Listing degree on resume

[mrs.b]

It's funny, but if you list your degree while applying to lower paying jobs, you will most likely be considered over-qualified. Not joking, it happened to me this holiday season, I applied to Target to make some extra holiday money and was told at the interview that I was over-qualified for the night shift stock room. Funny stuff!

That is interesting, and probably varies by marketplace and region. Both my husband and I picked up second jobs to knock down debt a bit and ensure we kept Christmas off the credit cards, and in both our cases, having full-time jobs and degrees got us the part-time lower paying jobs we wanted for a few weekend hours. In my interview, my hiring manager immediately questioned why I was applying. I think my exact words were, "both my boys - my husband and son - like expensive toys now, so a few extra hours should earn enough so Santa can get those without charging up my credit cards." After that, we spent another 10-15 minutes chatting about random things - non-interview stuff - and I was offered the job. He was also working his way through school to finish a Bachelors, though at a brick & mortar school nearby, so most of the interview was comparing notes about how we managed work, school, and family. I later learned that most of the people applying for the holiday position wanted full-time hours, and they did not want what they considered the inevitable stress of denying people when they had someone that wanted only 16-20 hours a week on the shift most people wanted off, and with my resume, they knew I would never want the overtime other employees insisted on. My husband's interview and experience was pretty much the same. We've both been offered permanent positions past the holiday. He's thinking of accepting, but I am likely done in a few weeks to spend more time with the kiddo.

[cookderosa]

I'm afraid that advice is a little broad--after all, there are plenty of jobs at Walmart that require degrees!

OK, I didn't write this perfectly, but also no one is reading ALL the words. I meant in an online situation where you have to check "yes" or "no" to advance to the next screen.
Let me phrase it differently:

Let's say I am ready to graduate underwater basket weaving school in June. In the meantime, I need a job, so I apply at Walmart. Walmart asks if I have a degree, I'm going to check "no."
Now, I'm also filling out a second application, but this is for a CAREER POSITION with the Underwater Basket Weaving Company. The job is to start in July, and requires a degree in underwater basket weaving to apply. In that case, when I get to the screen that asks if I have an underwater basket weaving degree, I'm going to mark "yes" and continue the application. I'm ALSO including all of this information on my cover letter, explaining how I'll be graduating in June, etc.

[burbuja0512]

I would have no problem listed the degree on a resume and as already mentioned, there are various ways to word things. For example, on my LinkedIn profile right now, I do have my MBA listed but it says (expected) 2013.

If you've completed all of the coursework but the degree is not yet conferred, I personally would go ahead and list it as complete, but note something like "coursework complete, 60/60 credits, conferral expected May 2013" .. or whatever the month you expect to graduate. This should not be a problem for any recruiter or hiring manager, but if you have to go through a background check, it might cause you a few problems. However, I do think that as long as you're clear that the degree is not yet conferred, you should be ok in a background check as long as you are indeed a TESC student that has applied for graduation.

It takes a long time to find a good job anyhow, so the few months you are waiting may not actually make a big difference in the long run, but if you've truly done all of your required classes, I don't see a reason why you should be held back from jobs that require the piece of paper.