How to list certifications on a resume, with examples

Where to put certifications on a resume

You have three places, and the right one depends on how much the certificate matters to the job. If it is a requirement, such as a nursing or safety credential, put it near the top where a screener finds it in seconds: either in a section titled Licenses and Certifications directly under the summary, or after your name in the contact block (Dana Reyes, RN, BLS). If it supports your case but is not required, give it a section of its own below your experience. If you have only one, add it as a line under your education.

Do not hide certifications in a long skills paragraph, since the reader cannot see the issuer or the date. And do not mix them with degrees: a degree is education, a certification is a credential you earn by passing an exam or a course. The education section guide covers the degrees.

How to list certifications on a resume: the format

Each line has the same parts in the same order: the name of the certification, the issuing organization, and the year earned. If the credential expires, add the year it expires; if it is a license with a number, add the number only when the application asks for it. Write the full name first, then the abbreviation in parentheses if it is widely known: Project Management Professional (PMP).

Put the most relevant to the job first, not the most recent. Keep the list to what a reader would check: certificates from a recognized body, a school or an employer. A one-hour online badge that anyone can claim adds clutter, unless it is the tool the job uses.

Resume certification examples

The resume certification examples below are patterns; the holders are invented, and the issuers are named only as examples; the formats are the ones to copy.

A resume with certifications looks best when the section is short: four to six lines, each one a credential the employer would care about. The lines that read well name an issuer; a certificate that has no issuer line reads as unverifiable.

A resume certification section, in three jobs

Here is how the finished resume certification section looks in three different jobs. The names and issuers are invented. Notice that each one is short, and that the order follows the job rather than the calendar.

Certifications in progress, expired or too many

In progress. List it, and say so: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), in progress, exam date October 2026. A date shows you are close and gives the employer a reason to wait. Do not write it as earned.

Expired. If a credential has lapsed, drop it unless the job still values the training and you can renew it quickly. If you keep it, show the real dates. Too many. After six or seven, the section stops helping. Keep those that match the posting and move the rest to a LinkedIn profile. Group a long list by type (clinical, safety, software) so a reader can scan it.

For a certification that was a course rather than an exam, use a short verb: Completed. For anything earned from an employer's own program, name the program. A trade card or license, such as a forklift operator card, belongs in the same section.

CPR certification and BLS certification on a resume

CPR certification on a resume matters for caregivers, teachers, coaches, lifeguards and anyone who works with the public. BLS certification on a resume (Basic Life Support) is the version healthcare employers expect. List both with the training organization and the year, since these cards expire and the employer will check the date: Basic Life Support (BLS), American Heart Association, 2025, valid through 2027. If you are between renewals, say so.

If you hold the credential but your resume has no clinical job, still list it when the role involves people: a camp counselor, a teacher's aide or a retail supervisor can use it. The page on what to include in a resume shows where the section fits, and the hard skills guide covers the skills that sit beside it.

Sources

Checked on 13 October 2026.