resume question...

[Glitter650]

OK here's the deal... I attended a 4 year school in Los Angeles for my freshman year of college... ( I am from Northern California) but then I came home and attended JR. college for a year, (where I earned a certificate in music business) then I transfered to where I currenly go to school, and where I will receive my BA degree from... my question is, is it necessary to put my freshman year school under the education section of my resume ?
I mean it may look funky to have three colleges on there, and I know on another thread someone mentioned employers may look down on having so many schools... but does it look better to have the 4 year university right out of HS rather than JR. college ? I suppose I have to put the JC though since I earned the certificate there ? What do you all think ? advice would be appreciated ! I'm fixing up my resume for this DREAM JOB that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to get

[aephi alum]

Employers can and do contact schools to verify prospective employees' enrollment. If you just list your current school, implying you've been there since you finished high school, the employer will find out you haven't and probably drop you from consideration.

If I were you, I'd list the junior college and your current school, but not the school you attended freshman year. If you're challenged, you can justifiably say that you only listed the schools you earned, or plan to earn, a degree from. Employers will care more about your BA anyway. A lot of people these days attend junior college and get an associate degree, then transfer into 4-year colleges as a junior, so that's not such a red flag.

Good luck!

[Rudey]

Podunk University
-BA in Retard Studies Expected May 2004

That's what you write. Unless you had relevant education or schooling somewhere that you want to brag about, don't talk about it unless they ask.

-Rudey

Originally posted by Glitter650
OK here's the deal... I attended a 4 year school in Los Angeles for my freshman year of college... ( I am from Northern California) but then I came home and attended JR. college for a year, (where I earned a certificate in music business) then I transfered to where I currenly go to school, and where I will receive my BA degree from... my question is, is it necessary to put my freshman year school under the education section of my resume ?
I mean it may look funky to have three colleges on there, and I know on another thread someone mentioned employers may look down on having so many schools... but does it look better to have the 4 year university right out of HS rather than JR. college ? I suppose I have to put the JC though since I earned the certificate there ? What do you all think ? advice would be appreciated ! I'm fixing up my resume for this DREAM JOB that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to get

[James]

I thought I was the only one that took that major!

Originally posted by Rudey
Podunk University
-BA in Retard Studies Expected May 2004

That's what you write. Unless you had relevant education or schooling somewhere that you want to brag about, don't talk about it unless they ask.

-Rudey

[Allie]

Personally I would list all three schools. One, it's being honest, if they do contact the registrar and find loop holes it looks bad on your part. Two, you never know a potential employer may know an alumni from there, and it can always be low key interview conversation.

Motto: "Better to be safe than sorry"

[navane]

I'm confused....why would you want to/need to list all of the schools and colleges you attended? I am under the impression that the only listings required are ones where you *earned a degree*. Plus, I totally eliminate my high school degree...I have a BA and an MEd, no one cares about my HS diploma.


I mean, come on, I took two community college classes before graduating high school. Then, I took a summer school class at a different community college while at the 4-year university. So, using your method, my resume should look like this:


Anyplace University
- MEd in Counselling, Expected June 2004

Mystate University
- BA in Human Development, 2001

Mycity College
- General Education course, 1998

Homecity College
- General Education Courses, 1994

Mytown High School
- General Education Diploma, 1995


Oh my....if I saw a resume like this, I'd file it....right into the trash.


Glitter, you ask, "is it necessary to put my freshman year school under the education section of my resume ? "


NO. NO. NO. Just put the university you earned your BA degree from and the community college where you got the certificate from.


I have *never ever* heard of an employer calling up a university registrar to confirm that an applicant attended a particular university from HS to finish. Eh? *If* they call (and that's IF) they only want to know if you *earned the degree you said you did*.


I have no idea why I sound so passionate about this....I guess I am just totally bewildered at some of the responses you've gotten. I worked in the Academic Counselling department of a university here in So Cal (I'm a university adminstrator) and part of my job was to field phone calls from employers in case they called to verify a student's credentials. Not only was it rare for an employer to call, but all they ever wanted to know was the degree and date of award.


Ah well...maybe things are different in different parts of the country?


Rudey hit it right on the head, only list the degree awarding institution unless you have some kind of extra special and relevant coursework elsewhere.


.....Kelly

[Discotish]

That if you've attended college, you've gotten your high school diploma. In the years I worked in Human Resources for one of the most recognizable companies in the world (a major soft drink company), I've never seen anyone list their high school, except those who didn't go to college and were looking for entry level work.

For me, when I was doing my resume, I listed the 2 colleges I went to, because I didn't want it to look like I just attended the one. Because employers DO check educational backgrounds and enrollment dates.


I see absolutely no need to list any community college you went to if you took under 10 classes there. I wouldn't worry about employers thinking you have TOO many colleges, because we have become a highly mobile society, but the max I would list would be 3 colleges. Your educational background will surely be a topic of discussion in an interview and you can address it then.

I personally don't see having multiple colleges as being detrimental. It shows a dedication to you continuing to pursue your degree, IMO....

Disco...

[mullet81]

Every summer since freshman year i take 1 or 2 classes at the local CC. I never tried nor desired to get a degree from there - do you think i need to put that school on my resume? I probably took about 8-10 classes

[EagleChick19]

Originally posted by mullet81
Every summer since freshman year i take 1 or 2 classes at the local CC. I never tried nor desired to get a degree from there - do you think i need to put that school on my resume? I probably took about 8-10 classes

I have done the same thing. But, when I talked to people about that for my resume, they said not to put it down. The reasoning I guess is that you want to put down the places where you've earned your degrees. Since you aren't earning a degree from the CC, don't put it down.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by mullet81
Every summer since freshman year i take 1 or 2 classes at the local CC. I never tried nor desired to get a degree from there - do you think i need to put that school on my resume? I probably took about 8-10 classes

No don't put it down. Anyone that tells you to list all your schools has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. List where you got your degree from so unless you've gotten a BA/BS/BFA from a whole bunch of different schools don't list them.

You don't list chronologically where you went to school - you list the degree expected/received and the date for that as well as the school.

If you want to brag about taking courses at another school because of the relevancy to the job or because of the prestige factor, that's different - go ahead.

-Rudey
--Go to vault.com, monster.com, and wetfeet.com for more advice on resumes.

[mullet81]

along the lines of where you graduated from - are you supposed to list your major on your resume?

if so, which one? your cumulitive? or your major gpa?

[Rudey]

Originally posted by mullet81
along the lines of where you graduated from - are you supposed to list your major on your resume?

if so, which one? your cumulitive? or your major gpa?

Yes unless it's really bad. You are supposed to generally write something like this:

*Indiana University
-BA in Psychology, expected May 2004
-Cumulative GPA: 4.0

People modify that as they see fit. Say you know you'll get rejected if they see your gpa, you may want to leave it out and then let them ask you about it at the interview. Or say your major gpa is higher, you may want to put that instead of your cumulative.

When it comes to jobs, lying is a bad thing. Never lie. However, there is an art to what information you provide. Don't be one of those retards who writes everything and anything and basically asks to get rejected beforehand.

Mine lists UChicago for the BA and Columbia and Tuck for some additional coursework that I want to bring to their attention usually, my SATs, cumulative, and major GPAs except one since that one doesn't look as great. It doesn't list that one gpa, how I slept through some finals and screwed up, how good/bad the sex with my ex was, etc.

-Rudey

-Rudey

[AXJules]

It depends what your major is.

If you're business or med, clearly a high GPA is important on a resume.

On the other hand, sometimes its unnecessary. I'm an ad major and they tell everyone in the journalism school to nix the GPA unless it's a 4.0....because creativity/talent/ability is more important than grades in this field and if you put a 3.8, with your luck (oh who am I kidding, with MY luck) there will be some dipshit in the resume pile who has a 4.0, or lies and puts a 4.225 or some crap like that. You're eliminating yourself before you even get to the interview.

[ToBeSororityGrl]

I've read that leaving your GPA off the resume implies you are ashamed of it and don't even have a 2.0 and therefore your resume will be trashed.

[navane]

Wow, I've never heard of some of the things people are mentioning on here. I don't put my GPA on my resume - to me, that's just too high school like.


As a hiring manager, I don't really care what a candidate's GPA is per se. I mean, my mother died unexpectedly right in the middle of my college career. That messed up my GPA big time. I finished with a 2.98 GPA. So what?!?! I was on the Dean's List my final semester and won a department award! Obviously my professors thought my work was worth something more than what my GPA indicated. If anything, a hiring manager should be impressed with my courageous spirit and willingness to finish my education in the face of a huge obstacle. But, how do I convey that? Do I write on my resume , "I have a 2.98 GPA but that's pretty good considering my mom died"? If I put that statement on my resume, it would get canned.


Ok, so let's just move right on for a second. I'm studying for a Master's degree with a British university. Guess what? They don't do "GPA" in Britain! Should I be penalized for not listing a GPA then?


In my opinion, unless your industry has a very specific cultural expectation to see a GPA (like someone mentioned business or medicine) GPA on a resume is pointless.


Then again, as they say, 50% of doctors finished at the bottom of their class....


.....Kelly