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Background Checks

Almost every job opening in nearly every occupational field requires successful applicants to have earned at least a high school diploma or a General Education Diploma (GED).   When it comes to verifying that a candidate for employment actually has one or the other, the process is not the same.

Verification of an ordinary high school diploma has to be done with the actual high school from which the individual graduated.  As a sidebar, however, it isn’t uncommon for high schools to consolidate or close.  In cases where it doesn’t appear that the school from which the candidate graduated still exists, the best approach is to call the office of the Superintendent of Schools for the county or school district in which the school was located.  They will either have the graduation records or know where they can be found.  Even though a school may no longer exist, the school district in which it was located undoubtedly does.

Verification of a GED is a little different matter.  Most states now have a data base that can be found by contacting the Department of Education for the state in which the GED was earned.  The state Department of Education may direct you to another agency or office; but, once you identify where the records are kept, verifying a GED should be a simple matter.

Verifying receipt of a high school diploma or GED is an important part of the employment process, but occasionally it may take a little creating thinking and some inquisitiveness to get the job done.