In distinguishing an average resume from a job-winning one, Licenses & Certifications on a resume play a major role.
Licenses & Certifications are credentials issued by relevant public and private administrative authorities in the completion of standard examinations or assignments – these credentials are proofs of the candidate acquiring certain skills, knowledge, or competencies to perform a specific job.
This guide is for those who are planning to upgrade their resumes to land the highest-paid positions in any industry.
This ultimate guide includes:
Where to list certifications on a resume
How to list certifications in each section: the right way
Example licenses & certifications for many professions
Plus, Pro Tips to list certifications on a resume.
If you’re looking to make a modern resume for your next job, try out our resume builder to make it as quick as 10 minutes.
Difference Between a Course, Class, and a Certification
The classes you attend and the online courses you complete shouldn’t go under the certifications section of your resume. A proper certification should be issued by an authorized professional body or an organization – it could be private or public.
Here’re some examples of English language courses, classes, and certifications:
Classes:
LSI English language class
English for advanced users - British Council
Courses:
English language for beginners - Udemy
English for career development - Coursera
Certificates:
TOEFL
IELTS
How to List Certifications on Your Resume Masterfully
If you possess multiple certifications, use a consistent format to list them in your resume. It is advisable to list them under a separate section – these sections are called additional sections on a resume which come after the main headings.
If the job you apply for requires you to have licenses, you may list them in the same section – in which case, name the section as Licenses & Certifications.
You could write this section in reverse chronological order in which the certifications would be listed starting with the most recent ones.
However, we suggest you list them based on their perceived value for the position you apply for – your job critical certifications and most relevant licenses should come first.
Here’s the format we suggest to write certifications:
Pro Tip:
Use acronyms for certificates whenever applicable. Most recruiters use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to shortlist resumes – ATS frequently uses acronyms. In fact, most certifications are generally named by the acronym.
If you’re looking for a modern resume template to add certifications and upgrade your resume to enter the increasingly challenging job market, check out our ready-to-fill resume templates.
Where to List Certifications on a Resume?
Some certifications could make you a high potential candidate for certain jobs – some jobs have mandatory license requirements – in both cases, it’s advisable to write your certifications in multiple sections for more visibility.
Here’re the sections in which you should include your certifications and licenses:
Header
Professional summary
Education
Additional sections
Cover letter
Where you write the certifications on your resume will depend upon your candidate profile, the type of certifications & licenses you possess, and the job you are applying for.
1. Header
The header generally includes the candidate name and contact information. If you hold a license or a certificate that you can use after your name – and that adds value to your profile, you should state it.
Here’re some examples:
CORRECT
Charles Livio, CPA
James Kennedy, DVM
Having a highly employable certification just after your name would make your resume stand out – the hiring manager doesn’t have to crawl through the whole resume to know that you’ve got the most important qualification to do the job.
2. Professional Summary
In your professional summary or resume summary, you may state the most relevant certification or the license for the job you’re applying for. Your resume would become keyword-heavy by including this naturally.
The professional summary is about introducing the candidate and their key achievements to the hiring managers – show them that you’re a perfect fit for the job by including a couple of most relevant certifications.
Eg:
INCORRECT
INCORRECT
A passionate truck driver with over 7 years of experience seeks to join DTX Logistics
CORRECT
CORRECT
Class B, CDL truck driver with over 7 years of experience in inter-provincial truck driving seeks to join DTX Logistics to serve with my expertise. Having an accident free driving record for my entire license time.
3. Education
If you possess an education certificate that is very much related to the job, you may include it under the education section.
Do not hesitate to list your certifications ahead of your Master's degree if it is more valuable for the job. However, we suggest you include a separate section to list the certifications and licenses.
4. Additional Sections
Additional sections are a great way to showcase your licenses and certifications in a way that gets more attention from the hiring manager.
You may name this section “Licenses & Certifications”. This pretty much depends on the number of licenses and certifications you own.
Eg: Licenses & Certifications
Amazon AWS certified big data analyst (2021)
A resume is not the place for you to dump everything about your life – it's not your biography. Therefore, make sure you do not include irrelevant certificates in this section.
Pro Tip: If you own a certification that is irrelevant to your job, but you still think that would add some value to your profile or represent your personality, you could add it under the “Interests” section.
Eg:
Interests
Volunteer for Red Cross - CPR Certification (2019)
5. Cover Letter
Though the cover letter is a separate document from your resume, it’s important to provide some space for your certifications on your cover letter.
The cover letter is considered the sales pitch to the recruiter or the employer. There you specifically mention your skills and expertise to carry out the particular job, your passion to apply for the company, and how you would solve their most troubling problems.
Therefore, your most relevant certificates should be included in your cover letter. Mention certifications at the beginning of the letter to draw attention of the reader.
How to Find Relevant Resume Certifications for Your Candidacy
This absolute guide would be a bookmark-worth article as this contains relevant certifications for many professions.
Before starting working on any certification course, create a list of at least 5 prestigious certifications and professional licenses that would amaze the hiring managers – it would depend on your career objectives and the jobs you’re planning to apply for.
In addition, you can check with your local professional bodies for relevant certifications and licenses for your profession along with the procedure to acquire them. They would provide you with information about the online certification programs, new certification courses, and Continuing Professional Development Certifications (CPD) for the earlier acquired certifications.
Another great source would be job advertisements – what the recruiter is looking for – they would mention the mandatory licenses and certifications required for you to perform the job and the certifications that would put you at an advantage. The same information would be available in the relevant job description.
Make a list of them and try to acquire a couple of important certifications before applying for jobs. You can put it in your resume as soon as you do the official registration. If the certification program is not completed, mention it as “In progress”.
Most industry-leading organizations provide certification programs for their areas of specialization: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and most tech companies have online certifications, especially for IT-related subjects.
Examples of Licenses and Certifications on the Resume for Different Professions
This list of certifications and licenses was carefully picked for different industries and professionals to build up strong portfolios for the highest-paid jobs in the market.
Administrative jobs including secretary, assistant, Human Resource Management
Administrative Assistant Certificate by The National Career Certification Board (NCCB)
Microsoft Office Specialist Certification (MOS)
Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence (PACE) by The American Society of Administrative Professionals
Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) by The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IIAP)
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) by the Project Management Institute
HR Certified Professional by The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR)
SHRM-CP (Certified Professional) by the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
Strategic HR Leadership (SHRL) by the Human Capital Institute
Talent Management Practitioner Certificate by the Talent Management Institute
Top 10 Free Online Certifications to Enhance Your Resume
Free online certifications are a great way to boost your resume for higher-paying jobs. In fact, these free certifications are a good starting point to acquiring more recognized and costly certifications.
Google Digital Garage Certification
Google Ads Search Certification
Advance Google Analytics Certificate
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Certification
Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification
Google IT Automation with Python Certification
IBM Data Science Professional Certificate
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
Alison’s Certificate in Supervision Skills
edX Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies Program
FAQs
Should I write a separate section for certifications on my resume?
If you possess one or more licenses or certifications that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, you should have a separate section for certifications instead of hiding that information in your education section.
A separate section grabs the eyeballs of the hiring manager. You may name this section as any of the following based on the type of certifications you have:
Certifications
Licenses & Certifications
Professional Certifications
Skill Certifications
How to write certifications in progress on the resume?
If you’re still reading for certification, you could add it to your resume. Put “(in progress)” in parentheses at the end of the certification name. Include the anticipated finishing date if relevant.
Also, If you have completed part of the certification, you could mention it.
Can I include old or expired certifications on my resume?
Do not include the expired or too old certifications on your resume. Check with the relevant professional bodies as to how you could renew them – most professional certificate programs have Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programs to renew the certifications.
However, if you are on a tight schedule and the expired certification is related to specific expertise to apply for the job, you can still include it on your resume provided that you should state the current status of the certificate. Most recruiters would give you a chance on the condition that you renew it in the future.
CORRECT
INCORRECT
