Your graduation year is one of the first things a potential employer will ask for on your resume. But should you include it?

Depending on when you graduate, it could either help or hurt your chances of landing the job. Here are a few things to consider before you make a decision.

Should you remove your graduation year?

You’re probably thinking: “What does my graduation year matter?” According to a recent survey, it could cost you a job. Nearly one in four employers surveyed say that those without a college degree are less likely to receive a call for an interview compared to candidates with degrees.

The study found that respondents believe that people without college degrees are more likely to work part-time jobs, take lower-paying positions, and lack experience.

And, even though many companies now offer tuition reimbursement programs, some still don’t consider hiring someone with no degree a good idea.

One respondent said he wouldn’t hire anyone who didn’t graduate from high school. Another added that she’d never hire someone who hadn’t gone beyond junior high school.

So what do you think? Is it necessary to divulge your graduation date on your resume? Or should you place more excellent value on your skills and accomplishments? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

 Do you need to include the graduation year on a resume?

The answer is usually no because there are several reasons why you shouldn’t include your graduation or degree date on a resume.

You don’t want to look like you’re bragging about how old you are; it makes you look unprofessional; and most importantly, employers aren’t interested in knowing what year you graduated college. Here’s a detailed discussion about this:

1. It’s Irrelevant

The simplest way for recruiters to reject your CV is to include irrelevant information. A recent study found that resumes with useless material are ten times less likely to get contacted for an interview than those without it.

Both are unnecessary, even though adding your graduation year is preferable to including irrelevant experience. Per a CareerBuilder poll, one in five job hopefuls had irrelevant information on their resumes.

Remember to keep your resume relevant by keeping unnecessary information out. You don’t want to waste your employer’s time by sending them a resume full of things they won’t care about.

2. It Gives Away Your Age

Those over 40 should not reveal their age. But won’t your professional experience reveal your age?

You don’t have to list every job. It reveals your age and fills your resume with useless content that may upset a hiring manager.

Your resume needs the latest 10-15 years of experience.

Don’t believe the “age” myth. Some industries or companies discriminate against older applicants, yet seniors are more likely to get hired. Older workers are less likely to depart for a better offer.

Give your graduation year if you’re young and have limited work experience. College graduates sometimes lack work experience, but stating their graduation year indicates the hiring manager they were in school.

Your age on your resume?

While it might seem common sense to include your graduation year on your résumé, employers might not want to see your age for many reasons.

For one thing, it could make you look older than you are. And while some people might think that including their graduation year makes them sound too young, others say that it gives off a false impression of youthfulness.

The truth is, there is no hard-and-fast rule that dictates whether or not you should list your graduation year on your job application form. However, according to career experts, it’s best to keep things short and sweet.

Your age during your interview?

You’ve gotten past the initial screening process, and now you’re ready for the next step — the actual interview. And while many people think that getting hired depends solely on how well you perform during the interview, there’s much more involved.

But one thing that often gets overlooked is your age. While employers might not make direct references to your age, it’s pretty easy to tell whether someone is younger or older based on appearance.

You probably don’t stand out too much if you look like you could be anywhere from 20 to 40. On the other hand, if you look like you’re in your mid-30s, you’ll stand out.

How to format your resume keeping in mind when you plan to graduate

Predicting a graduation date demands accuracy. You must give the accurate date where employers can see it. The steps below explain how to insert a graduation date.

1. List your education entry

You want to enter your education history into the database. You can add your educational institution and the type of degree/diploma you seek. This includes schools, universities, colleges, vocational training centers, etc. Your listing needs to include the following information:

• Name of school

• Location

• Degree/Diploma sought

• Number of credits needed

• Year(s) attended

• Type of program (i.e., undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate, certificate, etc.)

• Field of study

• Level attained (i.e., bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, professional, etc.)

• Degrees earned

• Date degrees received

• Major field of study

• Other fields of study

• Additional information about the degree/diploma (i.e., number of hours completed per week; length of the program; average GPA; etc.)

2. The date of your graduation should be precisely identified

Graduation dates are constantly changing. Some schools offer multiple options, while others provide one date for everyone. Sometimes, students don’t even know what their actual graduation date is. In addition, there are many reasons why graduation dates might change, such as poor grades in the final term.

Identifying the exact graduation date is key to planning future events. If you want to graduate early, make sure you find out when exactly you’ll receive your diploma. You can check your school’s website or contact your registrar directly.

Identify your current GPA

Grades aren’t always easy to come by. Some students don’t even bother filling out a paper version of their rates because they know they’ll forget about it.

Others fill out their papers but never turn them in. And others do submit their grades but don’t give them much thought. Either way, keeping track of your grades is essential to ensure you get the most out of your education.

To find your average GPA, start by identifying your current GPA. You’ll want to know where you stand now to see how far away you are from achieving your goal.

Once you’ve identified your current GPA, use this handy formula to figure out your target GPA: Current GPA +.01 Target GPA. For example, say your current GPA is 2.5. To determine your target GPA, add 0.01 to 2.5, which equals 2.6. So, your target GPA is 2.6.

Include pertinent coursework

Suppose you’re applying for a position where you’ll be doing financial analysis. In that case, it might be worth mentioning what courses you took in college, primarily if those classes are related to finance.

This could include principles of financial management, corporate finance, accounting, or quantitative methods.

These classes give employers insight into how well you understand complex concepts and whether you’d be able to perform the tasks required for the role.

Summary

So, there you have it how to insert your graduation date onto your resume to make employers notice and see the potential value you could bring to their organization.

As always, if you are feeling lost or need some professional help with editing or polishing your resume, our team at Lancerbee is here for you. Give us a tap – we’d be more than happy to assist!