There are times when leaving education off a resume is a good move, which makes for interesting conversations with clients. Although they don't say it, you know they're thinking, WTF? 😉

Here are 3 scenarios for when a bit of educational nip/tuck is in order:

Scenario #1: The client has too much education for the career being targeted

Let’s say your client has dual master’s degrees.

You find that the jobs he is applying for require only a bachelor’s degree.

This is when things can get sticky.

This is one of those scenarios when too much is too much.

Dual master’s degrees can make your client appear over-qualified.

Dual master’s degrees can imply your client will want a higher salary.

Scenario #2: The client’s education is the “wrong kind”

Leaving some education or an industry certificate out is also optimal when your client is eyeing a new industry/role, yet the college major or certificate held is relevant to a former, possibly irrelevant career.

An individual with a VERY specific degree will understand this most.

For example, we had a client with a degree in music.

Of course, this degree is perfect for jobs in and around the music industry.

But, when he shifted his job search to technical solutions for businesses, the music specialization became irrelevant.

In this instance, we kept mention of the B.A., but excluded the music major.

Scenario #3: The education section looks more like the kitchen sink

If your client has taken a “kitchen sink” amount of training and certifications, you’ll find yourself in a pickle of what to do with it all.

Employers like well-rounded, well-trained professionals. Sure.

However, there are times when the excess can make balancing the look of a finished resume a bit tricky.

If you’ve been following our weekly resume writing tips, you know that we are huge fans of recency and relevancy.

When you’re faced with a vast list of education, training, and the like, get rid of the oldest and the irrelevant first. Then, move on to others you can eliminate or combine.

For example, instead of this:

• Intermediate Accounting I
• Intermediate Accounting II
• Intermediate Accounting III

You could use this:

• Intermediate Accounting I/II/III

Or, this:

• Intermediate Accounting III*

*By including III, you're telling readers that I and II were completed as well.

Don’t be afraid to have tough conversations with your clients, especially when you see something like excess education that could hinder their job search.

Explain your WHY and let the client weigh in and make a decision on the best way forward—especially when you’re proposing eliminating over-the-top or irrelevant education.

There's something to be said about TESTING the waters, too.

For those resistant clients, say something like:

"Let's do this. I'll keep that education in there so you can give the resume a test run for the next 30 days. After that time, eliminate that education and test the resume for another 30 days. After 60 days, compare each month to determine which resume version performed best. Sound good?"