When it comes to your resume, you know work history is vital, as are accolades and any degrees earned. But what about continuing education or training and development? Are these important to list, and if so, where should they be placed? Here’s what to know.
Why you should include continuing education and training.
When hiring managers see you are constantly learning new skills, working toward different certifications, and advancing in your career through training and development, it will help you stand out. Employers want those who are willing to learn and grow with the company.
So, if you’ve taken any courses, whether online or in person, or are enrolled in any kind of career training or development, make sure you include it on your resume. It could be the one factor that helps you stand apart from other candidates with similar backgrounds.
Make sure it’s relevant.
That said, make sure whatever you include on your resume is relevant to the job. For instance, if you took a continuing education class in refurbishing furniture and you’re applying for accounting positions, it’s not pertinent and just wastes space. However, if you took a course on trends in financial auditing, or earned a new designation, like CPA, then list it.
Highlight it in the right place.
If it’s especially relevant to a particular job, place it front and center under your Summary of Qualifications at the top of your resume. Otherwise, treat it like you would any other type of education. Create a section for Education and include it in a bullet list format, explaining the key details.
How to explain it.
When it comes to continuing education courses or training, make sure you include the name of the course, the industry organization or educational institute where you took it, and when you completed it. Order them in a reverse chronological way, as you do with your Work History section.
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