Five ways to list relevant coursework on your CV

Relevant coursework, like relevant experience, can be identified by considering the nature of the job you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for an entry-level job in retail then there may not be any particular coursework that will be relevant. If you are applying for a nursing position, however, your coursework and academic achievements will be crucial, especially if you are a recent graduate. Relevant coursework is academic work that:

• Has trained you to do a job
• Renders you legally certified to do a job
• Will be beneficial in the undertaking of a certain job posting

In some cases, this is very clear, as with nursing, law, dentistry, social work and other professions. In other situations, however, it can be less clear. For example, you don’t need a degree in historical research to work in HR, but the report writing skills that most bachelor of arts degrees instill can be relevant to many different roles. Likewise, if you have a bachelor of science, you may find that some of your coursework is relevant to different research roles. If you want to figure out whether your coursework is relevant to a specific job, consider the job description and highlight any skills from the posting you use in your academic life.

There are some situations where it is best to list relevant coursework. The most common is when you are a recent graduate from college or high school and have little to no work experience. Another example of a situation when relevant coursework can be useful is when applying for entry-level jobs. If you are in the middle of a career change, listing coursework can also be very helpful. If you have a lot of work experience and are applying for a job in the same field, it is unlikely that you will need to list coursework unless it directly enhances your ability to do the job.

If you know that adding relevant coursework to a professional CV will be helpful, you need to identify what you want to list and include it properly. First, you should read the job posting carefully and highlight the core competencies and skills it requires. Use this to help you identify coursework that a potential employer will find interesting. For example, job seekers looking to work in public relations, good communications skills, risk assessment and teamwork will be key. Then pinpoint coursework you’ve had that displays these skills (e.g., group projects). Likewise, if you want to work in marketing, creative skills will be all-important. Examples of relevant coursework for a marketing role include visual design projects. If you are still uncertain, consider CV examples in your field that have relevant coursework sections. Once you know what coursework you want to list, it’s time to write your perfect CV. There are a few ways to list relevant coursework on a CV; the most effective is to create a specific relevant coursework section. A CV format with this feature will make it clear to a recruiter that you are a student and may lack professional work experience. When listing your coursework you can use one of these formats.

• Simple

This format is simple—a simple bullet list of relevant coursework. For example, when applying to be an editor this column might look like:

Relevant Coursework: Editorial

• International journalism

• English literature

• Technical writing

• Categorised

Slightly more complex, this format breaks down coursework into different areas of expertise. For example:

Relevant Coursework: Digital Marketing

Graphic Design

• Logo design

• Color theory

SEO

• Keyword research

• Content creation

• Detailed

A detailed layout provides more information about the coursework and can be useful when the coursework is not obviously relevant. For example, if you want to work in data analysis, but if you have a degree in historical research, a detailed outline might be useful because it allows for more explanation of skills aquired and used. For example:

Fall 2018 – Present

• Gathering and organising qualitative and quantitative data

• Analysis and presentation of gathered data

• Report writing and the formation of logical and persuasive arguments

Alongside these specific CV writing tips, you should also consider the overall layout of your CV. Choose a professional font like Arial or Calibri, ensure there is enough white space on the page, and keep your margins between half an inch and one inch. If you do this, you will create a professional CV that reads well and has a good chance of impressing hiring managers.