Composing your resume can be a difficult task, and one of the most common questions people have is whether or not to include their high school information.
The answer isn’t always cut and dry, but in general, you should only put your high school on your resume if it is relevant to the position you are applying for or if you don’t have any other professional experience to speak of. Here we will tell you why and how to put it correctly.
Do You Put High School on Resume?
If you are in your 30s and more you may think that including a high school education is not relevant anymore. It is better to include your work experience and different certificates, right? Not at all.
An employer wants to see the whole picture, and that includes your high school diploma. It is a good idea to include your high school on the CV, especially if you do not have any other professional experience. The education section is one of the most important parts of the resume, and it should not be left out. Even if you did not go to college or university, potential employers will want to see that you have completed high school.
If you only have a high school education, put it on your resume. In case you’re in college or just graduated, and don’t have much work experience yet, also list your highest level of education on your resume.
In the event that you’re looking to cover up your lack of experience, adding your education history and performance to your resume is an effective way to do so while also showcasing your knowledge, skills, and achievement to the hiring manager.
When should you take high school off your resume?
As soon as you enter college, omit your high school and trade school information from your resume. College recruiters will assume you have graduated from high school if you are already attending college courses.
Therefore, don’t use up space on your resume to state the obvious; simply list your degree and major with a future date completion estimate. On assumption that you have a college degree or higher, then put that information in your history instead of your high school diploma.
However, if you don`t have any, you should list this diploma in your CV and make it in such a way that your employer would understand what courses and subjects you have studied.
How To Put It Correctly?
First, you should write the name of the school, its location, and the year of your graduation. It will look like this:
High School Name
City, State
Graduated in XX year
If you’re still in high school, you can put your expected graduation date instead. You don’t need to include your GPA or class rank, and you can leave out any mention of honors or awards you received.
Next, list the courses that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a writer, you would include any English or journalism courses you took in high school. If you’re applying for a job in accounting, you would include any math courses you took.
A common question people ask is if they should include their high school education on their resume even if they didn’t graduate. The answer is yes, you can still include it. Although, it will look a little different than other items on your resume. It will look like this:
High School Name
City, State
Attended XX-XY years
Omitting that you do not have a high school diploma from your resume is acceptable, and in fact, preferred. Most recruiters will verify this information during a background check anyways. Moreover, when filling out job applications, there is usually a section that asks for your high school education. If you did not graduate, simply write “did not graduate” or “GED.”
One more thing to consider is that if you didn’t graduate from high school, you might want to get your GED. Having a GED will give you a significant advantage over other job applicants who don’t have one.
Do employers care about high school?
Although employers are more worried about how well students did in college, some lower-level jobs like those involving retail work, food service, and sales often rely on high school students. Also, if you are a recent high school graduate, many employers will want to know if you have any relevant coursework or experience.
Including your high school education on your resume is important, but it is not the most important thing. Employers care more about your skills and experience than they do about your education. However, if you don’t have much work experience, your education can help you get your foot in the door.
Moreover, employers who are looking to fill entry-level positions are often more interested in applicants who have a high school diploma or GED than those who don’t. This is because these employers are looking for candidates who have the basic skills and qualifications needed to do the job.
Should you put high school on resume if no college?
Omitting your high school and college details from your resume is an option you should consider if you didn’t attend college or only took a few courses. You have the ability to leave out this information as you gain more valid and relevant work experience. Besides, no college education will not bar you from many jobs.
Next, list the courses that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a writer, you would include any English or journalism courses you took in high school. If you’re applying for a job in accounting, you would include any math courses you took.
How To Master Your Resume?
Putting high school in the Education section is not the only thing you should do to make your resume look great. You should also:
- Tailor your resume to each job you apply for
- Include relevant coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities
- Use action verbs to describe your skills and experience
- Proofread your resume for grammar and spelling errors.
Be close to the resume structure, it should contain :
- Header – which includes your name, contact information, and links to your social media profiles
- Summary – A brief overview of your skills, experience, and qualifications
- Skills – A list of your hard and soft skills
- Experience – Your work history including job titles, companies you’ve worked for, dates of employment, and a bulleted list of your responsibilities and achievements
- Education – The schools you’ve attended, the degrees and certificates you’ve earned, and any relevant coursework.
All these sections are important, and you should put thought into each one. High school is an important part of your education and should be included on your resume.
Moreover, in order to write a good CV if you don`t have a good education, you should pay extra attention to other sections like skills and experience. For example, you should include any relevant coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities.
Also, don’t forget to use action verbs to describe your skills and experience. Your GPA results are also significant when you don’t have a college degree. Especially if you have GPA results of more than 3.0 points.
Bottom Line
Putting high school on resume must be done correctly in order to benefit your job application. Include relevant coursework, internships, and extracurricular activities. Use action verbs to describe your skills and experience. Finally, don’t forget to proofread your resume for grammar and spelling errors.
