Do Employers Check Your Education?
You’re applying for a new job and, like most positions, it has an extensive list of qualifications & possibly an education background check. Unfortunately, you’re lacking one of the critical pieces of the puzzle: the education required in order to take the position. Maybe you have more than adequate experience in your field or all the certifications your potential employer is asking for, but you don’t have the degree they want.
Do employers really check your education?
The short answer? Yes. 72% of employers conduct background checks on their applicants, and around 50% choose to check a potential employee’s educational background to make sure that it’s in line with what they’ve claimed on their resume.
What does that mean for your employment application?
All too many applicants choose to play the odds when they put in a job application: instead of being honest about their level of education, they’ll stretch the truth or even lie outright in an effort to get the job they want. After all, they have the knowledge. Why should they have to prove that they went to school to get it?
If you want a solid job with an employer who trusts you, however, it’s important, to be honest about your background. Instead of lying about your education, use some of these strategies to showcase your expertise:
- Include a solid look at your experience on your resume. What work have you done in this field in the past?
- Clearly display your accomplishments in your field. What have you been able to do even without that educational background?
- List your certifications in your field, especially those that are known to be similar to the education level required for the job.
While some employers will use a program to sift through resumes, which means that you may be denied on the basis of a missing education, others will take the time to read through your resume personally. In those cases, you’ll be able to connect with employers who will take your experience seriously–and you’ll enter into a more trustworthy relationship with your company.