In the 3rd part of our Fire Service Resume series, you should have begun to get a feel for the process of creating a comprehensive Fire Service resume. As you recall from part 1 and part 2 of this 5 part series our objective is to help you create the absolutely very best written representation of who you are. As a quick refresher part 1 covered the basics in Fire Safety resumes. We discussed the various parts of a good quality Fire Service resume. These included the importance of listing information in chronological order, breaking the information into categories, listing ALL information that may or may not be relevant to the job and refining it later, demonstrating by actions and activities the kind of person you are and lastly allowing the resume to stand for you when you are not in the room.
In our last installment we discussed Professional/Work Experience and all the characteristics that go into this classification. In this section, the third in the series of Fire Service resume, we will focus on the category of Education. This will be the most concise piece of your whole resume. It is based on facts. Whatever you did you did. The following guidelines will assist you in developing your Education section
Guideline 1: List your highest level of education first. After that go in reverse chronological order until you reach high school. Then work your way backward to high school. If you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, you may include high school information if it is within 10 years.
Bachelor of Science, Fire Management – University of Oregon 2007
Associate of Science, Fire Technology – Las Positas College 2003
Guideline 2: Include your GPA only if it is higher than 3.0. If it has been more than 3 years since you graduated do not include it.
Bachelor of Science, Fire Management – University of Oregon – GPA: 3.85 2007
Guideline 3: Please mention any Academic Honors you have achieved. This shows that you are a good learner and the fire service will appreciate that. Other honors will be listed later under another category called “Accomplishments.”
Bachelor of Science, Fire Management – University of Oregon – GPA: 3.85 2007 Dean’s List
Guideline 4: If you did not finish or graduate, list the Major course of study, dates that you attended and how many credits you earned. Then list high school information if applicable.
Fire Management – U. of Oregon – 30 credits completed with GPA: 3.85 2005-Present
Guideline 5: If you did not finish high school, show the years attended. If you earned a GED, put that above the high school listing, and indicate the date.
GED High School Diploma Equivalent – Owens Adult Education Center 2001
Guideline 6: If you have obtained any license(s) or professional certification(s) in addition to high school and/or college these will also go under a separate category called Certifications and Qualifications.
There you have it. The Education section in its uncomplicated fashion. Simply stated, “tell the facts and the story tells itself.”
In our next segment on Fire Service resumes we’ll cover the topic of Certifications and Qualifications. As I close let me leave you with this. Education is not something you just get through. It is and will continue to be an integral part of your career. The days of ONLY getting your formal degree or vocational certification are long past. You are now part of the work force who are considered “Life Long Learners.”
There are many people who are working on education well into their later years. Stanford University, the prestigious West Coast University, is now offering fellowships for its “Distinguished Careers Institute.” Founded by Dr. Philip A. Pizzo this innovative program offers highly accomplished leaders the opportunity to create new, enriching professional and personal experiences for the next stage of their lives as citizens of their local, national and international communities. These opportunities are now available to individuals with 20 – 30 years of work experience. The message here is simple. “You are never done learning, formally or informally.”
For more information on Fire Service resumes and continued education in the fire service please visit Fire Alumni!
