How to List GED on your resume

You’ve earned your GED after months of dedication and that is something worth celebrating! When you start applying for jobs, you will need to mention your GED on your resume. Most jobs call for some kind of education requirement. If you are applying for jobs that require a diploma, your GED will qualify you for that. But how do you mention your GED on a resume correctly?

What is a GED?

GED stands for Graduate Equivalency Degree. In the US, a GED is considered equivalent to a high school diploma. You need to complete four rounds of testing to earn the GED certification. The GED indicates that you have the knowledge equivalent to that of a person who completed high school.

Is a GED different from a high school diploma?

There are some differences between the two qualifications in terms of time and coursework requirements. A high school diploma requires a person to complete 4 years of education in a classroom setting. There are a number of credits and certain grades you need to graduate high school. However, a GED has no credit hour obligations. But you will still need to attend the preparation coursework to ready yourself for the testing.

Should you include your GED on your resume?

Most jobs call for some level of education requirement. If you have not received any other education apart from your high school equivalency, you should mention your GED on the resume. But if you have gone for higher education and have certifications to show for it, you don’t need to mention the GED on your resume.

When can you omit the GED from your resume?

If you have finished a college degree, or have just enrolled in college, you can avoid mentioning your GED on the resume. Even if you have not finished your degree program you can still mention only the college degree in your resume’s education qualifications section, followed by the relevant dates and related coursework.

Where should you include the GED on your resume?

A GED, just like any other educational qualification you have, goes in the “Education” section of your resume. You can accompany the abbreviation GED with the phrase “High School Equivalency.” Here’s what your resume would look like if you have completed your GED:

EDUCATION

GED-High School Equivalency Diploma, 2022

If you still haven’t completed your GED, you can still mention it in your resume. It should look like this:

EDUCATION

GED-High School Equivalency Diploma, Expected completion: 2022

Mention your GED on your LinkedIn profile too

A well-organized LinkedIn profile will get more employers to notice you. If you still haven’t gotten around to it, start updating your LinkedIn profile. Add an education section to your LinkedIn profile and include the details of your GED there. There are options for you to list your GED, the school you obtained it from, and the years. There are many reasons why you should always keep your LinkedIn profile updated. It will help you a lot to succeed in your job search.

What more can you add to the education section of your resume?

You can mention every other professional development courses or certification programs that you've completed in the education section of your resume. There are hundreds of online resources you can use to earn a certification. Most professional development courses on the internet are free and make valuable additions to your resume. These will help you advance in your career as a successful professional.