Education Vs Experience: Are Qualifications Important?
If you are a job seeker or considering a change of career, your resume will be in a constant state of flux. Each job you apply for will require you to make small changes and tweaks, so your most relevant qualifications and work experience stand out.
Which leads to the question – is education or experience more important when it comes to landing a job?
Professional qualifications are often the first attribute to get noticed, but your experience carries weight as well. Let’s take a look at how you can refine your resume to make the most of all your skills and experience.
Education Or Experience First on Resume?
The first thing an employee sees is your resume. Whether you have a degree or not, it’s more important for your CV to be as flawless and well-presented as possible.
Professional qualifications such as a diploma, degree, or certificate can certainly help with creating a positive first impression. So, if your education is relevant to the job in question, it’s worth putting it first.
However, while a potential employer may look favourably on the education you’ve completed, it’s not the only factor which affects their decision. Hiring is a complex process and employers consider many different points when shortlisting candidates for interviews.
Solution: Put your most qualifying attribute first
How To List Experience on Your Resume
These are our top tips for listing experience on your resume:
- List your experience in reverse chronological order -specific job title, company name plus location, and dates of employment
- Instead of listing your specific duties, list your transferable skills. For example, communication, time management, adaptability, collaboration, leadership, managing, editing and conflict resolution are all examples of skills.
- If you have 10, 20 or 30 years of work experience, include details about the jobs that are most relevant to the job you are applying for. Keep the others to a minimum,
If you are fresh out of school with nothing but your diploma or degree in your hand, you can list work experience, training courses and other positive qualities you possess such as problem-solving, teamwork and communication,
Importance of Interview in Selection Process
Delivering an outstanding interview, and having great references can also make a big difference in the selection process. So, if your resume is up to scratch and you’re lucky enough to get an interview, a positive attitude and a proactive approach can go a long way. For some employers, motivation and enthusiasm can be a substitute for a lack of experience and/or education. A pleasant demeanour indicates that you are easy to work with, follow direction well, and will be a valuable member of the team. In many cases, attitude is everything.
No matter your qualifications, skills, or experience, there is a role out there to suit you and your ambitions. One of the best things you can do in your job search is to work with a professional recruitment agency like On Line Recruitment. With our recruitment services, you’re guaranteed a helping hand throughout the search process.
