More on Listing Incomplete Education on Your Resume
Kent R.
You recently wrote a post about not listing incomplete education on your resume. What if I only have a high school diploma or didn’t finish my degree. Isn’t it better to have something listed rather than no education at all?
It depends. In many cases, I recommend not listing any education over listing an incomplete degree on your resume. And – unless you are in high school – I also don’t recommend listing high school on your resume.
Listing an incomplete degree on your resume can have the effect of simply drawing attention to your lack of a degree. That may sound unfair – incomplete education is still education after all. But your resume is all about marketing, and listing an incomplete degree on your resume can prompt potential employers to ask, “Why didn’t she finish that degree? I wonder if she has a hard time following through.”
Of course, there are many valid reasons why one might not finish a degree, but that is not the question you want swirling around the head of the person reading your resume.