A certification can be the detail that gets you shortlisted, but only if a reviewer sees it and trusts it. That comes down to two decisions: where on the page it goes, and what information you attach to it. Both change depending on whether the credential is central to the job or just a nice extra. Get the placement right and a relevant cert does real work; get it wrong and it hides at the bottom of the page.

Where to place them

Placement follows relevance. If the certification is required or heavily preferred for the role, such as a licence, a security clearance credential, or a core technical cert, promote it. If it is supporting, group it in a dedicated section lower down.

  • Job-critical credentials: name them in your summary or beside your title so no reviewer can miss them.
  • Supporting certifications: collect them in a clearly labelled “Certifications” section under experience and education.
  • In progress: list it with an expected completion date and the word “in progress”, never as if it is already earned.
  • Expired or irrelevant: leave off lapsed credentials and anything unrelated to the target role, since clutter dilutes the strong ones.

What details to include

Each entry should let a reviewer verify it without guessing. Include the full certification name, the issuing body, and the date earned. For credentials that expire, add the valid-through date so nobody assumes it lapsed. If the issuer provides a verification ID or badge link and the role is technical, including it adds credibility.

Keep the naming exact. Write the official title, then the common acronym in brackets if it helps, for example “Project Management Professional (PMP)”. Applicant tracking systems often search for both the full name and the acronym, so having each present improves your match. Avoid inventing abbreviations or padding the list with tiny course completions that read as filler.

To make sure your certifications register with the systems that screen you, run your CV through the keyword scanner against the job posting, then confirm the section parses with the ATS checker. If you need a layout with a clean, dedicated credentials block, start from an ATS-friendly template, and see the CV guide for how it fits the whole document.