List certifications in a short section with the full name, the issuing body and the date, newest or most relevant first. Put the section near the top if a certification or licence is a requirement for the job, and after education if it is supporting evidence. Mark anything in progress or expired plainly. Include only credentials that help with this application, since a long list of minor course certificates makes the important ones harder to see.
Certifications are one of the easiest things for an employer to verify, so accuracy matters more here than almost anywhere else on the page.
What to include
Use three tests.
- Does the job ask for it, or something close to it?
- Is it recognised by employers in your field?
- Is it current, or at least still relevant?
If the answer to the first is yes, it goes near the top. If the second and third are yes, it goes in the section. If none applies, leave it out.
| Type | Examples | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Legal requirement for the work | Nursing registration, electrician licence, CPA | Near the top, possibly beside your name |
| Industry standard | PMP, AWS certifications, CIPD, Six Sigma | Certifications section |
| Vendor or tool | Google Analytics, Salesforce, Microsoft | Certifications section, if the job uses the tool |
| Short course or bootcamp | Platform course certificates | Only the relevant ones, perhaps under "Training" |
| Safety and compliance | First aid, food hygiene, manual handling | If the role needs them |
Format
A clean line for each:
"Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute, 2024"
"AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Associate, Amazon Web Services, 2025, valid to 2028"
"Registered Nurse (RN), State Board of Nursing, licence active, 2019 to present"
Add a licence or certificate number only where the job expects it, since personal identifiers belong in the application form, not in a resume that may be circulated.
Order by relevance to the job, then by date.
In progress, lapsed and expired
| Situation | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Studying | "PMP, exam scheduled March 2027" |
| Passed, awaiting issue | "CISSP, passed 2026, endorsement in progress" |
| Expired but relevant | "First Aid at Work, 2021 (lapsed)" or omit it |
| Renewal due | "Valid until June 2027" |
| Lapsed and the job needs it | Say what you are doing to renew it, in the cover letter |
Do not present anything in progress as complete. Misstating a credential is a quick route to losing an offer, and employers check regulated ones directly. See resume fraud and verification for how those checks work.
Certifications and keywords
Many job postings name certifications, and some screening tools look for them. Use the full official name once, with the abbreviation in brackets if it is commonly used: "Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)". That helps both a human reader and a tool that matches terms. A credential you hold matters most in the places where it is a stated requirement; the way tools read it is explained in keyword matching vs semantic screening.
When a certification helps a lot
- Regulated work, where it is a legal requirement.
- Fields with recognised standards, such as project management, cloud engineering, accounting and HR.
- A career change, where a recent certification plus a project shows commitment.
- Roles where employers use certification as an early filter, such as some government and contractor roles.
When it helps little
- Many short online course certificates with no project or application behind them.
- Credentials from providers few employers recognise.
- Certificates that are decades old for tools that no longer exist.
In these cases, a project or a specific bullet is a better use of space. See projects on a resume.
Keeping the section short
Five to seven lines is enough. If you have more, group them: "Cloud: AWS Solutions Architect (2025), Azure Fundamentals (2024)". If a certification supports a specific skill listed elsewhere, connect them: the skill appears in the skills section and the certificate confirms it.
A final check
- Are names exactly as the issuing body spells them?
- Are dates and expiry correct?
- Is anything listed that you could not discuss?
- Do the most relevant ones appear first?
- Is there a number or ID that should stay off the page?
Certifications sit alongside qualifications; the format for those is in how to list education. For everything else on the page, see the resume writing guide.
An example section
For an operations manager changing into project management:
Certifications
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute, 2025
- PRINCE2 Foundation, AXELOS, 2023
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, 2021
For someone in a regulated role:
Licences and registrations
- Registered Nurse (RN), active licence, State Board of Nursing, 2019 to present
- Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, valid to 2027
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), valid to 2027
The first lists credentials that support a move, ordered by relevance. The second lists requirements the employer will check, so expiry dates are shown.
Keeping track of renewals
Credentials expire, and a resume that lists an expired one by mistake causes trouble. Keep a short record with the name, issuer, number, date earned and expiry date, and review it twice a year. Update the resume when you renew, and remove lapsed items you are not planning to renew. If a posting requires a credential that is close to expiry, mention the renewal date in the application so a reader does not have to guess.
Common inquiries regarding this topic.
Where do certifications go on a resume?
In their own section after education if they support the job, or near the top if a certification or licence is a requirement of the role. For regulated professions such as nursing, accounting or electrical work, put the credential beside your name or directly under the summary.
In their own section after education if they support the job, or near the top if a certification or licence is a requirement of the role. For regulated professions such as nursing, accounting or electrical work, put the credential beside your name or directly under the summary.
The Resume World Team
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