Including coursework in the resume

Question

I am applying to an industry job in a field that is quite unrelated to the field where I recently got my PhD. However, through my research in grad school, I have gained substantial experience using the skills required by the job, and I have also done graduate level coursework in topics related to the job. One suggestion I was given was that I could potentially include the relevant coursework in my resume. I wonder if that is appropriate.

Also, in addition to relevant classes that I enrolled in and received grades for, I also audited some classes and fully completed all the works required by these classes. But because it was auditing, I didn't receive grades for them - i.e., they don't appear on my transcript. This is something typically done by PhD students. But I wonder if I can also list these audited classes and note that I was not enrolled in them.

Answer 1

Well, yes! Relevant experience is relevant experience, regardless of where, and in what context you got it.

Of course, they might check your course records, and find discrepancies between what you listed, and what you were actually enrolled in. You should be clear on the difference from the get-go to avoid any questions about it. It might be wise to make a separate list of classes you participated in, even though you were not enrolled in them.

As pi pointed out, you should be tailoring your résumé for each company, which means that it might be relevant for some companies, and not others. Your job is to put yourself in as good a light as possible.