Do You List Continuing Education on Resume

Are you unsure about how to list your in-progress education on your resume? Many people are, including current students, students taking online classes, and people taking a break from their degree programs.

Is it acceptable to include unfinished degrees on a resume?

ZipJob's career experts agree that education in progress should usually be included on a resume. A degree in progress is still important to employers, as well as a degree that was started and holds relevance to a position. However, it needs to be included in an honest way so it's an accurate reflection of your learning and accomplishments.

 If you're currently pursuing a degree, here is how you can include it on your resume (with examples).

Key Takeaway

Are you working on a degree and want to tell prospective employers about your efforts? These tips can help you to list your in-progress education on your resume.

How to list education in progress on a resume

There are two things you need to learn if you want to know how to list education in progress on your resume. The first is how to provide that information in a way that clearly conveys your education status to an employer. The second is where to place that information in the body of your resume. With respect to the how, there are a few different ways to convey these details. There are only a couple of basic rules to follow when you list these education details:

1. Be as clear as possible. You don't want to give the employer the wrong impression, after all. If you have completed one degree and are pursuing advanced education, be sure to clearly state that fact. If your degree is not yet complete, be clear about that as well.

2. Be honest. If you are in the process of withdrawing from school, don't list that educational program. Don't try to enhance your education section in any way. Just state the facts in an honest way.

3. Feel free to include in-progress university degrees, as well as online degrees that you may be pursuing. Both are popular in 2022.

Education in progress resume examples

When you include details indicating that you're currently pursuing a degree on your resume, it's important to provide clarity. The last thing you want is to inadvertently leave the impression that you're trying to pretend like you've completed the degree. And while it might be tempting to just note that the degree is still a work-in-progress, we believe that you should be even more specific. The best way to do that is to include the anticipated graduation date.

Now, if you're like many students, you may not be entirely sure that you'll complete your degree by a set date. However, that shouldn't stop you from providing an anticipated date of completion. In fact, it's essential that you provide this information so that employers know that you're serious about your studies. This is especially true in cases where the job you're seeking requires that degree. Fortunately, it's a relatively easy task to accomplish.

We wrote a good post here on how to include an MBA on a resume.

For example, check out this listing from a sample resume with a master's degree in progress:

MBA, Human Resources Program

Dynamic University, Anytown, AnyState. Expected completion 2023

If you're closer to graduation and are more certain about the date, you can use something like this:

Graduate Studies, Computer Engineering

XYZ University, MyCity, MyState, Graduation Date: Spring, 2022

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What if I don't expect to finish the degree?

If you are taking a break from your education (or a permanent hiatus) you need to consider whether or not the coursework you did complete is relevant. Ask yourself:

• Is this degree related to the job I'm applying for?

• Is this degree more relevant to the job than my other relevant experience including jobs, volunteer work, or certifications?

• Is this in-progress degree recent enough? (Can I still remember what I learned? Has a lot changed in the industry since I learned it?)

• Is having a degree required for this job?

While you should never lie about having a degree you don't have, including any progress made towards a required degree may help you reach the interview stage. The trick is you have to be qualified for the job in every other aspect. If you don't have an MBA, but you do have 10+ years in the business field, you may still have a shot at landing the interview.

To accurately represent this on your resume, don't include a prospective graduation date. Instead, try including the number of credits and the years you attended.

Expert Tip

View 200+ more professional resume samples for all industries, along with a guide to writing resumes from our career experts.

Should I include other information about my degree?

Finally, you may want to consider whether you should list relevant coursework on your resume. In general, work experience is more compelling than education, but either way you should include keywords on your resume. Check out the related read for more advice on the subjects of classes and class projects.

Where to place education in progress on your resume

The second issue you need to address is placement. Where should you place these details when you're trying to figure out how to list education in progress on a resume? There are two main possibilities, depending upon whether the degree is needed for the job you're seeking.

1. If the job requirements include the degree that you're pursuing, then you should try to emphasize that information in your resume. Position it near the beginning of your resume, after the summary section. That way, the employer will see that you're close to completing that requirement before he or she delves any further into the document. This placement helps to showcase your interest and suitability right away.

2. On the other hand, you should place this detail later in the resume if the degree isn't needed for the position. In that instance, you can place your work history and skills higher up in the resume and leave your education for the end.

A final note: grade point average

We should also address another common question that we encounter: do you need to include your grade point average? There are different schools of thought on this, so it's really up to you. As a rule, however, most experts agree that it's generally unwise to include anything less than the best GPAs. That typically means leaving it out unless it's at least 3.5. In most instances, however, you won't need to include that detail unless the job description requires a certain grade point average or you're seeking a job at a major firm.

Summary

Education in progress: one more tool for success!

As you can see, it is not difficult to learn how to list education in progress on a resume. Yes, you need to know the right format to use, and where to list that information. Still, it is a relatively simple thing to handle if you stick to the basic principles we've outlined here. So, be sure to include those educational details, to showcase your developing skills and help you stand out from the crowd!

Suggested reads:

• 7 Free Certifications To Enhance Your Resume

• How to List Online Courses on a Resume (Examples and Tips)

• 200+ Resume Examples for Every Job & Industry

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Source: https://www.zipjob.com/blog/education-in-progress-resume/

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