Why Do I Need a High School Diploma?
Many students may find themselves wondering whether they really need to obtain a high school diploma. They might ask, “What is the point? I have made it this far without one, so it must not be essential.” But the truth of the matter is, earning a diploma can take you a long way in life.
Completing your high school education is a valuable stepping stone that can lead to a whole new world of opportunities. The process will allow you to immerse yourself in a productive, self-empowering mindset, and can inspire you to begin setting goals for the future, strengthen your work ethic, and feel more confident in your ability to overcome challenges and see things through to completion.
Whether you choose a traditional or online high school setting, there is no doubt you will learn valuable lessons along the way. It will also open up new career paths that can only be pursued by high school graduates, widening your career prospects and giving you more control in building the life you want for yourself.
To provide a clearer picture of what your options are, we have written this article to educate about what you can gain from earning your high school diploma.
If you would like to learn more, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to answer any questions you might have.
In this article:
A high school diploma will increase your employability
A high school diploma leads to improved job prospects
A high school diploma can lead to a higher salary
Do colleges and employers accept high school diplomas obtained online?
A high school diploma is often required for getting into college
A High School Diploma Will Increase Your Employability
Employers often look into the background of prospective employees and they typically want to see a strong foundation of your education and work experience. According to Career One Stop, your chances of being employed will increase by 33% with a high school diploma.
Here at C4L Academy, we place a strong focus on our curriculum being relevant to everyday situations, so our students are better equipped to deal with the many challenges of adult life. Doing so increases employability when it comes to job opportunities, particularly in your ability to demonstrate the skills that many employers find valuable (i.e. financial literacy, accounting, verbal and written communication).
A high school diploma is an indicator to an employer that you are able to commit to finishing tasks and projects, overcoming obstacles, and have general understanding of your own strengths and limitations. The fact that you made the conscious decision to finish your high school education as an adult also demonstrates that you are invested in yourself and your continued growth (which is another desirable trait that hiring managers look for in potential employees).
Overall, making the decision to finish your high school education sends a strong message to employers that you have the traits and skills to be a successful employee.
A High School Diploma Leads to Improved Job Prospects
With a high school diploma, a number of career opportunities become available to you that were previously not an option.
Many without a high school diploma end up taking more than one job just to get by. This can be incredibly draining, especially if it keeps you from spending time with the people you care about. What makes this even worse is that often these situations leave you feeling unfulfilled. Earning your high school diploma can provide you with alternatives to working 50+ hour weeks for minimum wage.
As we have mentioned in a previous article it is not just about the physical diploma you receive at graduation, but also the experience gained throughout the process. By graduating from high school (particularly as an adult), many students feel an incredible sense of achievement, renewed belief in their own abilities, and strong motivation to continue improving themselves through additional courses and training.
This would be a great starting point to strive towards a specific line of work that you feel truly passionate about. In doing so, you will not be as pressured to settle for unsatisfactory jobs, but instead be able to pursue quality careers where you feel a strong sense of fulfillment and ownership over your own future.
This article from Indeed describes just some of the career paths that become available to you once you earn your adult high school diploma. Here are some highlights:
Firefighter
Average Base Salary: $51,915
Industrial Mechanic
Average Base Salary: $26.08 per hour
Iron Worker
Average Base Salary: $23.92 per hour
Equipment Operator
Average Base Salary: $21.55 per hour
Community Healthcare Worker
Average Base Salary: $18.90 per hour
Pharmacy Technician
Average Base Salary: $17.86 per hour
A High School Diploma Can Lead to a Higher Salary
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that those who have earned a high school diploma will earn $9,634 more per year and are overall likely to earn 40% more than someone without a high school diploma.
Not only are high school graduates more likely to earn more, but the skills and knowledge they gain also improve their chances of being promoted in their respective career, further increasing their earning potential.
In a workplace, you might also find yourself surrounded by other well-educated individuals. However, completing your high school education will allow real world application of acquired skills to assigned tasks and interactions, driving up your employability.
The goal would be putting everything you have learned into action and leveraging this knowledge to perform your absolute best in your job, which will naturally maximize your chances of not only promotion, but personal success as well.
All in all, motivation to continuously strive for growth and improvement will bring out the best in you and your ability to lead a much more confident and secure lifestyle.
Do colleges and employers accept high school diplomas obtained online?
Provided you obtained your online diploma from a valid, accredited provider, it is just as acceptable as a traditional diploma. In these situations, the vast majority of colleges and employers will accept your diploma, but we always recommend checking with those colleges or institutions to be sure.
It is important to have a valid online high school diploma that you can confidently put on your resume or potentially show to prospective employers. Obtaining your online diploma through legitimate means will give you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you did in fact complete your high school education.
A High School Diploma is Often Required for Getting into College
Most colleges and/or universities stipulate a high school diploma as an essential requirement for enrolling into a degree program.
As part of the admissions process, universities will typically a student’s completed high school transcripts (including GPA, courses taken, and overall assessment of performance). This is an important indicator that the student has the experience and appropriate skills needed in order to continue education at a university level.
You may have considered a GED (General Educational Development) program instead of a high school diploma program. There is a lot of discussion about whether or not a GED certification is as good as a high school diploma program.
A GED program will test your general knowledge on core subject areas, but a fully accredited high school diploma program represents a required level of rigor, hours, engagement, commitment, and assessment was completed, demonstrating preparation for postsecondary education.
The GED is not a measure of these same skills and may put you at a disadvantage if there are other students competing for the same placement and do have their high school diploma.
From another perspective, specifically for adults, having a high school diploma is going to be of great benefit if you wish to pursue education at a community college or enroll in a vocational program at a trade school. For students looking to apply for federal funding for certain vocational training, they must have either a high school diploma or be enrolled in a high school diploma.
How Can I Obtain My Adult High School Diploma Online?
C4L Academy provides a fully accredited, 100% online, adult high school diploma program. When you have completed all graduation requirements, you will be a certified high school graduate!
Unsplash image credits (in order of appearance): Drew Beamer, Surface, Muhammad Rizwan
Sources cited in this article:
1) Finish high school - Career One Stop
2) 21 Good-Paying Jobs That Require Only a High School Diploma - Indeed
