Resume-Writer Secrets for Pumping Up What You Know
by Melissa Ezarik
In an employers' market, the importance of an effective resume can't be overemphasized. Sure, you've kept your work experience section up-to-date, but when was the last time you revisited your education section?
Neglect to perfect this critical section, and the price to pay may well be that new job. "There are six job seekers for every open position," says August Cohen, a certified resume writer and career coach. "There is a lot of talent and no opportunity for error." Just as Olympic champions win races by hundredths of a second, a single resume standout can affect the outcome of an entire candidate search, she adds.
Listen in on these resume-writer secrets for presenting your degree or certificate in the most effective manner and keeping that section as current and targeted as your experience section.
What to Do With the Details
Excepting recent grads with no extensive work history, the appropriate place for the education section -- which Cohen calls "the foundation of your resume" -- is at the end. It should match the experience section's chronology, with the most recent education listed first. Each item should list the degree, institution, and location.
And be accurate and consistent in your descriptions. Cohen often sees errors such as pluralizing "bachelor" ("Bachelor of Arts" is correct; "Bachelors of Arts" is not) or spelling out an institution's name in one mention and abbreviating it in another. Writing out the entire degree name with no abbreviations is best, she says.
What about those who haven't finished school yet? "Only say you're a candidate [for a degree] if you're an active student," advises Cohen, adding that you should include your expected graduation date. "If you have no anticipation of completing it, you would say, 'Completed x amount of credits in...' or 'Completed three semesters in...,'" she says.
What to Cut
Cheryl Palmer, a certified professional resume writer and career coach, notes two common mistakes from those who have been out of school more than a decade: including graduation date ("It's an open invitation to age discrimination") and GPA ("Most employers will not care what your GPA was unless you are a recent graduate").
"Education should always be relevant," adds Charlotte Weeks, a certified professional resume writer and career coach. "It can feel as if you're negating hard work by eliminating education, but it's necessary in certain circumstances." Cohen agrees that you should omit education that's irrelevant (e.g., a massage therapy certification for a position in early childhood education) or that could make you seem overqualified (e.g., a Ph.D. for a job as a reporter).
What to Add
On the other hand, professional development seminars, workshops, and other types of training should always be added to your resume. These items show potential employers that you're current with your skill set, Palmer notes.
"A lot of job seekers writing their own resumes either don't think about it, don't know if it's important, or don't know how to add it," Cohen says. You can include this training within the education section (title it "Education and Training") or in a section by itself. Cohen advises including a year for recent continuing education and only relevant items from the last five or 10 years. Listing the session name and who sponsored it is typically all you need to do.
If you're thinking, "Yikes -- how should I remember?" you've stumbled upon another good reason to pay attention to your education section. Cohen suggests revisiting and adding to that section as you complete any new seminar or other training so that details are top-of-mind. "There's no time like the present. If you get that quick call from a recruiter, you don't have time to worry about digging through your books."
Big-picture rule: Your education section should target the job you want. It may sound obvious, but in the experience of Weeks, only those who have worked with a professional on their resumes are doing this. Now that you know the secrets, you can do it, too.
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