CV as one pager - leave out high school?

Q: CV as one pager - leave out high school?

Hi, Max

I will provide a direct answer and a point for reflection, if I might. 

First, I agree with the previous answers, I would only include a High School experience if it outstands the others under education in some way - e.g., achieving max grades, receiving a unique award or scholarship, etc. The reason is that every recruiter for consulting is looking for stories of excellence in the professional, educational and even personal experiences of the CV. So if your masters and bachelor experiences already tell such a compelling story of educational excellence that the high school one pales in comparison, seeming not add anything relevant, I would use the extra space to explore the work experiences. 

Now, the point of reflection: Depending on how relevant your work experience has already become in your life and how many compelling stories you can tell about it, you might consider moving this entire session to the top of your CV, above education. To know that, I would suggest you to think to yourself: “which stories are stronger and better demonstrate my skills for consulting?”. 

Hope I helped and good luck!

Anderson

Hi there

It's hard to tell without actually seeing the CV, but yes, dropping your high-school is absolutely ok, especially since you're about to graduate with a Masters degree. Nobody cares about your highschool grades at this point. 

If you're preparing your application for interviews, you might also find this guide helpful:

Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Best,
Cristian

1. Remove High School Diploma

Given that you are about to complete a master’s degree, it is generally acceptable to omit your high school diploma from your resume. Employers typically focus on your most recent and relevant education and experience, so your higher education credentials should suffice.

2. Condense Content

• Job Descriptions: Ensure your job descriptions are concise. Focus on the most impactful achievements and responsibilities. Use bullet points to highlight key accomplishments rather than listing every duty.
• Education Section: Simplify your education section by listing only the degree, institution, and graduation date. Omit additional details like coursework or GPA unless they are particularly impressive or relevant. 

3. Optimize Layout

• Font and Margins: Adjust the font size (but not below 10.5 points) and margins slightly to save space without compromising readability.
• Sections: Merge sections where possible. For instance, you can combine your bachelor’s and master’s degrees into one section titled “Education” with concise entries for each.

4. Highlight Key Information

Ensure that the most critical information is easily visible. Use bold or italics sparingly to draw attention to your most significant roles and achievements.

At this point high school diploma doesn't really matter. You should leave it out regardless. 

Hi Max,

Q: CV as one pager - leave out high school? 

In general, I would recommend including the high school only if you got the maximum grade. So, if that’s not the case, it is fine to leave it out.

If you got the maximum grade, it could still make sense, depending on what else you could cut out from the CV – it is difficult to confirm without having a look at the actual CV. Alternatively, you might use a smaller font size unless it is already very small.

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

To counter some of the other answers here based on actual experience in the region since you are from Germany and I assume applying in Germany:

McKinsey DACH always wants to see high school graduation GPA, so you should definitely include it.

Once hired, you even have to send your transcript. It's an odd thing but don't shoot the messenger. :-)

My tip: Think of formatting to make it fit. There is always a way. 

All the best,

Florian

Hi Max,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, unless you are applying in the UK or US, you can easily have a CV with more than one page.
• Moreover, if you are applying in the UK or US, I would advise you to leave out the high school as it probably won't contribute as much as your working student job.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your application files, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Leaving out the high-school part should not present a problem unless you feel your achievements in high-school can help your chances (usually not the case for most)

That said, if you are concerned about overflowing 1-page - then you need to look at your CV as a whole and see how you can work on each part to make the whole CV fit into 1 page. Even after 10 years of experience - it is quite possible to fit your CV into 1 page - by ensuring that you focus on relevant points that can support a 10-year level of seniority.

Happy to help if you need a hand with your CV.

Why remove a line when you can simply change the spacing between lines (or between letters)… 

In any case, you don't have much experience - see if you can summarize in order to reduce the number of lines.

During your whole life you are going to have to do this: add a line, and chose a line to remove. Always take the least relevant (e.g. that one where you say that you know how to use microsoft office :)

Take high school out. It is not relevant at this point.

Best,

Alberto