I dropped out of college. How do I say that on a resume?

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Without it looking bad? Every sample resume I've found assumes you're either still in college or graduated, so I'm stuck. I can't just say "Dropped out."

Also, when they inevitably ask in the interview (assuming I get that far... I usually don't) why I left, any good dodges for that question?

Thanks.

Why did you quit? Maybe you should continue..... What kind of jobs are you applying for?

I didn't finish college either, and if I am applying for a job, I'm usually painfully honest. I think it depends on the type of job, though, whether it matters or not. Someone should have a proper answer for you, though.

Last edited by FaithHopeCheese on 24 Oct 2009, 8:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

be assertive: you didnt 'drop out', you stopped going. 'dropping out' is something a loser would do, a winner like yourself would have a 'change of direction'.

you could say you took a hiatus to pursue whatever else, but decided not to return because whatever else you were doing instead required your dedication/commitment*

*you get the idea, work in some buzzwords in that paint you sound dynamic, rather than neing the type of person who cant stick at something.

ive never been in a competitive interview, but i think thats vaguely the right sort of approach

You could say you completed however many semesters you were at college for and put the focus on the fact you did some instead of on the fact you didn't finish.

Somehow give yourself credit for the classes that you did take. I applied for a job that required a CS degree. I didn't have a CS degree, so under my school I put "relevant coursework" and listed the 5 CS courses I did take. They called me for the interview and when they asked I just told them I was changing to another school because my school dropped their CS program (which was true). You could say that you decided to study online because it provides you the flexibility of working full-time. Somehow, put a positive spin on whatever you decide to say.

Assuming that you finished at least one term, I would list the college, the dates of attendance and the courses completed. If you didn't complete at term I wouldn't list it at all.

Save the explanation of why you didn't finish your course for the interview. Lot's of people don't finish, for lots of reasons (e.g. financial), so don't let that faze you.

One line is plenty:

School, dates, "no degree"

I dropped out as a junior but did that many credits worth in something like a year and a half so if I listed the years it would look like I dropped out as a freshman. How do I word it? I need some kind of template to see what it looks like.

I quit because the BS wasn't worth my money.

I don't blame you for quitting. Better quit earlier than later if the college does not live up to the promise. Having some college is a plus! Honestly. My company hired only hired people who had a degree or some college. And you need someone to coach you on what to say and what not to say during the interview. I am sorry, but you may need an NT to help with what to say during the interview.

From the web:
If you didn't finish college, start with a phrase describing the field you studied, followed by the school and the dates (the fact that there was no degree may be missed).

Example:
Education:....Portland State University............................................Portland, OR
...........................................................................................................2000-2003
...........................-Relevant Coursework included Data Structures and Software Engineering.

Of course remove the "......" (just used to reflect spacing)

Here are some templates: MS Resume Templates

+1

For what it is worth, an employer will think whatever they want to. I chose not to practice law. I'd love to know what most interviewers think when they see someone with a law degree who says he doesn't want to practice for "personal reasons." I'm sure they think I'm being lazy, but you can't do much about their perceptions. You can only put the best spin on it that you can.

You could say that you felt the academic environment wasn't benefiting you enough to justify what it was costing you to attend.

You could say finances were tight and you couldn't justify taking on massive amounts of debt not knowing if you'd make enough to repay the loans later (a real issue for today's students).

You could say that you found more rewarding pursuits you wanted to follow now rather than risk losing them by staying in college that offered no similar opportunity at the time.

You get the idea....

Damn it. That's going to make it look like I only did one year when I busted my ass. Is there an elegant way to lie?

Thanks for the template though. That's been really snagging me on my resume.

Example:
Education:....Portland State University............................................Portland, OR
...........................................................................................................2000-In Progress
...........................-Relevant Coursework included Data Structures and Software Engineering.

Of course remove the "......" (just used to reflect spacing)

I didn't finish grad school, so my resume says "Completed 32 credit hours, Graduate School of the University of _______" as the last line of the "Education" subsection, and I get still get jobs.

True. You could be like me, finish your education and then be pigeonholed into a career you don't want to pursue...therefore never being taken seriously for anything you apply for outside that field.

Should have dropped out of graduate school. Then it would somehow be more acceptable that I'm looking for work in something other than what I went to school for.