Career Advice

How to Include Relevant Coursework in Your Resume

Including relevant coursework in your resume is entirely optional. For recent grads, it can be a way to let employers know what skills and knowledge they have as it relates to the job position. To know when or how you should include coursework in your resume, be sure to follow these tips.

 

Choose Your Most Relevant Courses

Deciding which courses to include in your resume is important. You want to select courses that will let your employer know exactly what sort of skills you have. Only list coursework that has a clear and direct tie to the job you’re seeking.

For example, if you’re applying for an accounting job, you might list a few of the higher-level finance classes that you took. Similarly, if you’re applying for a position in Marketing, you can include some Business and Communications courses.

 

Use Keywords and Bullet Points

Once you’ve decided which courses you’ll include in your resume, create a short list of bullet points describing the course. It’s helpful to describe what the class was about and some of the biggest lessons learned. There are a few ways to list your courses, so choose a format that works for your resume. Here’s one example of how to list them out:

 

what relevant coursework to include in your resume

 

Course (example: Economics 300), University Name

Date Taken

 

(Bulleted list)

  • Studied real business-cycle models
  • Learned fiscal and monetary policies
  • Applied consumer and producer theories

 

what relevant coursework to include in your resume

 

Keywords are crucial to your bullet point list. As employers skim through your resume, you want to make sure you include words and phrases that will stand out to them. Showcasing your coursework in this way will help employers see you as a qualified candidate.

 

Including relevant coursework can be just as effective as including recent work experience if you’re relatively new to the workforce. If you’re applying for any entry-level positions, you might not have a ton of professional work experience. By listing relevant coursework in your resume, your potential employer can understand which soft skills you bring to the table.