Put Your Education to Work
by Kim Isaacs
Whether you're a Oxford-educated graduate or recently obtained your PGCE, you can use your CV's education section to outshine your competition. If you are unsure about the best way to present your education, here are some common scenarios and strategies:
Where to Place Education?
The best placement depends on what you are trying to emphasise.
- Place experience before education if you have five or more years of experience related to your goal. Hiring managers will be more interested in your job accomplishments than your education.
- Place education before experience if you are a recent graduate or have less than five years of work experience. If you are changing careers and have continued your education to support your new goal, education should come first. Academic and scientific professionals typically place education before experience on their CVs.
On your Monster CV, the CV Builder will place your education after experience. If you need to highlight educational credentials, use the "Objective" section as a career summary and mention your relevant education and training both here and in the designated "Education" section.
The Degree
If you are a student or recent graduate, list your degree level if it is 2:2 or higher. Consider including a lower level if you are in a very challenging programme. As your career progresses, degree level becomes less important and can be removed.
Honours
Include academic honours to show you excelled in your program.
New Grads
Students and new grads with little related work experience may use the education section as the centerpiece of their CV’s, showcasing academic achievements, extra-curricular activities, special projects and related courses. For example:
ABC College -- London
BA in Communications, concentration in advertising, anticipated graduation December 2006
Senior Project: Currently completing mock advertising campaign for Coca-Cola (billboard/print/TV/radio ads, direct-mail campaign and press releases).
Related Coursework: Advertising, Advertising Writing, Direct Mail and Telemarketing, Media Plans in Advertising, Marketing and Advertising, Public Relations, Broadcasting
Incomplete Degree
If you abandoned an educational program, list the number of credits completed or the type of study undertaken.
Experienced Job Seekers
If you are focusing more on experience than education, list the basic facts regarding your degree, including institution name, location, degree, major and date. For example:
University of Manchester -- Manchester
BSc in Economics, June 1993
High School Information
Include your high school and college information if you don't have a university degree.
Educational Credentials Lacking?
Some job seekers are concerned that their education doesn’t measure up to HR requirements. If you don't have a degree but have been participating in ongoing training, list your related courses, seminars, conferences and training in the Education section (create a list called "Professional Development"). Your training might be so impressive that a lack of a formal degree is overlooked. For example:
Professional Development Highlights:
· Product Launch in a Global Marketplace
· E-Commerce Solutions
· Selling the Dotcom Vision
· Increasing Sales Through Relationship Selling
· Professional Management Programme
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