Putting cert on Resume

Inbahrain2011

This is my first post on the forum. After 8 long weeks finally I find out I passed the CISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I have a question for the forum. I am applying for a new job and want to know if it is acceptable to put it on my resume but to anotate that it is pending endorsement. Please give your opinions on this subject. Thanks guys.

mattlee09

Inbahrain2011 wrote: »

This is my first post on the forum. After 8 long weeks finally I find out I passed the CISM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I have a question for the forum. I am applying for a new job and want to know if it is acceptable to put it on my resume but to anotate that it is pending endorsement. Please give your opinions on this subject. Thanks guys.

In my opinion, yes.

I think it's the DoD? that requires you to pass the CISSP exam itself, but you don't actually have to get the 'cert' (requiring all the work history and references, etc.)

Seems like if anything, this would be a similar case. No reason not to display the knowledge you have validated by the exam you took.

JDMurray

It's quite acceptable to put "CISM exam passed on date XX/YY/ZZ; pending full certification" on your resume. But once you have the full CISM certification, make sure to update your resume where ever it may be.

grauwulf

slight difference in what JD said; I put my CISSP on my resume as
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) - (9 July, 2011 : Pending (ISC)2 endorsement)

I use the format "[certification] (abbr) - (cert date)" for all of my certs so this worked out very well for me.

congrats on the pass

JDMurray

I don't like the phrase "pending endorsement" because people don't know what that means. I prefer to state that "full certification still pending," which is what you are trying to say with "pending endorsement." Being explicit in this regard is less confusing to the resume reader.

whatthehell

Congratz! I most definitely think it would be good to put on your resume!

KevInOz

I would list the cert and date, but I do not note if there is any administrative function pending. That can come up during the interview and reference/credential check.

The purpose of the resume is to induce the manager to meet you. The outstanding administrative function is immaterial to your potential contribution to the company. The skills you obtained and validated via the exam is of interest to the hiring manager. Focus on that. They will not spend the time to validate your credentials and references unless they feel you are a potential hire, which comes after the interview.

I have a hard and soft copy of all contact details to validate references and certifications. Leave that when you are asked if they can contact references. You are then demonstrating preparation and anticipation of information your manager needs, both desirable traits in any employee. On that sheet I list any outstanding admin tasks.

Good luck with the job hunt!

grauwulf

JDMurray wrote: »

I don't like the phrase "pending endorsement" because people don't know what that means. I prefer to state that "full certification still pending," which is what you are trying to say with "pending endorsement." Being explicit in this regard is less confusing to the resume reader.

Although, couldn't you claim that you have 'full certification still pending' for every other certification on the planet? How is that less ambiguous than: "[Certification] - [Date] [Pending organization endorsement]" ?

Your mileage may vary, of course, but it seems to me that it's much easier to say 'I passed the test and I'm waiting on paperwork' rather than 'I'm waiting on full pass status', no?

Grauwulf, MD (Full Certification Pending )

NeriKutta

It supposedly takes 2 months to officially get certified. In this in-between period (the "Twilight Zone" period), what do you do with your resume? Some possible options I saw around the net were:

0. Put nothing and actually wait for the formal certification - status quo
1. "CISA Passed - Awaiting Certification"
2. "CISA Certification Pending"
3. "CISA Endorsement Pending"
4. "CISA Passed"
5. "CISA Passed - applied for certification"
6. Any other ideas?

JDMurray

grauwulf wrote: »

Although, couldn't you claim that you have 'full certification still pending' for every other certification on the planet? How is that less ambiguous than: "[Certification] - [Date] [Pending organization endorsement]" ?

No, not at all. Many certifications are awarded immediately upon completing a single exam (e.g., CompTIA). Many multi-exam certifications (e.g., Microsoft, Cisco) have no intermediate designation to indicate the candidate is in the process of getting a cert. The (ISC)2 is different because they decided on a procedure in which passing the exam would not be the final step in achieving the cert. This confuses a lot of people who have come to understand that passing an exam it all it takes to become certified.

Also, the phrase "Pending organization endorsement" is inaccurate. The exam candidate is endorsed by a member of the (ISC)2, and the (ISC)2 then performs an audit to (dis)approve the endorsement. "Pending endorsement" is sufficient.