In finance, the "Education" section is often read before the experience, especially for recent graduates. Recruiters look for quick reference points there: the school, the degree, the level, sometimes the results. Yet many candidates fill it in without thinking, lining up titles and dates. Here is how to decide what to include, how to present grades, honours and rankings, and how to handle a non-linear path.
What to put in the education section
Advice from employment organisations converges on the basic content: the level of study, the degree with its year and institution, then complementary training relevant to the job, all in reverse chronological order (most recent first). The Apec resume builder 🔗 recalls the classic section order for an executive resume.
Essential information
For each programme kept:
- the exact degree title ("Master 2 in Market Finance", not "finance studies");
- the institution and its city;
- the start and end years, or the year obtained;
- the specialisation or track, when it speaks for the target role.
What you can leave out
- middle school and high school, except possibly the baccalaureate for a very first resume;
- programmes unrelated to the job, when space is short;
- generic course titles that any programme contains.
Where to place the section
- Recent graduate or student seeking an internship: education goes before experience.
- Profile with several years of experience: education goes after experience, in a few lines.
Either way the rule is the same: a short, readable section. If you are starting out, the guide to writing an investment banking resume details the section order.
Grades, honours and rankings
The question that comes up most: should you show your results?
Honours
A Bien or Très Bien distinction at the baccalaureate is useful on a very first resume but loses interest once you hold a higher education degree. For a master's, honours are on the other hand a strong signal if high.
Averages and GPA
- You may state your average if it is good (generally well above the class average), specifying the scale: "15.2/20".
- For an Anglo-Saxon programme, state the GPA with its scale: "GPA 3.7/4.0".
- If you have no flattering figure, do not invent one or look for one at all costs: highlight other elements (courses, projects, awards).
Rankings
A ranking only makes sense if it is readable and verifiable:
- "Class valedictorian" or "3rd out of 120" are clear statements;
- "Top 10%" is acceptable if you can back it up;
- "Among the best" means nothing and invites smiles.
⚠️ Warning: never inflate a grade or rank. In finance, background checks include degree confirmation, and a discrepancy found mid-process can cost you an offer. Our article on mistakes to avoid on a finance resume details the most frequent cases.
Awards
Merit scholarship, class prize, selection in an excellence programme, integrated preparatory class: place them under the relevant degree, on one line.
Study abroad and double degrees
A semester or year abroad
State the host institution, country and period as a separate line in the same block as the main degree:
Exchange semester, University of Warwick (United Kingdom), 2025
It signals international openness and English level, particularly appreciated by banks and funds.
A double degree
Present it as a single block with both titles, rather than two separate lines suggesting two successive programmes. Specify both institutions and the shared period.
Degree equivalences
Systems do not always map onto each other. When the recruiter may not place your foreign degree, add an equivalence in brackets, for example "(equivalent to Master 2)". For applications in France or abroad, our article on the finance resume in English for international roles also covers title translation.
Projects and relevant courses
When experience is thin, education can carry much of the resume, provided you make it concrete.
Courses
List three to five courses directly tied to the job: company valuation, derivatives, financial accounting, econometrics. Do not copy the whole curriculum.
Academic projects
A well-described project outweighs a list of courses. Describe it with the same logic as an experience:
- the context (modelling an LBO, studying an IPO);
- the tools (Excel, Python, Bloomberg);
- the quantified or concrete result.
💡 Learn more: to write bullet points with numbers, reread our guide on writing a finance resume.
Ongoing certifications
A CFA level passed, a completed training module, a recognised MOOC: state the exact status ("CFA Level I passed", "Level II in preparation, exam in May"). See also our explanations of finance certifications.
The non-linear path
Repeated year, change of direction, interrupted studies, atypical programme: none of this is an obstacle if you handle it soberly.
Principles
- Do not hide, do not over-explain. The resume states facts; the explanation comes in the interview or in one sentence of the letter.
- Emphasise recent coherence: the latest degree, the latest direction, what you built since.
- Leave no unexplained gap: a gap year or a job alongside studies is simply mentioned.
A few frequent cases
- Change of direction from another field: state the starting degree in one line, then highlight the additions (certification, internship, project) that build the bridge to finance. The article on moving into finance gives examples.
- Unfinished studies: mention what you followed, without claiming a degree you do not have ("2 years of an economics bachelor's").
- Work-study programme: say so, since work-study is a genuine experience signal.
Whatever your path's complexity, clarity of presentation matters as much as its content. With FinanceCV, the generator handles layout for you: your education lines up neatly without an hour spent adjusting tab stops, and the resume is ATS-compatible, so recruiters' screening software reads it correctly. All that is left is choosing what to emphasise.
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