For example, if you bold employers’ names in your experience section, write your college in bold, especially if it’s a prestigious school or one known for excellence in your field. Use a standard sans-serif font, like Arial, for easy readability. Use a 10-12 point size for general text and 14-16 point for section headings.
If you’re a recent grad with a high GPA, you could opt to include your GPA. Just be sure to explain your GPA system by writing, for example, “3. 92/4. 0. ” You can also include your graduation year if you’re a recent grad. Otherwise, you should avoid including dates, especially if your degree is older than 15 years. [5] X Research source An example degree listing could be:Yale University, New Haven, CT. Bachelor of Arts in English, Magna cum laude.
Avoid unnecessary words elsewhere in your resume, too. For example, don’t write “Email:” or “Phone:” before listing your contact information. Just write your email address and phone number.
If you’re not a recent grad or have substantial professional experience, place your relevant experience section ahead of your education. In general, professional experience is more valuable information than your education.
If you double majored, you can just list both degrees in the same section under your university:Yale University, New Haven, CT. Double major:Bachelor of Arts, English. Bachelor of Arts, Art History.
If not, and if your high school diploma is your highest degree, include your high school’s name and location, graduation date (if it’s within the last three years), and, if it’s above a 3. 5/4. 0, your GPA:Nashua High School, Nashua, New HampshireHigh School Diploma, 2016. GPA: 3. 8 If your highest degree is a GED diploma or state equivalent certificate, include it if you don’t have substantial work experience:EducationGeneral Educational Development Diploma, 2016. EducationCHSPE (Certificate of Proficiency from the State of California), 2016.
Don’t include undergraduate degree acronyms after your name. For example, never write, “Jane Smith, B. A. ”
Exceptions to this rule include study abroad programs or coursework at prestigious institutions. For example, you might include relevant information like this:University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Bachelor of Science in Biology (Marine Biology emphasis), 2016. University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Study abroad program with emphasis in ecological preservation.
For example, you could describe an incomplete undergraduate degree like this:Yale University, New Haven, CT. Bachelor of Science, Biology (expected 2017) You could describe a graduate degree like this:Yale University, New Haven, CTMaster of Business Administration degree candidateThesis under development; anticipated completion June 2018
For example, suppose you’re applying for an engineering job and earned an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering in 2009 and a master’s in graphic design in 2012. You should list your engineering degree first. You might have also researched your prospective job and found that the department head who will read your resume graduated from your undergraduate university. You might then want to include your undergraduate degree first and place your education section at the top of your resume.
For example, you could structure your education section like this:B. S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, TX. Relevant courses: Thermodynamics, Properties of Engineering Materials, Solid Mechanics, Dynamics of Machines, Strength of Mechanical Components.
For example, instead of listing computer programs and other skills you learned at school in a block of text under your degree, put them in a separate section at the top of your resume. Be sure to include skills, programs, and other keywords from the job posting.