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You’ve put in the time, effort, and resources to complete your executive education program. Now, you’re searching for a good-paying job, and some nagging questions are on your mind.
How do you display your executive education on your resume in a way that will grab the recruiter’s attention? Do you create a separate section for it or list it under education? How much detail should you include?
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The good news is there’s a right way to do it, and we’re here to help you. In this guide, we’ll break down where to place your executive education, how to format it, and what details you should include.
Decide Where It Should Go on Your Resume
In our experience, where you place your executive education on your resume will influence how the recruiter will perceive it. The rule of thumb is to position it strategically based on the program type and how important it is to your career.
Here are the places you can list your executive education:
- Education Section: If the educational program confers a degree on completion, you should list it under your formal education. It should appear as an advanced academic qualification and give your recruiter a strong impression. A good example is the Executive MBA.
- Professional Development or Continuing Education Section: If it’s a workshop program, specialized training, or short-term leadership course, create a separate section like “Professional Development.” Alternatively, you can use “Continuing Education.”
- Certification Section: If your executive education is a certification program, list it under the “Certification Section.”
However, if your executive education is highly relevant to the role you’re applying for, list it near your resume. When you do this, it will grab the recruiter’s attention quickly.
Review your resume to display your executive education where it will shine.
Use the Correct Format
Knowing where to list your executive education on your resume is insufficient. You should also know how to format it. Here’s why: 68% of hiring managers say they turned down a candidate because of poorly structured resumes. What does this mean for you?
Even if you have the most impressive credentials, they can look ordinary if your resume is cluttered or has inconsistent formatting. When that happens, it’s most likely that your executive education will not get noticed by the recruiter.
We recommend this format if you don’t know how to structure your executive education on your resume:
- Name of the program: It should be the official title of the course.
- Institution: The name of the university or the organization offering the program.
- Date of completion: The month and year you finished the executive education program.
- Location: This detail is optional, but we recommend the city and state if you took the program in person.
- Brief Description: This is also not mandatory, but it would help to give a short description of your relevant skills or achievements.
According to a 2018 study, you must keep the details concise when scanning resumes.
Tweak the format of your executive education section today to make it more impactful.
Some Examples of Executive Education Formats For You
Here are some examples of how to list your executive education program on the different parts of your resume.
1. The Format For a Degree-Based Program
Executive MBA, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Do you see how it aligns with your formal education? Even better, it appears to be a further academic qualification.
2. The Format for a Short-Term Leadership Course
Professional Development
- Executive Leadership Program
- Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
- Completed: June 2023
- Focused on strategic leadership, business innovation, and change management.
Doing it this way separates it from your formal education but highlights its value.
3. The Format For a Certification Program
Certifications
- Advanced Strategy & Leadership Certificate
- MIT Sloan School of Management (Online)
- Issued: October 2023
4. The Format For a Program Directly Related to Your Job Application
Summary:
“I’m a business executive with 10+ years of experience leading strategic initiatives. I completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School and gained expertise in organizational change and executive decision-making.”
Use these examples to make adjustments to your resume today.
How to Make Your Executive Education Stand Out on Your Resume?
According to Hanne Keiling, education is one of the few key sections recruiters search for on your resume. In other words, you have to make it count.
Here are some tips to help you use your executive education to your advantage:
- You should only include programs that align with your career or job application.
- Always use a clean and professional format to make it easy for recruiters to scan.
- Be concise with your descriptions by focusing on the most important details.
- If it applies, highlight how the program improved your career prospects or skills.
- Instead of just listing the program, highlight skills you acquired or projects you executed that directly apply to the target role.
- Use bold or italics to emphasize important details.
Recommendations on Executive Education Programs to List For Certain Industries
You need to know that not all executive education programs carry the same weight across all industries. So, you have to know what programs are valued most in what industries. Here are some recommendations for you:
- Technology & IT – Highlight programs in AI, cybersecurity, or cloud computing
- Finance & Banking – Programs in risk management, corporate finance, investment strategies, or financial leadership
- Healthcare & Pharma – Talk about training in healthcare administration, regulatory compliance, or medical innovation
- Marketing & Advertising – It should be courses on digital marketing, consumer behavior, or brand strategy
- Legal – Focus on programs in corporate law or contract negotiations
Make Your Executive Education Work for You
Your executive education is a powerful asset for your resume, but only if you display it correctly. In a nutshell, position it strategically, format it clearly, and make it stand out. Please use these tips to update your resume today and make recruiters see what separates you.
Written by Dua Khan
Dua is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Career Coach. Since 2019, she's dedicated her career to creating ATS-optimized job application materials for a diverse clientele, including Grammy-winning artists, and executives at Fortune 500 companies. Her expertise spans executive-level resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn content, and she holds a successful track record of supporting clients from prestigious organizations such as the CDC, NOAA, NHS, and Johns Hopkins University to achieve their career aspirations.
