of Virginia seeking an entry-level role in content marketing. Excellent copywriter with 2+ years experience editing content as a member of the UVa Writing Center.

Career Change Resume Objective.

Eager to apply 7+ years of experience with customer success management to make successful outbound B2B calls, deliver customized business solutions to new and existing customers, and provide expert product knowledge in the role of Account Manager for XYZ Inc.

Example Resume Summary Statement.

Accountant with over 8 years of experience in the medical industry. Adept at advising on management of cash deficits, reconciling departmental accounts, and creating new accounts and codes. Coordinated invoice preparation system for ABC that reduced contractor overhead by 19% YoY.

English teacher with a love of language and 6 years of experience teaching high school students. Developed new curriculum that boosted freshman reading comprehension scores by 12% and created after school book club for AP Lit class, resulting in 100% of participating students achieving a 5 on the AP Lit test.

Example Qualifications Summary.

Executive assistant with 5+ years experience helping maintain efficiency in an office of 25 employees Communicated directly with internal and external stakeholders, helping Senior Vice President manage projects worth $5M+ Proactively managed office schedules, identifying and prioritizing changes to ensure client satisfaction Recognized in a company of 500 for “Outstanding Achiever” in May 2019

Example Resume Profile.

Detail-oriented IT Specialist with 4 years of experience overseeing and improving the infrastructure of IT systems. Adept at building and running troubleshooting systems and testing services. Decreased security risk by 47% through continual optimization, while also improving the speed of client portal by 22%. Excellent communicator both internally and for client-facing discussions. Achieved 98%+ customer satisfaction ratings through weekly and monthly check-ins with accounts valued cumulatively at $500,000.

Entry-Level Resume Headline.

Bilingual College Graduate with 80 WPM Typing Speed and Tutoring Experience

Experienced Resume Headline.

Business Development Specialist with 6+ Years Experience Scaling Start-Up Tech Teams

For more on resume introductions:

Resume objective statement

Resume summary statement

Resume summary statement examples

Qualifications summary

Sample resume work experience sections

Work Experience XYZ Industries | Seattle, WA Marketing Associate | May 2019-Present Delivered weekly presentations to client-base to communicate brand messaging, increasing client retention by 11% Served as liaison between marketing and product teams, resulting in projects finishing 2 weeks early, on average Leveraged Excel skills to create and maintain spreadsheet to track consumer insights, emergent trends, and inform decisions of marketing team through competitive analysis Managed team of 5 contractors to juggle multiple priority projects simultaneously, never missing a deadline Initiated an affiliate referral program that PR team went on to turn into a revenue-generating stream valued at $30,000 annually ABC Corp | Seattle, WA Marketing Intern | September 2018-May 2019 Developed, maintained, and processed 20+ digital consent forms and distributor forms Worked collaboratively with a team of 10 marketing professionals, closely aligning our goals with the PR team Provided data analysis using Google Analytics and performed keyword research to increase blog traffic by 56% over six months Answered up to 50 customer queries by phone and email each week

For more on building the perfect resume work experience section:

Resume work experience section

First resume (no experience)

Examples Of Education Resume Sections

Graduated recently from a 4-year program.

Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois May 2020 Bachelor of Arts in Sociology | Minor in Psychology 3.95 GPA magna cum laude Dean’s List all semesters

Two degrees.

Fordham University | Bronx, New York April 2016 Master of Chemical Engineering Stony Brook University | Stony Brook, New York April 2014 Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Anticipated graduation date (not yet graduated).

DePaul Univeristy | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Arts in History – Degree anticipated May 2021 Current GPA: 3.8

Older job seeker (graduated 10+ years ago).

University of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois Bachelor of Business Administration

High school graduate (no college degree).

Johnston High School 2016-2020 Head of Computer Club

More on crafting the perfect resume education section:

Education resume section

GPA on resume

Dean’s list

Magna cum laude

Examples Of Skills For Resume

Examples of hard skills include:

Examples of soft skills include:

Here’s more information on how to incorporate skills into your resume:

Resume skills section

Hard skills

Soft skills

Top skills for professionals

Skills-based resume

Resume writing FAQ

What is a resume?

A resume is a one to two-page document that focuses on professional experience, past achievements, education and certifications, and specific skills tailored to the job you’re applying for.

Almost every job application requires a resume, and hiring managers use them as a first impression in determining which applicants get a shot at an interview.

Whether you’re fresh out of college or have 30 years of professional experience, this guide should help craft a resume that stands out from the crowd and get you one step closer to landing your dream job.

What is the format for writing a good resume?

Most people will want to use a chronological or reverse-chronological resume format. This format is compatible with most applicant tracking systems (ATS) and is easy for employers to read. Additionally it helps highlight your experience, which helps prove your qualifications.

How far back should a resume go?

A resume should go back no further than 10 to 15 years. However, it is important that all your information is relevant. Therefore, do not include job experience that is irrelevant to your application, even if it’s fewer than 10 years old. Save that information for later discussions.

Should you personalize your resume for each job?

Yes, you should personalize your resume for each job you apply to. Many recruiters use ATS now, which will search for keywords in a resume and reject those that don’t have them. That means that the skills you choose to highlight as well as your opening, such as your resume summary, should be altered to suit each job you apply to.

You don’t need to rewrite the entire resume for each job, but it does show attention to detail and initiative to make sure that your resume is customized. It also makes it more likely that you’ll get past the first step of the process.

State of New York Department of Labor – Resumes, Cover Letters and Job Applications

Harvard University – Create a Resume/CV or Cover Letter

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Matthew Zane is the lead editor of Zippia's How To Get A Job Guides. He is a teacher, writer, and world-traveler that wants to help people at every stage of the career life cycle. He completed his masters in American Literature from Trinity College Dublin and BA in English from the University of Connecticut.

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Poway group holding petition drive to put term limits initiative on November ballot

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The Poway Term Limits group is proposing a measure to restrict the mayor and City Council members to no more than two four-year terms.

Arthur “Tony” Blain, a candidate in the City Council race, is leading the group in a petition drive to place a council term limits measure on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Currently, there are no term limits for the city’s elected officials. The five members of the council are elected to serve four-year overlapping terms. The mayor is elected at-large and council members are elected by district.

Blain, a family physician, is running against San Diego police Sgt. Jared Wilson for the District 2 seat.

Poway Term Limits needs to gather at least 3,288 valid signatures to qualify the initiative for the city ballot, Blain said Wednesday at a news conference at City Hall. Roughly 1,000 signatures have been collected so far, he said.

The signer of a petition must be a registered voter at the time they sign the petition, according to the California Secretary of State website. Registration can be done at the same time the petition is signed.

“If approved by the voters, term limits for elected officials in Poway will encourage new people to get involved in our local government, broaden the base of potential candidates, and encourage broader representation of different neighborhoods,” Blain wrote in the Notice of Intent to Circulate a Petition.

The term limits would begin with the Nov. 5 election, he said.

Poway resident Debbie Barton spoke at the news conference in support of the term limits initiative. Barton said she and her husband, John, have become concerned about increased traffic, along with drivers speeding and running stop signs, in their neighborhood on Midland Road.

Two traffic-related fatalities led the Bartons to attend a City Council meeting in December 2022 “to express the urgent need for the city to deal with the growing problems with Poway’s traffic infrastructure,” Barton said.

“To connect the dots, in my experience, those in our city government who have expressed the most interest in making traffic safety improvements are those who have held office for the least amount of time,” she said.

Poway Term Limits has set a self-imposed deadline of July 30 to gather the 3,288 signatures, which gives the city clerk time to verify the signatures and have the City Council consider placing it on the November ballot, Blain said.

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Woman without arms navigates college, earns bachelor’s degree

(Gray News) – A woman exceeded doctors’ expectations this weekend as she walked across the stage and accepted her diploma for earning a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

Emily Rowley, 22, of Bradenton, Florida, was born with a rare congenital condition called bilateral phocomelia, which is the absence of both arms.

Doctors told her parents it was unclear how long she would live or the quality of life she would have, but she has proved them wrong.

Rowley has always been able to find her own way of doing things with the unwavering support of her family, and earning her bachelor’s degree from Southern New Hampshire University is no exception.

She and her family made the trip from Florida to New Hampshire over the weekend to cross the commencement stage and receive her diploma in person.

“To be here today and to be with my family to reach this milestone it feels unreal, now that I’m wearing the cap and gown – the energy is just exciting and it’s just an exciting time,” Rowley said.

After earning her associate degree online, she discovered that online classes were the best way for her to learn.

“Online school allows me to not have to worry about certain accommodations, whether that be for the restroom, doors, and carrying around a heavy backpack all day,” Rowley said. “It makes it so everything is literally at the tip of my foot rather than having to stress about things that aren’t about my education.”

Going to high school in person was overwhelming and stressful, as she was always worried about keeping up or if a heavy door would close before she could make it through it.

“Being on campus in high school, I would have to wait for one of my classmates or one of my teachers held the door open because the doors were like 100 pounds and I was like, ‘I can’t open these doors,’ especially if I was carrying my water bottle,” she said. “I just want to come to school and not have to worry if someone is going to leave the door shut.”

But as she was introduced to online learning, she was able to go at her own pace and not stress about being late to class if it took her a little longer to get dressed in the morning because the assignment would be waiting for her when she was ready.

“To do my degree online using the talk-to-text was very helpful when doing papers, or any assignments or even the discussion posts,” Rowley said. “I was able to think off the top of my head, speak to it and from there use my feet to do minor adjustments that the computer might not have picked up on to correct it and have it ready to go for submission. And absolutely love doing the online schooling and I can’t wait to continue with SNHU.”

As a disability advocate and content creator, Rowley educates and inspires others by sharing videos of how she navigates the world using her feet to do things like cook and drive.

She started putting videos out on social media when the COVID-19 pandemic hit as a way to fill her free time. She said she never expected the response and following she gained.

“This is a big platform to share and bring awareness so I used that and was like, if people have questions, I’m going to answer those questions so people can know about people with disabilities,” she said.

A lot of her how-to videos started with simple tasks like getting dressed or brushing her teeth and evolved from there. In her head, she thought people would assume that because she can cook, they would know she can use scissors or can put on her own makeup.

“But those questions aren’t answered,” she realized. “So, by putting it out there, it makes it so if they see someone else with no arms or another disability, instead of saying, they can’t do that, I wonder if they can or they do that.”

Rowley said she hopes her story encourages others to accomplish anything they set their mind to. She wants everyone to challenge themselves to do anything they dream of.

“Being myself is the best me I can be. I wouldn’t want to change who I am. I’ve had opportunities and different things that I’ve experienced due to my disability and raising awareness and talking about it and making the world open and accepting of those with disabilities,” Rowley said.

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