The education section is an essential part of your resume. But the emphasis you give it depends on your goals and the stage you are at in your career. Here is the education section of Beth's resume:

A few points to note about this section:

• It appears fairly late in her resume (it's the second to last item). Since Beth has 10 years of work experience, her college degree is less relevant than if she were a new graduate.
• She places it after her continuing education section. Because her professional development courses are directly related to her current goal, she gives them more emphasis.
• Since her degree is fairly recent, she includes the year it was granted. Older workers might consider leaving the date off their degrees, since this calls attention to their age.

If you are a new graduate, or if you are changing careers and have just retrained, you may want to highlight your education. For example, it's perfectly acceptable to place education before your work experience if it's your strongest qualification.