Prioritizing education, skills, and experience in resume

davidboy

My resume includes 3 sections: education, skill, experience

I am applying for a jr. project lead job with an interview that will be conducted at my university. I will be graduating in May. For the past couple years, I have had my education at the very top, followed by skills, then by experience. At this time, I had much more to show in my education than my skills/experience. I have however acquired 2 relevant job/internship experiences since then.

Should I rearrange my resume so that either my skills or experience is shown first? I was thinking of having them in this order from top to bottom: skills, experience, education. Even though this employer is hiring through my university, I feel that they are more interested in my skills/experience than my education.

What should I do? Thanks in advance

Essendon

I go:

- Two line Summary
- Certs/Education
- Experience

I have enough keywords in the experience that I dont need the Skills section. Besides having the Skills section doesnt serve a purpose really, IMO. If you claim to be skilled at something, say SQL, your experience section should say what all you've done with SQL.

If you've only glanced at SQL in a youtube video (not saying you have) and that's the only experience you've had with it and you mention it in your Skills section. Now imagine if the interviewer goes - O great, you have skills in SQL too! Fantastic! Can you tell me what you've done with it? You reply, O I just watched a youtube video a few nights ago. That is not going to bode well for your chances.

So if you've got enough experience, leave out the Skills section.

webgeek

Essendon wrote: »

I go:

- Two line Summary
- Certs/Education
- Experience

Same as Essendon is how I lay out my resume but I put education over certs.

Mike-Mike

I just do experience, education, certs...

I never really saw the point in skills or summary or whatever, but maybe I should rethink that

ptilsen

100% with Webgeek and Essendon. I would put education first for bachelor's degrees or higher in a relevant field or if you have only entry-level certs. I would put experience first if you have neither good certs nor good education to show (e.g. HS only and Net+, but 5 years experience). No skills section unless you have no experience.

dave330i

Essendon wrote: »

I go:

- Two line Summary
- Certs/Education
- Experience

Damn.... 2 line summary. Guess I'd better write more stuff.

networker050184

Put whatever is going to be more applicable to the job you are applying to first. Do you have a lot of experience relevant to that position? Make sure they see that first. Are you trying to crack into something with the education you have? Put it at the top.

blargoe

I would place them in the order of your strengths. For a recent college grad with little experience, of course Education would be key, unless there are some valuable certifications to add to the resume. For me personally, education is not at the top because I now have very marketable skills and experience.

bub9001

networker050184 wrote: »

Put whatever is going to be more applicable to the job you are applying to first. Do you have a lot of experience relevant to that position? Make sure they see that first. Are you trying to crack into something with the education you have? Put it at the top.

Couldn't agree more, I have seen resume's that I just shake my head. Don't send a generic resume, that's what 80% of what I have seen lately. Read the posting twice, and look for key words that you should convey your experience that makes you the ideal candidate for the job. The time and effort you put into your resume will show the employer that your serious about wanting the job.

N2IT

One size does not fit all.