As part of our Q&A With Jane series, we invited Whitney C., an employment verification expert at IDMERIT, to respond to a query from a college student who was unsure whether it was okay to exclude university degrees from their resume.
I’m aware that in certain situations, it may be acceptable to exclude specific university degrees from a resume, particularly if including them could potentially hinder one’s job search prospects. Could you provide me with more information on the process of pre-employment background screening for education verification? Specifically, do hiring managers individually verify each university and degree listed on a candidate’s resume? I had previously assumed that all degrees and work history would be accessible through a centralized record linked to an individual’s social security number.
Whitney C.’s Response
Thank you for your question. We understand that there are some situations where it may be acceptable to exclude specific university degrees from a resume. For example, if you have a degree that is not relevant to the job you are applying for, or if you have a degree that you earned many years ago and no longer use in your work.
However, it is important to be honest about your educational background on your resume. If you do not list a degree that you have earned, and the employer later finds out about it, it could damage your credibility and jeopardize your chances of getting the job.
The process of background screening for education verification varies from employer to employer. Some employers may individually verify each university and degree listed on a candidate’s resume. Others may use a third-party background screening service to do the verification.
In most cases, the background screening company will contact the school(s) that the candidate has listed on their resume to verify their attendance and degree(s). The school will typically provide the background screening company with a transcript or other official record of the candidate’s education.
In some cases, the background screening company may also contact the candidate directly to verify their education. This is usually done if there are any discrepancies in the information that the candidate has provided.
No, all degrees and work history are not accessible through a centralized record linked to an individual’s social security number. Each school maintains its own records of student attendance and degree completion. And, there is no central database that tracks all of a person’s work history.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind about education verification:
- The results of an education verification can be used by an employer to make hiring decisions.
- If an employer finds that a candidate has misrepresented their educational background, they may rescind the job offer or take other disciplinary action.
- It is important to be honest about your educational background on your resume and in any other job application materials.
- If you have any questions about education verification, you should contact the employer or the background screening company.
IDMERIT is a leading provider of background screening services, with a focus on employment verification.