Many people may be wondering whether they should list their regular automobile license (ordinary license) in the qualification section of their resume. There are some etiquette rules when writing in the qualification column.

In this article, we will explain in an easy-to-understand manner the manners you should know when listing your regular driver's license on your resume. We will also explain how to check the type of license and date of acquisition, so please use it when listing it on your resume.

Should I include my regular license on my resume?

Whether or not you have a driver's license does not necessarily have to be included on your resume. However, if the recruitment agency includes work that requires driving, it may be advantageous to have a driver's license, so be sure to include it.

Additionally, if the recruiting agency is unsure about the selection process, it may give priority to hiring those with a license. Therefore, even if the job does not require driving, if you have a driver's license, it is better to list it on your resume.

Etiquette when writing a driver's license on your resume

When listing your driver's license on your resume, there are good manners to follow, such as listing it in its official name rather than an abbreviation, and listing it at the top of the qualification column.

Write the official name instead of the abbreviation

It is basic etiquette to write your official name in the qualification section of your resume. A regular driver's license is written as a "class 1 regular vehicle license" or "class 2 regular vehicle license." AT limited vehicles may be misunderstood to mean that MT vehicles can also be driven, so be sure to write "(AT limited)" after the official name.

There are 15 types of driver's licenses in total. The official names of each are as follows.

The words that follow the official name vary depending on the type of qualification, such as passing, certification, acquisition, etc. For a driver's license, leave one space and write "Obtained."

Driving license should be listed at the top of the qualification column.

In the qualification column of your resume, basically list your qualifications in chronological order, starting with the oldest acquisition date. However, even if you have other qualifications, be sure to list your driving license at the top.

This is because a driver's license is one of the qualifications that recruiters place importance on. If you list it at the top, it will be easier for the hiring manager to understand whether you have a driver's license or not and what type of driver's license you have. If you have multiple driver's licenses, list them in order of date of acquisition, starting with the oldest one.

The Japanese and Western calendars will be unified.

In the qualification section of your resume, there is space to write the year in which you obtained your qualification. There is no problem in writing the year of acquisition in either the Western or Japanese calendars. However, if it differs from other items such as academic background and work history, it will confuse the hiring manager, so try to keep it consistent within your resume.

Pay attention to the difference in writing style depending on the date of acquisition.

Due to the revision of the Road Traffic Act, the classification of regular licenses has changed from March 12, 2017. Previously, the gross vehicle weight that could be driven with a regular license was up to 5 tons, but those who obtained a regular license after March 12, 2017 can drive a vehicle weighing up to 3.5 tons.

Due to the revision of the law, the name of the regular vehicle license issued before March 12, 2017 has been changed to "semi-medium vehicle license (5t limited)".

For specific examples of how to write it, see "Example/Sample of how to write a regular driver's license on a resume."

Examples and samples of how to write a regular driver's license on a resume

From here, we will introduce an example of how to include a regular driver's license on your resume.

For ordinary car first class driving license

An example of the description for a Class 1 regular vehicle driver's license is as follows.

In the qualification column of your resume, write ``Obtained Class 1 Ordinary Vehicle Driving License''. There are two types of regular licenses: Type 1 and Type 2, so be careful not to get confused. If you have obtained both, list the acquisition date starting from the oldest one.

If acquired before March 11, 2017

The Road Traffic Act was revised on March 12, 2017, and a "semi-medium vehicle license" was added to the types of driver's licenses. If you obtained a regular driver's license before March 11, 2017, please state the following so that the hiring manager knows that you can drive a light truck weighing less than 5 tons.

It is important to check the date of acquisition and devise ways to write the information according to the job content and job type of the recruiting agency.

For automatic transmission only (AT only)

If you are a first-class regular car and only have an automatic, please write the following on your resume.

However, if the recruitment agency does not ask you to have a manual license, you can omit "(AT only)".

For ordinary car class 2 driving license

An example of the entry for a Class 2 ordinary vehicle driver's license is as follows.

You cannot obtain a Class 2 Ordinary Vehicle License unless you have a Class 1 Ordinary Vehicle License. Therefore, in the qualification column of your resume, list your first-class ordinary car license and second-class ordinary car license in that order.

If you have multiple licenses

If you have multiple licenses, such as for cars or motorcycles, list them in chronological order, starting with the oldest acquisition date.

If you have multiple other qualifications and cannot list them all on your resume, prioritize those that are most closely related to your work. There is no problem in omitting qualifications that have little relevance to the job content.

How to check your driver's Driver's License type and acquisition date

In the qualification section of your resume, you must accurately state the type of driver's license you hold and the date of acquisition. You can check the type of driver's license and the date of acquisition on the driver's Driver's License.

You can check the type name at the bottom center of your driver Driver's License

You can check the type of driver's license you have obtained by looking at the table labeled "Type" at the bottom center of your driver Driver's License. There are 15 types in total, and they are listed on driver's Driver's License by abbreviations such as "large" and "normal."

It is common etiquette to write your full name on your resume, so be careful not to write your abbreviated name.

You can check the acquisition date on the bottom left of your driver Driver's License

The date you obtained your driver's license is written on the bottom left of your driver's Driver's License. The date listed below the address is the date of issue, so be careful not to make a mistake. There are three lines in which to write the date of acquisition, and the letters written on the left side of each line indicate the type of driver's license.

If you have multiple driver's licenses, the date of the first type of driver's license will be listed. Therefore, it is currently not possible to confirm the exact acquisition date of each driver's license just by looking at the driver's Driver's License.

If you want to know the dates on which all of your driver's licenses were obtained, please obtain a driver's license history certificate at a police station. A driving record certificate is a document that can prove the following:

• Driving license that has expired in the past
• Driving license that has been revoked in the past
• Type of driver's license you currently have
• Driving license acquisition date, etc.

Please note that when obtaining a certificate, an issuance fee ranging from several hundred yen to around 1,000 yen is required for each certificate.

Let's understand the rules for writing a regular driver's license on a resume in advance.

A regular driver's license will be listed in the qualification section of your resume. When filling in the qualifications, there are good manners such as using the official name rather than the abbreviation, and writing it at the top of the qualification column. Be sure to write in manners to impress the hiring manager.

You can check the type of driver's license you have and the date of acquisition on your driver's Driver's License. However, if you have multiple driving licenses, you will need to obtain a driving record certificate from a police station as the exact date of acquisition is unknown.

Understand the etiquette for listing your regular driver's license on your resume and aim to pass the document screening first.