Do I List Experience or Education First on My Resume?

by Debbie
(Charleston, SC)

I am 46 years old, and I have worked in IT for 8 years. I recently received a related Bachelor's degree and want to know which I list first -- experience or education?

ANSWER: Debbie, The rule of thumb with resumes is to put your strongest qualifications up front. For a new graduate, their strongest qualifications are the education they have just gained.

But for someone like you, with 5 to 10 years experience, you would definitely want to put your experience up front. Think about it... if you were hiring someone, would you be more interested in what they had learned in school a decade (or more) ago... or in what they knew and could do in their field today?