In many fields a licence is the first thing a recruiter checks: nursing, pharmacy, teaching, law, engineering, the trades. Elsewhere, certifications show that you keep learning and can back up a skill.
Where they go
- Required licences: near the top. Put them in your headline or summary ("Registered Nurse, AHPRA"), and list them in full in a certifications section.
- Certifications that support a skill: in their own section after education.
What to include
For each one: the name as the issuer writes it, the issuing body, and the date earned. Add an expiry date if it has one, and the licence number only if the field expects it.
- "Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), AAMA, 2019"
- "AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, Amazon Web Services, 2023"
Which ones are worth it
Keep certifications that are current and relevant to the job. Drop expired ones unless they are still respected, and short online courses unless they fill a gap the job asks about. Ten weak certifications look like less than two strong ones.
In progress
A certification you are studying for can be listed as "expected" with a date, if you are close and will finish.
The registered nurse and electrician examples show licences in place. Make your resume.