question on "being over educated"

[chao zhong]

Hi all,

This is my first post. I have been in several PhD and MS programs and the time line is kind of chaotic. My question is that in the education section of my resume, do I have to include all those programs? Can I just put the most recent and important ones, namely, PhD in mathematics and MFE?

Thanks alot!

Chao

PS: I didn't know what I want to do for a few years. But now I know that I want to do quant finance.

 

[euroazn]

How many years have you been in school already?

 

[Ohad]

My personal opinion is to write only the programs that you finished, jumping from place to place doesn't look good in a resume.
If it won't reveal that you wondered around too much than you might be able to insert some of the courses you have taken while wondering.

It mostly depends on if there will be holes in your resume and how you can fill them, did you work in that time? Did you wonder from program to program while living on the stipend only?

 

[chao zhong]

I wondered from program to program for 10 years, living on the stipend. I have three masters' degrees, worked on two phd degrees (at the same time) and eventually quit one phd. Now I am working on both the phd in math and the MFE. If I drop everything before 2005 the time line looks a little bit nicer, but I am wondering if it is against some kind of rules...

I know I am totally messed up...

BTW how to make the forum display my nickname instead of real name? Thanks a lot!

 

[joel_b]

I would just include what's relevant. You don't put your first job at the gas station in your resume, your high school, or other things in the past. A resume is an exercise in summarizing and condensing to a relevant document for the job you want. Be prepared to answer for gaps in time, but it's often not noticed and no one cares about the stuff you did that isn't relevant to the job, unless it's jail time :p