CV: should I put education or job experience on top?

Hi there,

Q: I'm wondering for applicants with 5-10 years of job experience, would you suggest to put education on top of CV (given that graduated from a reputable school)?

In general if you are an experienced hire I would recommend to put work experience first. That’s because they are hiring you for your 5+ years of experience and not for the signaling effect of your target school at that stage.

A possible exception is if your work experience is very weak in terms of brand names (ie unknown names) and your education is very strong (eg Harvard). Then putting education first might give a better initial impression. Most of the time this is not needed as students from a top school also have top brand names after that.

Good luck!      

Francesco

Hello A,

In my opinion, it would be best to prioritize your most recent experience and place it at the top of your CV. Typically, the most recent experience is considered more relevant as it reflects your current skills and knowledge. However, if the most recent experience is not significant or not aligned with your career goals, you can instead prioritize the most relevant experience that showcases your qualifications and achievements.

Remember that the purpose of your CV is to highlight your strongest and most impactful experiences, so it's important to showcase the ones that are most relevant to the position you're applying for. By organizing your CV in a way that emphasizes your recent and relevant experiences, you can effectively demonstrate your qualifications and catch the attention of potential employers.

I hope this helps, and best of luck with your CV preparation!

Hello,

I think putting experience on top and education later is fine for experienced candidates - your work experience is what will be most relevant for your application.

Hi there,

The answer completely depends on your and your resume. I would have to see it.

70% of the time I recommend education on top.

However, if the education is less strong than the professional experience (say tier 2 school with a bad grade compared to JP Morgan) and/or the individual has had a long career, then I put education 2nd.

It depends! 

As resume is art. You're trying to figure out how to draw the recruiters eyes to the areas you want them to see…in the 30 seconds they're spending looking at it.

Unless you are an undergrad (or just for a major academic degree), you should put your education first. 

Otherwise, you are signaling that your career performance is below your academic achievements.

Actually, I personally haven't seen Education listed first on CVs for Experienced Hires…ever. Personally, I would list Education after all Professional sections, but it could vary by market, I suppose…