Summa Cum Laude

Including your summa cum laude honor on your resume can significantly enhance your application, setting you apart from other candidates. Employers value academic achievements because they reflect key qualities such as dedication, discipline, and intellectual capability. However, many candidates don’t fully leverage this achievement on their resumes, missing out on an opportunity to stand out.

In this guide, we’ll cover how to effectively showcase summa cum laude on your resume to ensure maximum impact.

Where to Place Summa Cum Laude on Your Resume?

When it comes to showcasing academic achievements like summa cum laude, placement is crucial. You want to ensure that hiring managers see this honor without having to dig through your resume.

Education Section: The most logical place to include summa cum laude is in the education section of your resume. Here’s how you can format it:

Example: Bachelor of Arts in English, Summa Cum Laude

This concise format draws attention to both your degree and your academic distinction.

Professional Summary: If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, you can also consider including summa cum laude in your professional summary. This can be especially useful if the position you're applying for places a strong emphasis on academic achievements.

Example: Highly motivated and dedicated recent graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English (Summa Cum Laude), seeking opportunities in content creation and digital marketing.

By placing it at the top, it becomes one of the first things recruiters will notice, immediately highlighting your academic prowess.

Certifications or Awards Section: If your resume includes a Certifications or Awards section, you could also list summa cum laude there to highlight it further, especially if your education is not your primary selling point for the job.

Why Employers Value Summa Cum Laude?

Employers constantly seek candidates who exhibit attention to detail, strong work ethics, and intellectual competence. Graduating summa cum laude is not just a mark of high grades; it’s a testament to your ability to excel consistently over an extended period.

Discipline and Consistency: Achieving summa cum laude requires a sustained level of high performance across multiple semesters, demonstrating that you can maintain focus and deliver results even under pressure.

Intellectual Capability: Many employers, especially in fields like research, law, and education, value intellectual achievements. Graduating summa cum laude suggests that you have a solid grasp of complex material, making you an attractive candidate for positions that require analytical thinking.

Tailoring It to Different Job Applications

When applying for different types of roles, you may need to adapt how you present your summa cum laude honor. For instance:

Corporate or Business Roles: In these cases, it’s less about the academic achievement itself and more about the qualities that earning summa cum laude demonstrates—such as discipline, leadership, and problem-solving.

Tailor your resume to focus on how the skills and qualities you developed during your academic journey align with the role.

Creative Fields: If you’re applying for roles in creative fields, you can still benefit from including summa cum laude. In this case, it showcases your dedication to mastering your craft and highlights your ability to think critically.

You can further reinforce your creative achievements by pairing summa cum laude with relevant academic projects or extracurricular activities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

While including summa cum laude on your resume is important, there are a few mistakes you should avoid to ensure it has the desired impact:

Overemphasis on Academics: If you’ve been in the workforce for several years, placing too much emphasis on academic achievements can make it seem like you don’t have much professional experience. Instead, keep summa cum laude in the education section and focus more on your work experience.

Incorrect Formatting: Make sure that summa cum laude is spelled and formatted correctly. A simple mistake can detract from the professionalism of your resume.

Irrelevant Job Applications: If you’re applying for a job that doesn’t value academic achievements, you may want to consider downplaying summa cum laude or omitting it altogether. Tailor your resume to fit the job description and emphasize other qualifications.

Conclusion

Including summa cum laude on your resume is an excellent way to highlight your academic success and the skills you’ve gained through hard work and dedication. By placing it strategically in your resume’s education, professional summary, or awards section, and tailoring it to the specific job you’re applying for, you can maximize its impact. Remember, how you present your academic achievements can be just as important as the achievement itself.