Your resume is a summary of your professional life. It should include everything from your education to summer internships to publications to technical skills that could help you get the job you want. Most professionals make the mistake of only looking at their education and experience. So, they don't care about any extra information, like certifications in their field, that would make them more qualified and set them apart from the competition.
On your resume, you should list any professional certifications and licences that are important to your career and ability to do your job. This idea is clear for professionals who can't do their jobs without a licence. This is true for people who work as teachers, real estate agents, doctors, etc. If you work in a field that requires specific licences or certifications, you should have a section on your resume that lists this information. "Professional Certifications" or "Professional Licenses" should be the heading. You should list your certifications and licences in reverse order of when you got them.
But it's much harder to think about this information and put it on your resume if your field doesn't require any licences or certifications. For example, you might not need to have a certificate from a seminar on managing multiple projects in order to do your job well. But a certificate like this can be very useful in almost any field, and if you put it on your resume, it can help you stand out from the other professionals and get the employer's attention.
Think about any professional courses or training seminars you've taken. Don't forget to list any classes you've taken as part of your training at your current job or at a job you've had in the past. For example, if you took a course on how to use Microsoft Access Database as part of your training at your current job and you know that the new job you want will require you to use this programme, put that on your resume.
Make a list of your licences and certifications in reverse chronological order, just like you did with your professional experience. Then, think about which of the things on your list are important to your professional goals. You shouldn't list more than five of your most recent certifications and licences on your resume. List the date that you got the certificate or licence. If you took a course over time, for example, just write the month and year that the course was finished. The exact name of the certificate or licence should be written down, as well as the name of the organisation that gave it to the person. This part of your resume doesn't need any more information. Also, be sure to mention any certifications or licences in your cover letter if they show that you are qualified for the job you want.
If there are a lot of licences or certifications, you can list them on a separate sheet of paper. You should always list a few of the most recent things, but if you have more than five, let the potential employer know that more information is available on request. This information can be put on your resume or cover letter, along with only those things that make you the best candidate for the job.
