How to Highlight Your Education on a Resume (Without Looking Like a Show-Off)
By Dixie Somers
In today’s job market, a college degree can be invaluable for those on the hunt for their dream job. If you worked hard to earn a degree, you want to ensure that potential employers notice your academic accomplishments, along with any real world experience you’ve received. Depending on the industry that you are trying to break into, education might be at the top of an employer’s priority list, so you’ll want to highlight any academic certification or achievements. Keep reading for a little advice on how to not-so-subtly highlight your education on your resume without looking like a show-off.
Avoid Formatting Follies
Most employers will quickly scan your resume when they first receive it, so readability is key. When formatting your resume, make sure that you use a font that is easy to read. Even if you use graphics, colors, and charts, be sure that there is a clear flow to the resume, starting with your education.
In case your resume only gets one look, you want to put the most important information about your education in bold or a larger font. This makes your education stand out from the rest of your resume. If you attended a prestigious university, give it prominent placement. If your GPA is what you are really proud of, bold that information. For basic education information, keep things succinct so that it is easy for an employer to scan.
Highlight Impressive Details
After you list your basic academic achievements like degrees you have earned, your GPA, and which universities you’ve attended, you can get a little more specific. Your employer wants to know more about your education than the final result, so if you really want to highlight your education, provide details that pertain to the industry or job you are applying for.
For example, you could choose to highlight well-known professors who tutored you, the reputation of the school’s business program, or the real-life experience that you gained during school internships. These details don’t have to be lengthy, just give the employer an idea of what you actually learned or practiced during your time in school.
Include Class Information
Coursework varies greatly by school, so it's helpful to include information about the relevant classes that you completed on your path to your degree. If you're applying for a marketing position, emphasize your classes in public relations, design and business strategy. If you're hoping to land a management position, it's helpful to list the courses you aced in human behavior, statistics, or organizational behavior.
You can also include impressive projects that you completed in your classes, if they are relevant to the type of position you are applying to. If appropriate, you can include a link to or hard copy of a proposal, research project, or portfolio from one of your classes. This will show the employer that you have had real experience, and that your degree has qualified you for the type of work that will be required of you.
Describe Leadership Roles
In today's competitive market, just earning a degree is often not enough to land a job. Employers want to know what makes you stand apart from all the other applicants and graduates. You can make a positive impression by describing the leadership roles you held during college—even if they seem small. While you don’t want to bore the employer with lengthy lists of your service in clubs, the mention of a few leadership and membership positions can go a long way.
For example, if you belonged to your university’s chapter of a national organization or club, your employer will likely recognize the name right away. Even if you just attended meetings, belonging to a reputable organization shows employers that you went the extra mile and likely received some professional instruction as a member of the club.
If you don’t have much work experience, it can leave your resume looking a little thin. However, you can impress future employers with your academic achievements as you highlight portions of your education that have prepared you for a job of this nature. While many employers prefer applicants with degrees, the degree alone isn’t likely to impress the employer. If you show them the elements of your education that qualify you for the job through including specific, yet succinct details, that will quickly put you in the running for the job. The information for this article was provided by the professionals of Mary L Hurst University who provide a business bachelor degree, and specialize in business qualifications.
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