How to Use Your Credential Evaluation for Employment, Education, and Professional Licensure
A credential evaluation can help you gain access to educational and employment opportunities in the United States and Canada.
The benefits of a credential evaluation report include:
- Receive recognition for your previous studies.
- Meet requirements for university admissions.
- Transfer earned credits from your school to a new college or university in North America.
- Obtain professional licensing and employment.
These reports help employers, licensing boards, and admissions officers understand your academic accomplishments. They also verify the authenticity of your credentials.
Most importantly, the value of a credential evaluation remains strong throughout your lifetime. There are many long-term benefits to acquiring a credential evaluation, even after you have successfully immigrated to the U.S. or Canada.
There is not one universal provider of credential evaluations. Some institutions perform their own, but most organizations—and nearly all employers—rely on agencies like WES.
Before you apply for a credential evaluation, learn the specific requirements of your school, licensing board, or employer. Next, ask if there is a particular service provider they prefer.
Because World Education Services is a nonprofit organization that has been trusted throughout North America for over 40 years, many organizations prefer for applicants to use WES.
Continue reading for a list of the specific steps you must take if you would like to have your credentials evaluated for education, employment, or professional licensure.
Education
WES is able to send your credential evaluation directly to an academic institution. This will supplement your application and help you enroll in your chosen program.
Your credential evaluation will give the admissions officer an accurate view of your educational accomplishments. It will help them make an appropriate decision about your candidacy for admission, how many transfer credits they can accept, and whether they should reach out to you for further materials or perform other kinds of additional assessment.
Employment
A credential evaluation can be a good marketing tool for employment. It helps employers understand the equivalency of your education to ensure that you are qualified for the position. For example, some employers may require that a candidate have a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for the position. Through the equivalency statement on your résumé, you can assure the hiring manager that you are qualified for the role. Without that, the employer may have thrown your résumé into the “no” pile very quickly.
Mention that your credentials have been evaluated and authenticated in the education section of your résumé. List all of the credentials that were validated along with their U.S. or Canadian academic equivalencies. You can find the equivalency statement on your evaluation report; it may be something similar to: “Evaluated by World Education Services (WES), as equivalent to a four-year Canadian bachelor’s degree.”
You can also bring your credential evaluation report to any interviews to provide the employer with proof of your academic accomplishments.
Professional Licensure
Before you begin with an evaluation for the purpose of professional licensure, consult the licensing board. Ask what type of evaluation report they need and if there is a particular provider that they use. Some licensing boards conduct evaluations in-house; others may specify which organization you must go to for an evaluation.
For more on how to use your credential evaluation:
