Pending Certification in resume

I'm currently studying for the CCNA. Is it a good idea to put certification pending in my resume?
For example: CCNA (Currently pursuing)

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

dave330i

No. You're either certified or not.

iBrokeIT

No, your resume is a list of your accomplishments and not things that you may or may not complete at some undetermined point in the future.

OctalDump

This comes up every so often, and there is never a consensus. Some employers are going to find it very annoying, some won't care either way, some might see it as a positive.

Some people will say "don't list it unless you have it", others will say "it's fine to put currently pursuing". You will hear anecdotes from people saying that it did them harm, or was the way they got their job. Other people will say that when they hire that hate it when people include this, others will say that they like to hear that people are studying.

Part of the problem is that most companies use some kind of keyword filtering, so if they are looking for people with CCNA's and they get a resume with "Currently studying CCNA", it can be annoying (or not). But if they are in a situation where CCNA is 'desirable' and your "currently pursuing" is the closest they get, then maybe you are in with a chance (or not).

So I'd say go with your gut.

If you do put it on your resume, then you need to be very clear that you are not yet certified. So do not put it under a heading "Certifications".

Another issue is that "Currently pursuing" can mean "I've thought about getting a book" or "I've finished reading two books, spent 30 hours labbing, and I've booked the CCNA ICND1 exam for Friday". It can leave the employer guessing to where your skills actually are.

So if you are doing an actual course, like Cisco Network Academy, then you could put the details of the course EG "Currently attending Cisco Network Academy CCNA2 course, completion date 1st June"

Another option is to describe the skills that you currently have, so if you have studied STP or VLANs, put those on the resume instead.

I think if you don't put it on your resume, it can be put in your cover letter, describing where you studies/skills actually are, and it is certainly something that you should bring up in an interview. You want to make sure that they know that you are motivated for self improvement, and also that they actually value employees who self improve.

jamthat

I have an 'in progress' section under my certification header with estimated dates of completion. It's worked out well for me so far, just don't go crazy with it and make sure you're honest/realistic.

thomas_

I'd probably put it underneath an "Independent Studies" section.

D2P

Thanks a lot guys

BradleyHU

dave330i wrote: »

No. You're either certified or not.

/thread

Sheiko37

If you put it in, put it in the cover letter, which is basically a summary of who you are, where you've been and where you're going, so why shouldn't they know what you're currently studying?

I think it looks bad to just list it under a certification section with a date pending.

si20

Tricky one. For me, saying that i'm studying the OSCP (at the time) got me the interview. But if you say you're studying a cert, make sure you've read quite deep and fully understand the material. During my interview, I was asked about what various tools do and how i'd seek out a vulnerability using the stuff that the OSCP taught me - if I had only read 1-2 pages of the coursebook, i'd have looked like a complete idiot. Luckily for me, i'd covered a good 85% of the book and felt comfortable with most questions.

dustervoice

You can put whatever you want on a CV just be prepared to discuss it. As long as you are not purposely trying to deceive then its not a big deal.

TechGromit

It's kind like saying I'm an inshape, multi-millionaire on a dating profile. I'm currently working on both, that counts right?

aftereffector

For me, absolutely not. I interview people from time to time, and if I see anything that looks like a certification that isn't actually a certification (for instance, "skills and experience equivalent to Security+" or "CCNA Training Class"), that resume goes straight into the "do not call" pile.

Not every hiring manager feels like I do, but it's like discussing politics on a first date... maybe it won't hurt, and just maybe it might actually help, but at least half of the time, it will actively hurt your chances of getting a fair shot at an interview.

markulous

I don't list anything pending (other than a degree I'm currently working on). That's just something I'll bring up in the interview when we talk about what I'm working on or what my short-term goals are.

higherho

See I disagree with a majority of individuals here. You can put this sort of information in a cover letter or resume. Your resume is your marketing material. The hiring manager needs to know a number things not only current technical skills but what you are striving for. Putting studies on there will show them you're advancing yourself is 100% ok. When individuals tel you not to do it, don't listen to them. There is no sure fire way for resume writing because like I mentioned above it's all marketing. It's also hypocritical that people put "pending degrees" but won't allow pending certifications / studies. What a joke.

I personally wouldn't want to work for a hiring manager that doesn't understand that concept. I've done things like this multiple times. Got a lot of interviews and hiring managers stating that they were happy to see me putting that kind of information on my resume. I've explained my character, future goals, current studies, LinkedIn profile, I even put a picture of myself on the resume. Don't sell yourself short.

ThomasITguy

On my resume I list my certifications... then after each one I typed "put some respek on it"

danny069

No, never list certs that you are persuing or expired on your resume. I suggest adding your linkedin profile address on your resume and in your linkedin profile, mention that you are studying for the CCNA, and you expect to have it this certain date. Also make sure that information can be publicly viewed.

Danielm7

aftereffector wrote: »

For me, absolutely not. I interview people from time to time, and if I see anything that looks like a certification that isn't actually a certification (for instance, "skills and experience equivalent to Security+" or "CCNA Training Class"), that resume goes straight into the "do not call" pile.

I wouldn't ding someone for listing a training class, but they can have a section for training and education and put it there. If they had a certs section and listed "CCNA training" there hoping people wouldn't notice then that would bother me.

BradleyHU

thomasitguy wrote: »

on my resume i list my certifications... Then after each one i typed "put some respek on it" :d

lmaooooo!!! "All tree of ya'll!!"

Russ5813

Resumes are for quantifiable information about your employment history, training, and credentials. Cover letters allow you to add qualifying information; e.g. "I feel that I'd be a great addition to your team because my CCNA studies have prepared me for xyz." Opinions will vary. I would view "pursuing CCNA" on a resume as an attempt to bypass HR filters.

blargoe

Don't put it on the resume. Possibly give it a mention on your cover letter or LinkedIn profile as mentioned above, as long as you are clear that you are pursuing, but do not currently hold the certification.

For example, I do not list CCNA on my resume, but I do list on my LinkedIn profile that I obtained the cert, and held it from 2001 to 2004 when it expired.

ThomasITguy

But on the real... you can mention during the interview that you are studying for CCNA, etc... but unless you are certified don't put it on your resume

chrisone

I listed my goals for 2016 and during my interview it was brought up. The CISO also told me I was the only applicant who listed out goals and that was a big plus as it showed I was goal oriented. Yes I got the job

"I will always list my goals and if the employer does not respect goal driven individuals I don't want to work there."

Chances are the employer has no funds or does not care about training. #red_flag! #major_headaches #poor_work_flow #doing_things_the_hard_way!

bermovick

Despite what everyone here says, I've listed it. I've brought up the "do/do not" arguments with quite a few recruiters I've worked with, and every one of them has said to list it. It shows you're not being complacent and are working on bettering yourself.

It gets brought up during interviews pretty often, so it's a good segue into further conversation of goals and the like.

I'd agree that if you list it you need to be far enough along that you can answer questions or carry your end of a conversation about the topics.

jt2929

The cert isn't pending if you're just studying for it, so no, don't put it on the resume if you don't have it. Putting your studies in a cover letter is a better option and satisfies the need to show that you are continually working on your craft.

historian1974

For degrees, it is fine. I don't think it should be done for certifications. I'm with the camp that says either you're certified or you aren't.

It could/should be used as a talking point though during the interview process or perhaps mentioned in a cover letter.

dustervoice

Its a hiring manager responsibility to read and understand a resume. If someone puts a pending cert and explicitly states its pending.. thats not a lie. some candidates might need to pad their CV a bit and as a hiring manager you must understand that and bring it up in the interview. The interview is a chance to get to know the person in a bit more detail. a hiring manager should spend more time on personality and behavioural type questions trying to understand the human side of a candidate, their ambitions, aspirations and what motivates an individual and not loads of techie questions. one can study in order to get tech stuff correct you cannot study to be honest, kind and understanding that's a personality trait.

fmitawaps

I don't think most HR people know much about IT. They only know what the piece of paper listing job requirements in front of them says. Anything outside those guidelines, they don't know what to do with.

GSXR750K2

It depends on who you ask. Since you asked...

As many others have stated, for a single exam cert, there are no shades of gray. It either is or it isn't.

However, for a multi-exam cert I would be more understanding about listing the exams passed leading up to the actual cert. At least then a quantifiable measure of "currently pursuing" could be made as opposed to wondering if someone was planning on it, had just started studying, or if they are scheduled to take the last required exam in a week. For example, if I saw three out of the four exams for the CCNP-Security were complete on a resume', I would lend more credence to that candidate than the one who just said "CCNP-Sec...I'm working on it".

If you get an interview you can inform the interviewer(s) of your certification progress, but if you get the wrong HR person (most of them from my experience), they'll see to it you don't get an interview.

capwap

Just say it's completed and hope you get it done before the interview. That's what I did when I was 18 and applying for electrical engineering jobs. Some of the companies were confused when I returned their calls 4 years later, though. People are weird about time intervals.

thomas_

It is funny about how many people say to not list a cert as in progress and that it's either completed or not, but then say it's ok to list a degree that's in progress. That is such a double standard.

News flash, you either have a bachelor's or don't have a bachelor's. You either have an associates or don't have an associates. You either have a Master's or don't have a Master's. Don't kid yourself that working towards a degree and working towards a cert are different things. Lots of people start college, but never finish just like lots of people start studying for a cert and never achieve it.