How to Put College Coursework on a Resume Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

Create a connection between classroom learning and career success with coursework on your resume. Whether you're embarking on a career just out of college or hoping to change careers, it's daunting to explain your experiences on a resume. College courses can play a role in displaying your skills, interests, and value to a potential employer. By matching your learning to a potential employer's needs, highlighting upper level and foundational courses, focusing on the present and including professors as references, you can draw strong connections between your classroom learning and your value in the workplace. In being specific, list upper level courses that show your interests and abilities. For example, it would be more helpful to list race, politics and media than it would be to list introduction to political science. Further, list courses by name rather than their catalog numbers, so there is common language between you and your potential employer.

Elective courses that show problem solving, communication and teamwork skills are also valuable to employers and should be noted. College courses are great for demonstrating experience because there are records of what you've accomplished papers, presentations and grades. If you've enrolled in, but have not yet taken, courses relevant to the job, don't list them on your resume. Instead, share that information in a cover letter, which has a more fluid and conversational format. Use your resume to record what you've done, and cover letters to discuss what your experiences mean to you and your potential employer. Nine phrases you should never put on your resume there are lots of ways to get into the yes pile customizing your resume. Using strong verbs, giving concrete examples of past accomplishments and showing your value, for example.

But there are also many ways to get your resume immediately consigned to the no pile. One way is to use the wrong words or phrases often, empty clich s, annoying jargon or recycled buzzwords. In a recent article, ldquo 10 words and terms that ruin a resume , rdquo we highlighted some of the worst offenders.

That article really got people talking, so we asked some recruiting experts to share more of these detestable resume terms: 1. Ldquo job duties rdquo heather huhman, career expert and founder of content marketing and digital pr consultancy come recommended, says the term ldquo job duties rdquo is not convincing on a resume. Rdquo keep in mind that your job duties are something that happened to you, not something you achieved and your resume should tell a story of achievement. Related coursework unless you're applying for your very first internship, remove your related coursework, huhman says. All your relevant education definitely belongs on your resume, but a separate section for related coursework isn't necessary. If you're struggling to show how a class is relevant to the job you're applying for, consider removing it. Ldquo proven ability rdquo hr manager jen strobel views this phrase as just resume filler.

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Ldquo the ability was proven by whom? how is the ability proven? how does this ability compare to those which are not proven? rdquo she asks. So use your resume to prove your ability by giving specific examples of your career achievements. Married with children delmar johnson, an hr professional with 20 years of experience and founder of hr services firm hr brain for hire, says personal information doesn rsquo t belong on a resume. But your goal is to reflect a level of professionalism that demonstrates your knowledge, your skills and abilities that are applicable to the job to which you are applying. Transferable skills when executive recruiter and career counselor bruce hurwitz sees these words, he takes them to mean ldquo i'm not qualified, but do me a favor.

Rdquo he says the terms ldquo skills rdquo or ldquo skill set rdquo are fine to use, but the word transferable has negative connotations. Ldquo results oriented rdquo cousin to the term ldquo hard worker, rdquo this is something anyone can say about himself. And as stacey hawley, career specialist and founder of career consultancy credo, points out, that you rsquo ll work toward results ldquo is assumed. Rdquo there rsquo s no need to use your resume to tell people things they already know. Ldquo utilized my skills rdquo ldquo who else's skills would we be using? rdquo hawley asks. Beware of boilerplate phrases that have lost their meaning and that can be replaced with expressive words that say something specific about you.

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Ldquo had _ rdquo career and etiquette expert sandra lamb is a proponent of using strong language on resumes. Ldquo rsquo had rsquo is an anemic and colorless verb that gives the reader the impression you rsquo re submitting a job description, rdquo says lamb, author of how to write it. Ldquo don't use this to start a bulleted item on your resume you rsquo ll be better served by a strong, active verb. Rdquo for example, you might say ldquo managed three people rdquo instead of ldquo had three direct reports.

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Wacky email addresses and twitter handles! recruiting and career expert abby kohut of absolutelyabby.com says that inappropriate email addresses like ldquo [email protected] rdquo or ldquo [email protected] rdquo can send a resume to the bottom of the pile, if not the trash. Ldquo it rsquo s not so much the email address as it is the job seeker rsquo s judgment that i rsquo m concerned about, rdquo she says. And the same goes for twitter: more and more recruiters are researching candidates on social sites, so make sure you have a professional sounding twitter handle as well.