Hey fallas!!!!!!!!! I have a few questions about life. First off, I never graduated from high school, I got my GED instead. How bad will that hurt me? I am currently 18 years old and have been attending a vo-tech school for two years to be a diesel mechanic. I have about 6 months left. After that I will recieve my diploma in "diesel powered equipment technology". I plan on working at a tractor dealership. Say, me and one other guy is going for the same mechanic position, will he get the job before me just cause he has a high school diploma and I have a GED? I have put in my application at a case/kubota dealership and never got the job probably since I don't have a drivers license, I couldn't even get a job at the tire and lube at wal-mart cause I only have a learners permit. Would shops hire me if I got my license but still didn't have a car? Two of the first questions on a job application is do you have a license and do you have transportation, and I always have to put no and I am having to pass up good jobs cause of this. I sometimes regret not getting my high school diploma but there is no way I could have spent two more years with those word removed by FTE.

Will I have less options in life due to not having a high school diploma?

You always here of stupid morons dropping out of high school but would any of you guys consider dropping out a big mistake?

I am willing to bet that I am the most knowledgeable student in my class when it comes to mechanical knowledge, would this make up for my GED?

These are all questions that I have wondered about for the past 2 years and I never could get an answer for them. Any of you guys have any advice on this subject? Thanks for any and all advice!!!!!

 

i have a dipolma (barely) and has got me the almost the same job i had while in highschool . I would finish with school. most jobs require just a ride to and from work . My freind went to job core for paint and body and got his ged never work a week in a shop but is assistant manager of a petco in houston tx. so dont sweat it whats in the past is there just think ahead

 

hey EIL,
I think most ask if you have a car so they can feel secure that you will get to work and not be able to use the "my ride didn't show" excuse. If you can impress folks with your working knowledge, be confident and show your willingness to work, you should have as good a chance to get the job as the guy with the diploma. It looks like you started the vo-tech program before your classmates graduated from HS, and that should show your dedication to your education and profession. It may be to your benefit to tell a prospective employer that you really wanted to get a headstart on your career since you decided what you wanted to do with your life so early. That's if they ask. They can't ask your age at the interview, that's not legal. So, get your license, a cheap car, and be confident.
Good Luck!
T

 

The reason most employers are not interested in people without at least a high school diploma is because they are concerned about that person's ability to stay with a job, even if it is sometimes a pain. If you are 16 years old and can't even stay in school, then why should an employer think things will be different at work? A GED is good because it means you at least finished something, but it is not as good as a diploma. Depending on what you want to do in life, the high school diploma is just the starting point. It keeps on going. Getting out of high school or getting a GED is not the end. It is the beginning. Good luck to you, and keep learning. It never stops.

 

I agree with hreed on this one. When I review applications I tend to avoid GED's or, as Chris Rock calls them, "Good Enough Diplomas". My first thoughts when I see this are "Why didn't they finish high school? Are they trouble makers who got booted? Do they have a hard time working with other people? Maybe they're not motivated" Obviously you're motivated, trouble maker I don't know, but this statement: I sometimes regret not getting my high school diploma but there is no way I could have spent two more years with those . . . would lead me to believe that one of my typical suspicions would be correct.

I'm not sure what exactly was edited out of that but if you can't handle the teachers/faculty then I would suspect you'll have a hard time dealing with a boss. If it's the other students you coudn't tolerate then I suspect coworkers aren't going to be any more of a treat for you which means trouble in the work place. I'm not saying I'd never higher someone with a GED but if I have 2 apps with similar experience and one's a diploma, the other a GED I'm going for the diploma.

That being said it's too late to do anything about it now so my advice is get some transportation (No, I won't even consider hiring someone without a license and a car) and bust your butt to prove to any potential employer that you can do the job they need done better than anyone else around. Lots of people have been succesful without a diploma and some without a GED.

I also like bigreave's point. I know a lot of people who went to school for specific skills and when it came time they couldn't find a job in that field. Take whatever you can to get you rolling. If you get some good references it will make getting your "real" job that much easier.

 

Quote: "You always here of stupid morons dropping out of high school but would any of you guys consider dropping out a big mistake?"
At this point, that doesn't matter. What does matter is that you are looking to the future and educating yourself in a good trade. The GED, Drivers License and transportation are bumps in the road that you can overcome with with a good attitude, hard work and persistance. As I type this, I'm looking at a plaque on the wall above my desk, I've had it over thirty years and it's words have helped me through many problems: "Press On - Nothing in the world can take the place of persistance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistance and determination alone are omnipotent."
Believe in yourself, be determined and persistent, and you will succeed.
Dono

 

I guess I fall a little to both sides of the equation. GED or not, not finishing high school is a problem that requires a pretty darn good excuse. I work in the software industry and have found folks with equal talent/value that have been self taught and university educated. I like dono's plaque: "nothing is more common than an unsuccessful man with talent". I spent ten years in college thinking people would fawn over my massive eduction and talent. Boy was I wrong. Just like Wile E. Coyote, I never quite seem to get the Roadrunner but I never, ever, will quit.

 

Wow!!!!!!!! Lots of really good info here. I never had any probelms with teachers, just classmates, though I get along really well with my vo-tech classmates. I don't have a problem when my teacher tells me I messed up or worse, I learned to not let it get to me. IVANRIBIC, you made a really good point that hit home. If I could get that job at wal-mart, I would have two months of work that could be used as a reference. Since I never had a job before, my teacher would be the only reference I could use. My teacher knows I bust my butt, but unless an employer gives me a chance or has a good reference, I probably wouldn't get the job. Plus the tire and lube at wal-mart is the only part time job that I know of that I could work from 3:00 to 7:00 and make $7 an hour on my first day. Ya'll really got me motivated now!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There ya go! Fate has a strange way of working things. You just might find get rolling so well in WalMart that it becomes a full time deal. Work your way up the ladder and make a nice living cutting back prices with the smiley face. --> A lot of people will turn down jobs that they feel are "below" them because of their level of education or experience but you've got to start somewhere and good references from a job will mean a whole lot more to your next employer than refrences from a teacher or friend.

Good luck EIL!

 

EIL -

First, when they ask if you have transportation, say yes. You have, the bus, taxi, bike, friends, etc. I was advised during a recent hiring, that I could not ask recruits if they had a car, only if they had transportation (big difference). You may want to check the laws in your state.

Second, a GED looks bad only until you have some other education beyond that to put on a resume or application. After you get your tech diploma, the GED will be less noticable. Keep educating yourself and the GED will quickly fade into the background.

Good luck.

 

I got my first full time job at......19 with an AA from a junior college. I thought it was tough then but it is harder now. Try to keep learing new things.

 

In some places a GED is considered a high school diploma. You earned your GED be proud of that. Don't look back you can't change the past. Keep a positive attitude and move foward get good refs.. Always be ontime to work, better yet show up a litte early. Very important "get your own car" excuses like my ride didn't show up, would only work once with me. I don't know how you could get a job anywhere at a car place without a drivers license. Keep your chin up and you'll be fine.. Later

 

at your age emit the desire to learn and gain experince with potential employers. never let on how great or skilled you are. be humble always, no one is ever faulted for that. never talk negative about any one or thing at a inter veiw. look for a place to work with people like you you are who are and a fit with other employies is most desriable never lie no mater what you will get caught. even if it means no job. My experience has shown me that must people who hire can see a phoney dont be one. getyour foot in the door work your *** off dont get into politics you are building your future

 

when i was your age i needed to leave school and get to work cause i had a kid on the way.. i dropped out of school and got a GED and in the beginning it affected me til i got established eventually i went out and started my own business when youre the king lol you dont need to worry about having a GED

 

I would have to say that even though you dropped out of HS you showed that you knew education was important by going and getting your GED. Not only did you do that but you continued you education by going to a trade school. Employers will look at that and see that you are not just a drop out. A diploma would be good but following through is important and you have shown that with your GED and vo-tech. Most vo-techs will have job placement help when you are done so use it if they have it. Get that first job and stay with it and be a good employee. Even if the first job is not exactly what you want you need to stick it out for a year or two to give yourself a good history. One thing I look for in applications is how many jobs they have had and how often they change jobs. Employers look for stability and dedication. I put more emphasis on a persons work history then I do on their schooling. As I tell my employees, we can train you for this job but only if you are here. An employee that doesn’t show up or skips from job to job is not worth the time and effort to train. How far can you go, well that’s up to you? I have seen people with a GED go and become leaders in their fields but it will be harder work and not all companies will allow people to go past a certain point without education. The company I work for is one that will not promote to upper management unless you have a college degree. I have seen good people passed up for some young green kid straight out of college but that is the way of the world. Hard work and dedication will get you a long ways. Also as stated in other posts, when asked if you have transportation say yes. As long as you have a dependable way to work you have transportation.