CV tips: how to show your education

This part of your CV is an excellent way for you to make yourself standout above other similarly qualified candidates. Although, it’s not always a straightforward question about where to put your education in your CV and what to put. However, with our helpful tips we can give you a little bit of guidance to ensure your CV lands you the job.

Where to place your education

The first question that will often come up with regards to your education and your CV, is where to put it. As we mentioned before, when writing your CV your work experienceshould come first. This is especially true if you have five or more years of work experience that relates to the job role

Ordering – highest level first

If you have more than one education qualification you’ll need to decide on how to order it. A general rule of thumb you can follow is to place your highest level of education first, then work your way backwards. So if your highest level is a master’s you would put your master’s first. Keep in mind, if you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, you don’tneed to include your high school information. You should also list your education so it is clear with your graduation date, for example:

2003 – Master of Electrical Engineering
Dar es Salaam University, Dar es Salaam

2001 – Bachelor of Science
Dar es Salaam University, Dar es Salaam

To include a Grade or not to include a Grade?

That is the question, and the answer is: it depends. It depends on what your average grade was and whether or not the job description asks for it. Unless the job description explicitly asks for your score, you don’t have to list it on your resume. If the job ad asks, then you will need to include it. If you are going to list it voluntarily you should only do so if your average score was a C or higher, otherwise feel free to leave it out. If you’re unsure how to show your score on your CV here is an example:

2003 – Master of Electrical Engineering
Dar es Salaam University, Dar es Salaam
Grade: C, 3.5

Yet to graduate

Whether you are yet to graduate from your course because: you haven’t finished, or you won’t finish, it’s still okay to list your study on your CV. You’ll need to include a little bit more information. You should include the name of the institution, the dates you attended and the number of credit points your earned toward your degree. When you’re finished, it should look something like this:

Dar es Salaam University, Dar es Salaam
2001-2003: Completed 20 credit points toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics

Lacking the paper?

Not everyone has had an opportunity to go complete a university degree and if you’re one of the many people who haven’t that’s not a problem – at least not for the presentation and formatting of your CV. If you graduated from high school or if you attended a trade school be sure to list this in your CV. For example:

1995 – 2000 West Dar es Salaam High School, Dar es Salaam

2003 – Builder’s Licence
Dar es Salaam Building Institute, Dar es Salaam

I’m old, do I keep my graduation date(s)?

Deciding whether or not you should keep your graduation dates is entirely up to you. If you graduated quite a few years ago (hint: decades) you might want to consider whether to include it. Listing your graduation date is a pretty effective way of revealing your age. If you’re a private person you might want to consider leaving it out. Whatever you choose to do, you should do whatever feels right for you.

I’m a recent grad with no experience

If you’re a recent graduate and have no work experience you need to make your education section the centrepiece of your CV. Showcasing academic achievements (honours, high grades), extracurricular activities and any other related courses you took during your studies. You don’t have any work experience, so you need your academic background to highlight what a dedicated student you were and what an outstanding employee you’ll make. List any relevant details: