The Ultimate Guide: How to List Certifications on Resumes

What are certifications?

Certifications are documents awarded by institutions to recognize an achievement or specific level of knowledge. They’re typically given out by schools, boards, and professional organizations, both in-person and online. Common certificate examples include CPR, project management, and language proficiency.

Typically, professionals must pay a fee, complete a course, or meet specific qualifications to receive a certificate. This process is usually difficult and time-intensive, making certificates stand out in a resume because only a handful of applicants possess them.

Certifications differ from standard educational degrees because they’re more targeted. While college degrees prove knowledge in a general field, certificates describe excellence in a specific skill, competency, or software.

Why should you get certified?

It can be rigorous to achieve certification, sometimes costing money and taking months of effort. Modern professionals are busy enough without the pressure of certification courses—so why bother?

Obtaining certificates can be worth the time, effort, and money if they align with your career goals. Certifications and licenses showcase the work ethic you put into your personal and professional development and give you a leg up on your peers.

There are also some industries where certificates are the norm. For example, nursing positions are expected to include CPR certification on resumes.

Benefits of including certifications in your resume

Certifications on resumes can be a major benefit, helping you stand out from the crowd by reinforcing your qualifications. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

Here are the top benefits of including certifications in resumes:

• Demonstrate skills: Certifications prove your skills in certain fields. This is especially important to fast-paced companies focused on new trends and innovation.
• Showcase commitment to learning: No matter which certificates you have, they prove your work ethic and devotion to professional development.
• Meet job description recommendations: Some job ads require or recommend candidates to have certain certifications to be considered for the position.
• Support career changes: If you don’t have a relevant work history in an industry, certifications are a great way to gain relevant experience quickly.
• Help internal growth and promotions: Gaining certificates displays work ethic and openness to new skills, positioning you for future promotions.
• Say a lot in a little space: Certificates convey skills, work ethic, and commitment to continuous improvement without taking up a lot of space on your resume.

“Certifications on resumes can be a major benefit, helping you stand out from the crowd by reinforcing your qualifications.”

How to list certifications on resumes effectively 

Now let’s get into the guide—how and where to put certifications on resumes, including how to correctly format them. 

How to choose relevant online course certifications

First, make sure you choose the best certifications to list. 

For example, you might be tempted to add a leadership Coursera certificate on a resume, along with your certificates for communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution. These are all excellent choices, but you don’t want to overwhelm the hiring manager.

Look over your credentials and choose your strongest, most relevant certificates. We recommend including two to three certifications, with three to five as the absolute maximum. It’s also a good idea to look into your industry norms and your specific job description, as some roles may normally have more certifications than others.

Where to add certifications on your resume

Most often, certifications should have their own dedicated resume section. This resume element is typically short and simple and located beneath both the education section and the work experience section.

This puts your certifications in one section, centralizing your accomplishments and making it easy for the hiring manager to find and absorb them. This is especially important when certifications are required for the role.

Make sure you choose a resume template that supports optional sections, like certifications and volunteer work.

Alternatively, you can also place certifications in the education section, resume summary, or personal details. Always check the industry standard for your role before you choose to ensure you align with the recruiter’s expectations.

Formatting guidelines for certification listings

Structuring certifications on resumes is straightforward and easy to learn. First, provide the name of the certificate. Use the full name of the certification, including any acronyms it contains. This makes it easy for the hiring manager to research if they’re unfamiliar with the course.

Then, add the institution and the date you earned it. This information helps recruiters verify if you really earned the certification. The date also reassures them the certificate is still valid, if it’s time-sensitive.

Tips for maximizing the impact of your certifications

Adding certifications to your resume is the most basic step. You can take it further, make your certificates stand out, and really impress the hiring manager. Use our tips and tricks—you put in the effort to earn those certificates, so you should show them off.

Tailor certifications to the job description and industry

Certificates always display a commitment to hard work and learning, but in some sectors, they’re essential. Ensure you include the right certifications by tailoring your resume to meet the job description and industry standards.

For example, leadership course certificates are valuable on manager resumes, but adding a PMP on resumes is vital for project managers. 

There are also roles where certificates aren’t expected, but they’re very important. For instance, an esthetician resume looks great with a beauty certificate or two, as these professionals don’t often have higher education.

For more role-specific examples of certificates and education, browse our resume samples.

Use the right language to pass the ATS

When job descriptions specifically require a certificate, make sure you use the exact terminology in the post. Let’s say the employer uses the full name “Information Technology Infrastructure Library Certificate” instead of “ITIL Certification.” Make sure to write out your certificate like this:

Aligning your resume with the job description's keywords helps your resume pass a company’s applicant tracking system (ATS). An ATS resume improves your chances of getting seen by the hiring manager and securing that interview you deserve.

Make it easy for the hiring manager to research

Some certifications are smaller and more obscure. This doesn’t mean they’re less important, so you don’t want the recruiter scratching their head and setting your resume aside.

Include links to the institution and specific courses to help the hiring manager learn about your certificates. This ensures they understand your qualifications and shows respect for their time.

This is particularly helpful when placing a Coursera certificate on resumes. Online organizations offer thousands of courses, so it’s unlikely that employers will know the name of your course off-hand.

Leave out irrelevant certifications to avoid distractions

You put in the time and effort, but that doesn’t mean your certifications are relevant on every resume you send out. Irrelevant certificates might overwhelm recruiters, distracting them from your skills, work experience, and education.

For example, adding that you’re CPR certified on resumes is useful for healthcare roles and any position that works with children, like teachers. However, leave it off if you’re applying for an administrative assistant position.

Proudly list certifications on resumes

You took the time to earn that valuable certificate, so list it on your resume with confidence and land that interview. Use our tips to incorporate certifications into your application smoothly:

• Choose only relevant certifications and list a maximum of three to five
• Add certifications to their own section, the education section, personal details, or the summary
• Mirror the language in the job description when writing out your certificates to make your resume ATS-friendly
• Include helpful links to ensure the hiring manager knows what your certification means

Get started now and use CVwizard’s resume builder to create a cohesive resume. Use the easy drag-and-drop interface to add a Certificates section and choose a template that really makes it stand out.