how to list course in cv

General advice

1. Record each certification, course or training in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent learning event .
2. Do not include certificates/trainings/courses that are not relevant to your work. ...
3. Any abbreviations must be written in full, at least once, so that they can be understood by recruiters who are not specialists in your field. ...

Full Answer

How to add coursework to CV?

Decide first if adding coursework on a CV is ideal for you; include related classes if relevant to the job and you have little professional experience. Create a subsection under the education entry on your CV with a clearly-labelled subheading, such as “Related Coursework.”.

What is a CV with little experience?

You’re writing a CV with little experience; You have coursework relevant to the job to which you’re applying. The job places a high value on educational accomplishments (e.g., student CVs, internship CVs ).

What to do if your university coursework isn't relevant to your job?

If the university coursework you’re thinking of writing isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for, leave it off!

What is relevant coursework?

Relevant coursework is a term for courses you took at school or university that are related to the position you are applying for. This kind of coursework can be listed on a CV under the education heading. The purpose of this information is to highlight knowledge pertinent to the job.

What to do if your CV doesn't help?

If it doesn’t help you secure your new career, leave it off your CV.

Why do you use a CV format?

This format helps to guide the reader’s eyes, allowing you to focus on fewer, but more impactful, courses on a CV.

Is it better to take the first or third course?

Though education is important, I’d recommend going with the first course option in most cases, as it takes up less room. However, if you lack real-world experience but have an impressive academic background, the third option might be perfect for you.

Who should include coursework on a resume?

Recent graduates or people changing careers may not have enough related experience. This is the perfect opportunity to list coursework instead of experience. Before you can impress a hiring manager with your skills and talents, you first need to get an interview. Without showing experience on a resume, it might be difficult to reach that first step.

When writing a resume, do you need to include coursework?

The best place to include these classes is after listing the high school, college or technical school you attended.

How to add internships to resume?

1. First, list relevant courses that show experience. For example, if you are applying for a job in education, you can list courses in child development, child psychology and any other classes that will show experience working with children. 2. Second, add internships to your resume. Many courses require you to complete summer internships ...

What to include in a summer internship?

For example, if you are applying for a law firm job, include your internship working as a file clerk or transcriptionist. During these internships, you probably learned to answer phones, talk with clients and specific legal terminology. Listing this on your resume shows you have a knowledgeable background working with attorneys, even if you might not have paid employment experience.

What to include when applying for a job?

For example, if you are applying for a job with a newspaper, include your experience working on the yearbook for both high school and college. If you wrote articles for your school newspaper, include this experience and even some writing samples.

What to include in your resume while attending school?

While attending school, you probably completed several class projects. For example, if you are looking for a business marketing job, include project information where you learned marketing techniques. If you have pictures or examples of brochures and data analysis charts, you might want to include these as an attachment with your resume or take them in your portfolio when you go for an interview.

Do you have to include every class on your transcript?

You do not need to include every class on your transcript. Instead, choose relevant classes for the position you are applying for. If you are applying for a variety of jobs, you might need to change the courses on your resume for different applications.

Why should I include online courses on my CV?

Clients often ask us whether including an online course on their CV is a good use of space.

Where should I list online courses on my CV?

We recommend listing online courses in the Certifications or Professional Development sections on your CV.

Who are the best online course providers?

You should be able to find both free and paid online courses relevant to your niche.

In Summary

Whether you're looking to grow in your field or switch careers, online courses can help get your foot in the door.

About CV Pilots

CV Pilots is an award-winning executive CV writing, career coaching and outplacement firm. Our previous clients include CEOs and senior executives at the world's leading companies.

About the Author Matt Glodz

Matt Glodz is the Founder and Managing Partner of CV Pilots and a Certified Professional Resume Writer.

What should a course description include?

Ideally, your course descriptions should include quantifiable information. For example, you can say you conducted 40+ hours of field work, interviewed 3 professionals about their fields of expertise, and gave a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation to 32 classmates.

Why is coursework important on a resume?

Putting relevant coursework on your resume is especially important if you’re writing a resume with no work experience. Doing so demonstrates you have knowledge related to the position, even if you lack experience in the workforce.

What to include on a resume if it doesn't fill a page?

And if your resume doesn’t quite fill a page, include other relevant experiences you’ve accumulated in life in addition to your coursework.

Why do you include coursework in your work experience section?

Including coursework in your work experience section allows you to share detailed information about what you did for each course.

Should I Include Relevant Coursework on My Resume?

Yes, you can and often should include coursework that directly relates to the position you’re applying for on your resume. Doing so highlights your relevant expertise, and helps you include resume keywords that can ensure your resume gets past applicant tracking system software.

Why add coursework to resume?

Adding relevant coursework to your resume can give the recruites a peek into the types of skills you’ve developed as a student —

What is relevant coursework?

Relevant coursework is a list of subjects and courses you took at school that are pertinent to the position you're applying for. You can include relevant coursework on your resume in the education section. Any courses, subjects, and projects you list have to be related to the job opening.

What would be relevant if the candidate above applied for an SEO-related position?

If the candidate above applied for an SEO-related position all the coursework would be relevant.

Do you need to list coursework on your resume?

Listing relevant coursework isn’t really necessary if you can show more than a year of experience on your resume.

Do you list coursework when applying for positions that don't require it?

Last but not least, remember that relevance is the keyword. So don't list coursework when applying for positions that don't require it.

Should education be first on resume?

Depending on how much work experience you have, the education section might either come first on your resume or follow the experience section.

Can you list online courses?

If you completed some online courses, you’re free to list them as well.

How to add coursework to resume?

Decide first if adding coursework on a resume is ideal for you; include related classes if relevant to the job and you have little professional experience. Create a subsection under the education entry on your resume with a clearly-labeled subheading, such as “Related Coursework.”.

What is relevant coursework?

Relevant coursework is a term for courses you took at school or college that are related to the position you are applying for. This kind of coursework can be listed on a resume under the education heading. The purpose of this information is to highlight knowledge pertinent to the job.

What to do if college coursework isn't relevant to the job you're applying for?

If the college coursework you’re thinking of writing isn’t relevant to the job you’re applying for, leave it off!

What to do if your resume doesn't secure your new job?

If it doesn’t help you secure your new career, leave it off your resume.

When to save real estate experience on resume?

Otherwise, when you gain more than a few years of general work experience, save that resume real estate for a more impactful section.

Is it better to take the first or third course?

Though education is important, I’d recommend going with the first course option in most cases, as it takes up less room. However, if you lack real-world experience but have an impressive academic background, the third option might be perfect for you.

Is coursework on resume optional?

Adding related coursework on resumes is optional. However, it is a strategic choice which may help your chances, if done right.

What is a CV?

What is a curriculum vitae? A curriculum vitae (CV), Latin for “course of life,” is a detailed professional document highlighting a person’s education, experience and accomplishments. A CV may also include professional references, as well as coursework, fieldwork, hobbies and interests relevant to your profession.

What is the best format for CV?

All three common formats —chronological, functional and combination—work for a CV, but an effective format is combination. This CV type is a hybrid of the chronological and functional formats and allows adequate space for details about both your professional and educational history, as well as your skills and accomplishments. The elements you place first depend on your experience, career goals and what you believe is most relevant to the types of positions you’re seeking.

How to distinguish section headers from the rest of your CV?

Use section headers: Distinguish section headers from the rest of your CV content by making them bolder, larger or underlined.

How many pages are in a CV?

CVs are commonly two or more pages while resumes are typically only one page in length.

How to remove irrelevant information from CV?

Remove irrelevant information: Use the limited space on your CV to promote only the most relevant and impressive information about your background. Remove experience older than 15 years and dates from your education section if you have five or more years of professional experience.

What is a well written CV?

A well-composed CV shares all the most essential information employers need when considering you for job opportunities. By making sure your CV is comprehensive, correctly formatted and easy to read, you’re one step closer to landing the job you want.

What to include in a license?

Licenses and certifications: Include the name of the license or certificate, the date you earned it and the institution that awarded it.