GCSE/GED Conversion?

[Melancholic Mage 87]

I couldn't find any information on the Forum about this, but there's some confusion about whether my GCSE certificates will be counted at face value as proof of myself finishing high school once I'm in the US. 

 

In-laws tell me I may need to resit exams to earn a GED for employment, while others say I can convert my GCSE's and other results to a US recognised grade using WES.org, while some say it isn't an issue at all. 

 

My highest degrees are College level which I have certificates for. I also have some spare degrees (Generative AI for example) which I'm unsure what these would equal in US terms, or if they'll be taken as they are. Would appreciate some kind of conversion scale or advice. Thank you. 

[Crazy Cat 41,610]

***Moved from IR-1/CR-1 forum to Moving to The US and Your New Life In America forum***

[Boiler 45,314]

From a practical point of view I have never had a problem, just ticked HSD equivalent. It is a very low level.

 

If you are looking at higher education then I would talk to the entity to see which organisation they prefer.

[Lemonslice 4,797]

Schools might request an equivalency, most employers won't request anything like that.  Maybe if you're a very young adult, they might want to see documents, but usually they'll take your word/see other work experience that would have required some education.

[Melancholic Mage 87]

Thank you for the replies. I'm not ruling out going back into education, but I honestly don't know what career I'll pursue once I'm in the US. I do have dreams I want to chase since I was a child, but the knowledge gap is too big for me. I come from a poor part of the UK which only have a limited range of job sectors and hence choices within that region. Pigeonholing is the common norm here. 

 

How would I go about getting an equivalency? My high school/comp and college don't even exist anymore, they've been bulldozer or converted into something else, so I don't know who to contact if an education board or employer asked. There's also the question of cost. 

[Boiler 45,314]

As I mentioned I would wait until you know what you are going to want to do.

 

LEA for records.

[LaJumpa 40]

In Florida at least, if you're applying for a job within local government they require you to have your college/university degree assessed to determine how it equates to a US-studied degree. This was $75 per document.

 

 

Personally I wouldn't pay for this unless a job offer is actually presented.

 

My current employer has never asked to see my degree. Even during interviews I was never asked to verify my qualifications. But this can vary depending on the line of work you're hoping to get into. I imagine high skilled (Medicine, Engineering, Law etc) jobs may request to see your degree. 

 

Bottom line, it's not something to worry about! You kinda have to get out there and do some interviews to figure out the process.

 

Good luck!

[Ontarkie 14,193]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your questions right. For highschool you took the Uk version of the US GED, but you mention college certificates? If you have college certificates you most likely will never show anything before that, no GED, no high school diploma. Just use your college certificates and call it a day, they would trump everything else. 

 

For applying for jobs, try and look up the US equivalent of your certificates. For example you may have what would be the equivalent of a Associates Degree. You can check that off on an application. Again it look into it. 

[LaJumpa 40]

Side note: In my personal experience, the job market here is brutal compared to what I was used to back in the UK. Here's some advice I wish I had before I got here.

 

1. Job referrals are really big here and having one can make a big difference. Speak with friends and family to see about getting something whilst you figure out what you want to do long term. 

2. On occasion, some companies prefer a local candidate with experience and references they can easily verify with a quick phone call or email. Having nothing but work experience from abroad closed a few doors for me.

3. Some jobs (mostly government) require US Citizenship. Something to take into account if you wanted to pursue federal or enforcement employment.

4. Don't do what I did and apply for too many jobs. Im forever getting phone calls and emails from recruiters now. Your information gets passed around more than you think and it can be a job in itself blocking all these numbers.

5. Do some online courses whilst you're looking (Udemy etc) I added this to my resume and it was a good talking point in interviews and it shows you're taking yourself seriously. 

6. Job hunting here is exhausting, don't burn yourself out. Designate time in your day just for applications. 

 

Lastly, educate yourself with how US taxes work if you haven't already. It's not like the UK where payroll do everything for you and you can kick back!

 

Again, this is personal experience! My background is creative/tech and I live in a city which gets most of its money from tourism and has very few fields that I studied or worked in. That was 50% of the battle!

[Boiler 45,314]

I have a Government job and it did not need Citizenship. I did need to pass a drugs test, first time ever and I think that significantly cut down the competition.

 

I was reading you can be a cop in Seattle without even being a resident.

[LaJumpa 40]

14 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I have a Government job and it did not need Citizenship. I did need to pass a drugs test, first time ever and I think that significantly cut down the competition.

 

I was reading you can be a cop in Seattle without even being a resident.

 

Drug test requirements in Colorado would absolutely wipe out most of the competition ahaha

[Boiler 45,314]

Fortunately they do not test for IPA.

[Melancholic Mage 87]

26 minutes ago, Ontarkie said:

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your questions right. For highschool you took the Uk version of the US GED, but you mention college certificates? If you have college certificates you most likely will never show anything before that, no GED, no high school diploma. Just use your college certificates and call it a day, they would trump everything else. 

 

For applying for jobs, try and look up the US equivalent of your certificates. For example you may have what would be the equivalent of a Associates Degree. You can check that off on an application. Again it look into it. 

 

Maybe my own culture is bleeding in here. Around my parts, even if you have a college NVQ level 2, 3, etc, employers still want to see your GCSE results. You need to prove you have basic Maths and English skills. Even if you're applying for an artistic role, they may ask to see basic English qualifications and even Maths, depending on the job. I've never not been asked for my GCSE's/GED equivalent. I thought US was the same, and my in-laws voiced enough concern about it that it made me concerned. 

 

12 minutes ago, LaJumpa said:

Side note: In my personal experience, the job market here is brutal compared to what I was used to back in the UK. Here's some advice I wish I had before I got here.

 

1. Job referrals are really big here and having one can make a big difference. Speak with friends and family to see about getting something whilst you figure out what you want to do long term. 

2. On occasion, some companies prefer a local candidate with experience and references they can easily verify with a quick phone call or email. Having nothing but work experience from abroad closed a few doors for me.

3. Some jobs (mostly government) require US Citizenship. Something to take into account if you wanted to pursue federal or enforcement employment.

4. Don't do what I did and apply for too many jobs. Im forever getting phone calls and emails from recruiters now. Your information gets passed around more than you think and it can be a job in itself blocking all these numbers.

5. Do some online courses whilst you're looking (Udemy etc) I added this to my resume and it was a good talking point in interviews and it shows you're taking yourself seriously. 

6. Job hunting here is exhausting, don't burn yourself out. Designate time in your day just for applications. 

 

Lastly, educate yourself with how US taxes work if you haven't already. It's not like the UK where payroll do everything for you and you can kick back!

 

Again, this is personal experience! My background is creative/tech and I live in a city which gets most of its money from tourism and has very few fields that I studied or worked in. That was 50% of the battle!

 

This is super helpful, thank you! I do Google what I can and ask on here what I can't find now that I found this Forum. Sorry if some questions are obvious to visa vets. I've been preparing as much as I can for work over there mentally but it's intimidating when I'm not from a well-off family/area for opportunities. 

 

2 minutes ago, Boiler said:

I have a Government job and it did not need Citizenship. I did need to pass a drugs test, first time ever and I think that significantly cut down the competition.

 

I was reading you can be a cop in Seattle without even being a resident.

 

I don't drink or take drugs. Drug tests of any kind don't bother me one bit. I used to work for HMRC tax office. It was a long time ago but it might help in terms of my character if I looked at any kind of US government job role. 

[Marieke H 2,470]

I think all this really depends on where you will be living and what exactly you want to do. It sounds like you are still figuring that last part out, so I would not do anything with your certificates for now. Just make sure you bring everything with you when you move here.

 

And just to add a little bit of my experience, because it is so different from what others have shared... I was very nervous about finding a job here. But I applied for a job when I thought I would be getting my EAD soon, and they offered me the job. It was the only job I applied for, and they were willing to wait until I had my EAD. I started at an entry-level wage, but that quickly increased over the past 6 years. You may start at a lower wage than you would like, but if you can show that you are good at what you do, there are lots of opportunities for pay raises and promotions.

 

And my job is a state government job and I did not need to be a citizen. I also did not need to do a drug test. And I was never asked for any documentation to show the equivalency of my university degrees from the Netherlands.

[SalishSea 17,745]

6 hours ago, Boiler said:

I was reading you can be a cop in Seattle without even being a resident.

A resident of Seattle?