Addressing Lack of Educational Credentials on a Resume

One of the unpleasant facts of life for job hunters is employers’ propensity for hiring candidates with the highest possible level of education.  If you are searching for a job, the only instance in which higher education will work against you is if you are competing for a lower-level, lower-paying position; in that case, a Master’s degree or a PhD will classify you as “overqualified” and therefore, not viable.  As we have advised job hopefuls in virtually every article that has appeared on our site, and indeed, as we have guided virtually every client for whom we have prepared resumes for the past thirty years, a resume must highlight your background to the fullest extent.  How then, if your credentials do not support it, can you camouflage or circumvent a lack of education on your resume?

The simplest way to do this is with a skills-based or functional style resume, which allows you to focus on your overall competencies and accomplishments.   Making as strong as possible a case for yourself, you can present yourself as an individual who will deliver immediate contributions to your next employer.  Employers may then overlook your lack of education and contact you for an interview.  Even if the hiring manager advises you that the interview will be “exploratory” in nature, you will have secured a face-to-face dialogue with a decision maker and may, indeed, have the opportunity to discuss another available position for which a degree is not as critical.

Another strategy is to be straightforward about the lack of education on your resume.  Within your cover letter, you can allude to the fact that, although you do not possess the degree stipulated in the job posting/job description, your achievements, extensive background in the field, and references attest that you are ideal for the job.

A third method of skirting the issue is to have your career assessed by a qualified educational evaluation service that will review your background in order to equate your work experience to, for example, an Associate Degree or three years of course work towards a Bachelor’s degree.  Such services, which require a nominal fee, usually provide their clients with supporting documentation.  If you go this route, you can simply indicate on your resume “Education equating to an Associate of Applied Science” or “40 credits towards a Bachelor of Arts”. Another option is to actually enroll in an institution of higher learning and speak of this on your resume as, for example, “Bachelor of Science in Accounting program to commence September 2009”.

A final alternative is to wow the employer with a list of relevant certifications, licenses, and/or professional development courses, including training programs, seminars, and workshops provided by credentialed services.   Please note the words “list” and “relevant” as the more of these that you can honestly list (and support with paperwork/certificates), the better.  Dependent upon your line of work and its criteria, specific certifications and training may actually be more pertinent than a degree to your future manager.

If academia is not your forte, don’t be discouraged.  A negative attitude, including one in which you may feel that you are “not good enough” will only work against you, psychologically and realistically, in your job search.  Adjust your resume accordingly and you will attract potential employers who will value your skills and accomplishments rather than pass you by because of a lack of education on your resume.