Are you worried about the way that a future employer might perceive you for earning your GED instead of following the traditional path toward graduation? If so, don’t be. Obtaining your General Education Development diploma says a lot more positive about you than it ever could negative. Here are some takeaways that most employers will have given the effort and the circumstances surrounding your decision to pursue your GED:
1. You are a self-starter.
Ideally the traditional path will work for you, affording the intimate classroom setting and direct contact with instructors. But life doesn’t always make that possible. The drive to earn a GED means you are learning your first lessons in overcoming challenges and accomplishing a major goal. This fact will resonate with employers as you grow older and more experienced.
2. You can rise to meet any challenge, even when life gets in the way.
Many circumstances can surround the decision to earn one’s GED—teen pregnancy, death of a parent or guardian, abusive household situations, substance abuse. But with all the setbacks that are out there, a person who earns their GED shows they can take it upon themselves to rise above the circumstances and attain a quality education without all the help the traditional pathway provides. This decision says something about your educational competence and, more importantly, your character.
3. Learning is important to you.
If you are forced into a situation where you have to take control of your own education without all the help that typical high school students get from their families and instructors, then you can either stand or fall. Choose to stand, and the message sent to an employer is that learning is important, and that attitude will continue on the job as you work to take on additional responsibilities and become a more integral part of a company’s success.
4. You are an effective multi-tasker.
The GED covers a total of five content areas—arithmetic, reading, science, social studies and writing. In addition to achieving mastery of these materials, you also have to balance independent study time with your hectic life, all without the guidance and structure of a 180-day school year. The simple act of passing the GED demonstrates your ability to multi-task even in less than desirable situations, and once again, that says a tremendous amount about your character.
5. You possess foresight.
When you make the decision to pursue a GED—and you attain it—you are proving to employers that you have the foresight to know how it will affect your life for the better, not just tomorrow but five, ten or fifteen years down the road. Demonstrating vision in your studies and on your own will prove to an employer that you have the vision to become an integral part of their business in the years ahead.
Aric Mitchell's work appears regularly here at 4tests.com and across the web for sites, such as The Inquisitr and Life'd. A former high school teacher, his passion for education has only intensified since leaving the classroom. At 4tests, he hopes to continue passing along words of encouragement and study tips to ensure you leave school ready to face an ever-changing world.
