Creating a resume is no easy task. The process becomes even more daunting when you need to add a relevant course of study to your curriculum, which is especially important if you have recently graduated and have no work experience. You may ask yourself: where should I list my course of study? Should I list all courses or just general titles? Do I have to include the graduation grade as well? Start with Step 1 below to find out how.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Deciding Which Course to Include in Your Curriculum
Step 1. Understand why you should add the course of study to the curriculum
As the resume serves to describe your professional experience and illustrate how you can add value to the prospective employer and their company, your education and relevant course of study make up an important section of the curriculum, even if you are inexperienced. or if you have recently graduated!
- Mentioning the course of study on the curriculum enhances your education and gives potential employers an idea of the relevant knowledge and expertise you have acquired so far.
- The course of study you will add will complement the position and help complete your professional presentation.
Step 2. Include courses you have taken for your current job
Candidates who have added years of experience must support the last position held with professional certifications. These should be relevant; however, it is recommended that you add the courses you have attended at the workplace as part of your career path.
- For example, if you currently hold the position of “Project manager” and have taken a basic project manager course as part of your training and have obtained a project management certification, you should definitely add it to your curriculum list.
- UnReporting analyst may decide to add an advanced MS Excel course to the curriculum if this supports the position they currently occupy and has helped them develop computational and presentation skills to their profile.
Step 3. Choose university classes that relate to the job you are applying for
Almost always adding the most recent title or qualification is sufficient, however, if you have recently graduated, the education section may be presented with a list of courses taken as part of your specialization.
- Employers rarely ask for a detailed list of the course of study. In that case, you should provide a separate sheet along with the resume.
- The list should contain the titles of the courses attended, not just meaningless abbreviations for those who are not part of the university environment.
Step 4. List your qualifications and completed courses
When you have earned your degree, you should add the title name on the first line, the advanced courses on the second line (separated by commas). For instance:
- Master of Business Management, Marketing, XYZ University.
- Relevant course of study: Strategic Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Management.
Step 5. Indicate all the qualifications you need to achieve
If you haven't earned your degree yet, it should still be cited. An ongoing qualification should also be supported by listing advanced courses, so that your potential employer gets a clear idea. For instance:
- Master of Business Management, Marketing, XYZ University.
- Relevant course of study: Strategic Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Management.
- Completion scheduled for [year].
Part 2 of 2: Add the Course of Studies to the Curriculum
Step 1. Select the courses that you believe will relate to the job you are applying for
The very first step is to choose which courses to include. Almost always the advanced courses attended will suffice. However, it is crucial to choose courses that combine well with the position you are applying for.
Step 2. Don't hesitate to mention more than one important one if you have completed more than one
If you've completed two major ones, don't hesitate to mention both. Listing them will help the prospective employer understand the level of your education and how much you are capable of bringing to the job.
- You may turn out to be a desirable candidate if you can show that you have gone a step beyond the basic knowledge base. A good education attained picture can help you stand out from others.
- For example, if you are looking for a position in human resources, having specializations in both human resources and finance makes you suitable for a role such as "Accounting and Administrative".
Step 3. Create a separate section for the courses
The next step is to present a title suitable for the section of the course of study in the curriculum. This is necessary to draw the potential employer's attention to your knowledge. Additionally, you might also consider adding relevant projects to that area. This section of the curriculum can have the title:
- Specialized / relevant course of study OR
- Specialized Study Course and Projects.
Step 4. Add short descriptions to each course
As a fresh graduate, it is pertinent to describe the course of study in a few words - preferably with a bulleted list, not in paragraphs.
- This list must be done carefully, it must describe not only the course itself, but also what you did. You should enter a maximum of 3-5 points.
- Describing the curriculum as major projects or notable assignments can help the recruiter understand what you could bring to the job if you were hired.
Step 5. Decide the order in which to present the course of study
The course of study is usually prepared in descending chronological order. However, there are exceptions. For instance:
If you have a degree in geography but have had an opportunity in the online marketing field and have recently completed a course of study regarding digital marketing or social media, it is a good idea to mention these courses at the beginning, because they are the most relevant to the position you are applying for
Step 6. Indicate the graduation dates
There is usually no need to indicate the dates, apart from those relating to graduation. The recruiter just wants to know if you have already earned your degree or not.
- The more progress you make in your career, the more employers will be interested in your work experience and respective positions at different levels.
- If you've finished college for some time, your degree becomes less and less important.
Step 7. List any honors received and graduation grade
Any recognition earned helps support your course of study, so try to include it.
- Speaking of the graduation grade, indicate it only if it is equal to or greater than 105. However, the graduation grade is only for the recruiter when looking for your first job.
- Afterwards the grade no longer matters, as you have more and more relevant experience to play with.
Step 8. Strategically position your course of study
The course of study is normally included in a subsection of the education section of the curriculum. This is the most precise place to insert it.
- However, if you have professional courses taken at work, you can indicate them in a different section of the curriculum, entitled "Professional courses" or "Certifications".
- Inserting the course of study in a strategic way serves to capture the attention of the recruiter. For example, if you have a degree from a prestigious university, it can be a distinguishing factor for you.
- In such a situation, you may want to list the most relevant education and course of study at the beginning of the curriculum.
Advice
- Don't overwhelm the recruiter with a detailed list of courses. You don't have to list them all, just the relevant ones.
- Do not add course numbers or abbreviations, as they concern your university and have no meaning for the recruiter.
- Don't lie in this part of the resume. You may have to provide supporting documents someday, being dishonest could prove to be a problem.
- Indicate the dates of graduation and more advanced courses, but do not do it for all courses.
- If you think the education section is too short, enter additional qualifications and professional courses.
- When formatting your resume, indicate the relevant course of study via bulleted list with a precise description that has a connection with the position you are applying for.
