The GED in the job interview: how do you explain it?

There are so many reasons that people do not move through high school in four orderly, productive years. A few examples:

• a health event,
• a disruptive home life,
• the need to earn money,
• a poor social fit in school,
• immaturity/lack of purpose.

People may feel burdened by having “just” a GED instead of what they perceive as a real high school diploma. Let’s set the record straight:

The GED (General Educational Development test) leads to a real high school diploma issued by the state. Colleges, the military, and government agencies accept it as a true equivalency. So why do doubts and insecurities linger?

Part of the problem is language. The term GED really refers to the tests that an applicant must take and pass. Yet GED is mistakenly applied to the state diploma issued upon successful completion of five competency tests.

In order to sit for the exams, a person must be at least 16 years old, be a resident of the state for at least three months, and have been withdrawn from a school for at least three months. For more exact information, please see information on the State Board of Education website for your state of residence.

For a college or a workplace to look down on the holder of a state-issued diploma is a mistake. Just about any person who studies independently and passes the competencies can tell a story of hard work, determination, focus, and recovery from bad situations. Such people, no matter what their age, are ready to work or study in a way that they never did before. They may express regrets that they chose a difficult path (if it was indeed a choice), but they also share pride that they have achieved this milestone on their own.

Let’s not make things harder. The arenas of work and higher education should welcome holders of state diplomas and recognize them as the workers that they have proven themselves to be.

If you would like to practice explaining your educational pattern (including its interruptions) for job or college interviews, please visit my website (www.anneheadley.com) for contact information. Together, we can turn your unique situation into a strength!