Many job applicants worry about what to include on their resume, especially if they did not obtain a college degree. It should not be a concern, however. Only about 30 percent of adult Americans have a college degree, meaning that about 70 percent of the work force got their jobs without listing a college degree on their resumes.
Accentuate the Positive Instead
A college education does not imply experience, or even skill. As long as you can focus your resume on your abilities, employers will judge you on your skills rather than your education.
While you should not leave the education section entirely off your resume — hiring managers want to see at least a high school diploma for most positions — you can put it at the end of your resume. If a section is unimportant to describing the reasons why you make an excellent candidate, leave it until the very last. List your skills, experiences, and etc. first.
If you can demonstrate that you are a reliable employee and have a solid work history, you can usually win out over a candidate with a degree but little else. Often, recent graduates have no work experience at all. In addition to the normal training a new employee might need, that college graduate may need further education in how to work in an office environment. However, an individual without a degree, but with plenty of experience, can often jump right into the work.
Don’t Draw Attention Where It’s Not Necessary
Many applicants feel like they need to explain the reasons that they didn’t attend college, devoting their cover letters to the process. However, this is unnecessary. Instead, a more valuable use of your cover letter is to demonstrate how you can be an asset to your potential employer. Describe what makes you such a great candidate. Leave it for the hiring manager to realize that you are a better option than other applicants.
Even worse, some applicants decide that, to be competitive, they need to embellish their resumes. However, it has become very easy to check on whether an individual graduated from a specific institute. It simply isn’t worth it to embellish a resume.
