Education Section on Resume: Easy Guide + 4 Dos & Don’ts

The Education section is undoubtedly one of the most important sections on a resume, especially for fresh graduates looking for the best jobs in Malaysia.

Creating the Education section on resume may seem easy for some people, but we often come across fresh graduates asking for help in this area.

Where to include the Education section? What to include? Here are the dos and don’ts you need to know when creating the Education section on resume.

How to Create The Education Section on Resume

Education Section on Resume: The “Where”

It depends and there are a few scenarios to consider:

You are a student or fresh graduate

If you have little to no experience, your Education section should be placed above your work history, right after your Resume Objective section.

This is especially important for situations where specific academic qualifications are crucial for you to land the job (think about Law and Healthcare-related jobs).

You have a year or two of work experience

Your education should then come after your work history. This is because your work experience is oftentimes more relevant and important to companies out there compared to your education.

This is also relevant if companies value experience and skills much more than academic qualifications. A Law Degree is not relevant for a Sales Manager position.

You want to pursue academic-related jobs

Since you’ll be creating an academic CV, your Education section will naturally be more important and relevant than your work experience. There’s no doubt about that.

The key tip here is to put yourself in the employers’ shoes and understand the key items that they are looking for. You’ll then decide where to slot in your Education section on resume.

Education Section on Resume: The “What”

Now that you have decided on where to slot in your Education section, it’s time to start inserting the right information.

a. Your most recent degree

Start with the highest qualification such as “Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance”. Don’t worry, you can include education in progress if you are still a student.

b. The full name of your academic institution

This is important for employers to verify your qualification. It can also be used to impress your employers.

c. Study period & graduation date

Only specify the month and year. For example, “February 2018 – November 2021”. If you are currently studying there, feel free to state the expected graduation date.

d. Your field of study, major & minor

This is important for employers to instantly identify your suitability. Are you an Economics student? What are your major(s) and minor(s)? List them down correctly.

e. Your (C)GPA

This is an indication of how well you did in your education. It is oftentimes important for fresh graduates. CGPA will be more relevant compared to GPA in Malaysia so state your true CGPA (no cheating!).

f. Optional but helpful items

Any academic awards, relevant projects, relevant extracurricular activities, and study-abroad programs.

Education Section on Resume: The Dos & Don’ts

Dos

List your education in the reverse-chronological order – starting with your highest qualification
If you finished college, don’t add your high school information.
Start by mentioning which institution you went to – if you feel like your degree isn’t directly related to the job but you want to impress with a ‘Cambridge’
Be honest when writing your education

Don’ts

Change or “beautify” the numbers – increasing your CGPA for example. Employers can instantly and easily confirm the facts
Be afraid of including incomplete education – you may list them down, but mention that it’s “Incomplete”
Insert irrelevant information – they don’t need to know hobbies that are irrelevant to your academia and the applied position
Include grammatical and spelling mistakes – always proofread your content!

Final Thoughts

There is no “One size fit all” solution when it comes to creating your education section on resume. You must always customise your Education section to fit your circumstances, inserting the relevant information, to boost your chances of impressing employers.

We hope that this article has been useful in your resume writing journey. Next up, consider creating your visume and cover letter. Don’t know how? The Job Majestic Blog has all the career resources you need to land your dream job.