How to Put Eagle Scout on Your Resume — A Detailed Guide

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The Eagle Scout rank is an achievement that you should definitely be proud of!

It takes great dedication, work ethic, and persistence to reach the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program.

So, if you have achieved the Eagle Scout award, you may be wondering if you should add it to your resume.

Below is your answer!

 

Should you add Eagle Scout to your resume?

You should add Eagle Scout to your resume because it shows you have qualities most recruiters will appreciate, and it will help you network. Add it if you are applying to an entry-level position or the military. Don’t add it if you are applying to senior or technical positions.

 

Yes, it shows impressive redeemable qualities

As mentioned previously, earning an Eagle Scout rank shows dedication, good work ethic and persistence, along with leadership, communication, planning and organization skills.

Adding that you not only have had the experience to polish all these redeemable qualities but also received the highest award for it, will paint you as an ideal candidate for most positions. 

 

Yes, if you are applying to an entry-level position or the military

If you are applying to an entry-level position you most likely do not have much work experience.

However, if you have Eagle Scout to add to your resume, it will make up for the lack of extensive work history.

Your Eagle Scout service project would have required professional coordination that is very similar to entry-level positions. 

The same goes for the military. 

The discipline, integrity, and work ethic are very much what military recruiters are looking for.

The Eagle Scout award would certainly be of advantage in these circumstances, and so, it would be a good idea to add it to your resume. 

 

Yes, it might help you network

There are many professionals in senior positions that have received the Eagle Scout rank or perhaps have just been in the BSA program.

If you are lucky, your recruiter could be one of them.

Listing Eagle Scout on your resume would give you an advantage over competing applicants if you and the recruiter have this in common.

 

Don’t put your Eagle Scout award on your resume when you are applying for a senior position

If you are applying to senior positions, you would have accumulated extensive work experience and accomplishments that are relevant to a senior-level job.

Because you would have to prioritize the most relevant experiences and awards, it would be better to add those instead of your Eagle Scout award, especially if you do not have much space on your resume.

You do not want to crowd your resume and take away from the most important aspects of it.

 

Don’t put the Eagle scout award, if the job prioritizes technical skills

The skills you need to achieve the Eagle Scout rank are mainly soft skills.

If you are applying to a technical position, such as Computer or Software Engineering, your hard technical skills are what the recruiter will be judging you on.

Therefore, like with the senior positions, leave space on your resume for what is more relevant to the job description.

The key to successfully creating a resume is always tailoring it to the job description rather than the achievements you may be proud of.

With this in mind, let’s talk about adding Eagle Scout to your resume the right way if you decide to do so.

 

How to add Eagle Scout to your resume?

Add Eagle Scout to either your ‘About Me’, ‘Extracurricular Activities’ or ‘Awards and Recognition’ section. Mention your personal and quantifiable achievements, and don’t use Scout jargon when describing your responsibilities or accomplishments.

 

Add the Eagle Scout award to your ‘About Me’ section

If you do not have previous work experience, are applying to an entry-level or military position, or one that is similar to the BSA program, you can add Eagle Scout to your ‘About Me’ section.

When you have nothing to put on your resume or are wondering how to make a resume if you never had a job, you can write Eagle Scout in the title underneath your name.

In other cases, you can mention it in your professional summary.

 
Adding Eagle Scout to your ‘About Me’ section example (1):

 

 

Adding Eagle Scout to your ‘About Me’ section example (2):

 

 

Add the Eagle Scout award to your ‘Extracurricular Activities’ section

If you have enough work experience but still want to list your Eagle Scout experience, you can create an ‘Extracurricular Activities’ section.

Make sure to still give details of how becoming an Eagle Scout shaped you into the ideal candidate for the job position.

 

Adding Eagle Scout to your ‘Extracurricular Activities’ section example:

 

 

Add the Eagle Scout award to your ‘Awards and Recognition’ section

If you do not have enough space to go into depth about your Eagle Scout rank, you can just list it along with your other awards and recognitions. 

Simply list your Eagle Scout title, the Boy Scouts of America association, and the date you achieved your rank.

 

Adding Eagle Scout to your ‘Awards and Recognition’ section example:

 

 

Emphasize personal achievements

When adding Eagle Scout to the ‘Extracurricular Activities’ section or briefly mentioning it in the professional summary, give personal achievements. 

Highlight what you personally accomplished with your leadership, project planning, and philanthropy skills.

Include how many bullet points of achievements you think are appropriate for your resume.

 

Give quantifiable details of your accomplishments

When talking about personal achievements, make sure to also give quantifiable details.

How many members did you manage with?

How much did you raise with fundraisers?

It is easier to take note of your impact when numbers are included.

 

Eagle Scout achievements example:

 

 

Don’t use Scout jargon

Whether talking about events or merits, don’t use Scout jargon.

If you have to, try to then translate them to common corporate terms in case the recruiter is unfamiliar with the meanings.