Engineering Degree… Almost

Question
I received a B.S. in Business Administration in 1974. After receiving the degree I began taking night courses towards a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Prior to completing the Mechanical Engineering Degree, I was hired as a Quality Engineer in 1978.

I completed all but 15 credits required for the Mechanical Engineering Degree and stop taking classes some 20 years ago. I have worked as a Quality Engineer for the last 25+ years and I am currently an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Engineer.

My question: How would you suggest I address the education that I have had related to Mechanical engineering? Or should I omit that information from my resume?
--Robert

Answer
by Marc Effron, VP, Talent Management

Robert – The great news for you is that you have 25+ years of experience and ASQ certification in your field. These facts mean much more to potential employers than your educational history at this point in your career. With your wealth of experience your education becomes just an interesting footnote on your resume, so be completely transparent about what you’ve accomplished.

List your BS degree and that you completed all but 15 credits towards your Mechanical Engineering degree. While a few employers might strictly require the degree, most simply care about whether you have the skills needed to do the job. Structure the rest of your resume to show them that you do.

Susan Ireland’s Two Cents
Check out sample resumes for technical professionals and sample resumes for job seekers with no degree (even though you do have a degree, just not the one in mechanical engineering) to see how other folks have handled similar situations.