Adding an expected graduation date on your resume will give the recruiter an idea of how much studying you have left.
Knowing when you will graduate gives them an idea of whether you are available for full-time employment or not, as most students can only work part-time.
It also lets them know if the company’s schedule will need to accommodate your classes.
Listing your expected graduation date is great for entry-level jobs and for when you have little previous work experience.
The hiring manager will understand that the reason for your lack of extensive work experience is you still being in school.
Therefore, it is important to add your expected graduation date.
Here is how to do it the right way.
How to add the expected graduation date on a resume?
Be certain that you have the right date, it’s better to not have to change it later on. List the date in your ‘Education’ section underneath your degree and university details by either mentioning ‘Expected graduation’ or just writing the date.
Cross-check your expected graduation date with your school
Confirm with your school that you have the right date for your graduation.
Some schools offer different dates for different programs.
It would save you the trouble of having to notify the recruiter about an error later on.
List your expected graduation date in your ‘Education’ section
Mention your program, and the school name and its location, including the city with the state.
Underneath that, add your expected graduation date.
You can do so by writing ‘expected graduation,’ ‘anticipated graduation,’ or simply listing the date.
Prioritize your ‘Education’ section if you have little work experience
If you are still in school, your education is more relevant to a recruiter than your work experience as most students have not yet worked much.
In that case, put your ‘Education’ portion on top, right after your professional summary, and add the ‘Work Experience’ underneath.
If you have acquired enough relevant work experience, you can switch the order.
Add other important details in your ‘Education’ section
It is better to not leave the section blank with just your expected graduation date.
Mention your Minor, if you are doing one, or your GPA if it is above 3.5 or a requirement in the job description.
You can also list Honor Roll achievements such as a Dean’s List or Honor Society participation such as Phi Theta Kappa.
Expected graduation date on a resume example 1
Education
Bachelor of Science, Education
Florida State University | Tallahassee, Florida |2020 – Present
- Minor in English
- Dean’s List (Winter 2021)
- Expected Graduation: September 2023
Expected graduation date on a resume example 2
Education
Master of Business Administration, Specializing in Marketing Management
University of Texas | San Antonia, Texas | Anticipated Graduation May 2022
Expected graduation date on a resume example 3
Education
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics
University of Maryland | College Park, Maryland | 2019 – 2022
- GPA: 3.56
Hey fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am the proud owner of linguaholic.com. Languages have always been my passion and I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my utmost pleasure to share with all of you guys what I know about languages and linguistics in general.