Almost every career field has at least one association, industry organization, school, or company that offers a certification program. Whether you have achieved a hard certificate after completing an intensive qualification process or have received additional formal training in your field, you may be wondering where and how certificates will be included in your resume. Follow these tips to optimize your placement. Highlight unwanted certificates in your resume Certificates are usually obtained after proving industry-specific knowledge and skills by passing an exam or assessment process.
Examples: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN) Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) Not all certifications the same, so think a little about how important a certificate is to a potential employer. An effective way to assess the value of a certificate is to review job postings for jobs that interest you. “Be aware of the certifications often required in your target sector and make them part of your ongoing professional development,” said Julia Mattern, a nationally certified resume writer and owner of Julia Mattern Career Services.
List the certificates that appear in the resume Too often, certificates are sent to the “no one’s country” at the bottom of the resume. If you have a certificate required or expected by your profession, make sure it is easy to find. You can list important certificates in your resume more than once.
“For some careers, I list certificates as abbreviations after the person’s name on page 1 and then describe the certification information in more detail in a dedicated section,” said Bonnie Negron, CEO of Certified Professional Postwriter and Bonnie Career Services, career coaching and continue writing.
In the event that hiring managers don’t read page 2, including certificates, after your name makes it clear in a matter of seconds that you’ve applied for a certificate, Negron says. Keep in mind that including too many certificates after your name may be too much and may not be appropriate for all industries, so consider what’s common in your profession. Another option is to include important certificates in the resume title or summary.
