How to Include Licenses and Certifications on Your Resume

Your resume is an opportunity to demonstrate your professional experience, skills, and knowledge to a prospective employer. One important component to include is the licenses and certifications you have obtained.

This guide will break down where to put certifications on a resume along with license and certification resume examples.

Why Licenses and Certifications Matter on a Resume

As a job seeker, your goal is to show recruiters that you are qualified for the job. In some cases, you may be required to have a license to work or practice in the field, and in other cases, having certifications is the norm.

Even when not required, letting hiring managers know that you have a relevant license or certification can give you an edge as it means you have achieved core competencies or passed a skills assessment.

The importance of certifications in the job market

Certifications can validate expertise and credibility, and in some industries like IT, healthcare, or finance they are important to have if you want to advance in your career. In fact, such credentials could even be required by your city or state to work in either the public or private sector.

How employers view licenses and certifications

From an employer perspective, candidates who hold a license or are certified may be preferable to those who do not since it speaks to their willingness to learn and improve their craft. Not only could it be a competitive advantage in the hiring process, but having certain licenses or certifications may also warrant a higher salary offer.

Types of Licenses and Certifications to Include on a Resume

It’s customary to include licenses and certifications on your resume along with any degrees you’ve obtained, especially if it is directly related to the role you are seeking. And for some jobs, such designations could be a requirement for employment.

Professional licenses

In some fields, a professional license is a must, and therefore, it should be listed prominently on your resume.

Examples:

Technical certifications

The information technology (IT) field is dependent on workers with a specialized technical skill set. As such, employers often look for candidates who have certifications related to specific roles. This could include:

Industry-specific certifications

Other industries also offer certifications that help demonstrate that a person has proven their competency to perform certain kinds of work. Some common examples include:

Online courses and MOOC certifications

Professionals sometimes have the option to pursue online training and certification courses on their own. Doing so can show a commitment to lifelong learning and make you a more desirable candidate. Google Analytics Certification is one popular example. You can find such courses on platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.

Where to Include Licenses and Certifications on Your Resume

Adding licenses and certifications to your resume is a good idea, and there are a few ways to go about it. Here are some ideas for how to list certifications on a resume.

Create a dedicated certifications section

The most prominent place to list your certifications is in its own section just below the education section with your degrees.

Integrate certifications into other sections

Another option is to list certifications within the education section, especially if you don’t have one or more formal degrees.

You may also mention your certifications in the professional summary up at the top of your resume. Or, you could incorporate it into the experience section if a specific certification directly relates to a past role.

Tailor placement based on relevance

When mentioning certifications or licenses on your resume, think about their relevance to the role you are seeking. If they are closely related, try to move the placement higher on the page, such as in your summary.

How to List Licenses and Certifications on Your Resume

It is important to include all the pertinent details of your licenses and certifications on your resume. Here is how to do it.

Follow formatting guidelines

When listing your certifications and licenses, include these three key pieces of information: certification name, certifying body, and date of completion.

Examples:

Include relevant details

For licenses that require renewal, you should also include an expiration date when listing it on your resume. You can also include license numbers if required by an employer or if relevant to your industry.

Examples:

Keep your certifications updated

If certifications or licensing is important in your industry, the ideal situation is to have any that are listed on your resume to be current. If you’re currently in the process of renewing a license, you can make a notation of that as well.

Use certifications to enhance your cover letter

Including a cover letter with your resume gives you another chance to share why you think you’d be a good fit for a company. Your letter can include a little bit about yourself, your job history, and a mention of key certifications. This is especially important for fields in which such credentials are a requirement for employment, or highly coveted.

Prepare for interviews

During job interviews is another chance to discuss the certifications you have attained and share how you’ve applied what you learned on the job. You can provide more context than the one line on your resume does.

Utilize digital platforms

Because many employers and recruiters find candidates on professional platforms like LinkedIn, you want to also pay attention to representing yourself well. Your profile page should complement the key accomplishments on your resume, including a listing of your certifications and licenses.

Special Situations for Listing Licenses and Certifications

Multiple certifications

If you have multiple relevant certifications, you can simply list them in reverse chronological order in a section below your education. In rare cases, such as if you have several certifications, you might consider listing them out in a separate document so that they don’t take up too much space on your resume.

Expired or in-progress certifications

For certifications or licenses that are not current, either because you are currently pursuing them or because they have expired, you should include their status in your listing. If the certification is not relevant to the role you are seeking, then it might make sense to simply leave it off of your resume.

On the other hand, if you are seeking employment that is contingent on you completing a program, then you should go ahead and include your expected date of attainment. Here are some examples:

Including certifications not directly related to the job

Including unrelated certifications may make sense in some circumstances, but not be necessary in others. To decide, think about whether the skills you gained through the certification are transferable to the position you’re seeking.

For example, if you’re seeking an office manager job and you happen to be CPR certified, that could be good to include since it can make you an asset regarding workplace safety.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Listing Certifications

Listing certifications and licenses is fairly straightforward, but there are a few ways that job seekers might slip up.

• Including irrelevant or outdated certifications: Don’t just add certifications if they don’t contribute something important about you on the resume. For example, if you are in a totally different field from when you earned a certification, it may not be worth adding.
• Failing to include key details: Be specific about each certification you list including dates.
• Listing certifications that lack credibility: If the certifying body is not one that is well known or recognizable in the industry, then it may not be impressive enough to include.
• Overloading the resume with too many certifications: Always focus on quality over quantity when crafting your resume.

Additional Resources

Links to resume writing guides and templates

• Basic Resume Templates and Examples
• Skills-Based Resume Templates and Examples
• Tips on Writing the Education Section of Your Resume

Online platforms for certification courses

• Coursera
• EdX
• LinkedIn Learning
• Skillshare
• Udemy

Recommended tools for resume building and formatting

• Action Verbs, Power Words, and Strong Synonyms to Use on Your Resume
• Best Resume Formats
• How To Use Bullet Points on a Resume Effectively and How Many

Andrew Stoner

Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach

Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.