Explaining an F on your transcript

Employers don't see my transcripts. They verify my license status and ask me about my nursing experience. That is it.

I think this is a really good -- and tough -- question. I admit, when I see an F (or even a D) on a transcrpt I am reviewing, I usually want to know what happened.

I'm going to explain how I would see it as a hiring manager -- not to be harsh, but to prepare the OP (and anyone else in a similar situation) for discussing it. I hope it helps.

Simply saying that your heart wasn't in it would not satisfy me. I would wonder if you will do a similarly crappy job for me if asked to do something you didn't want to do. I would also wonder if you had tried the course, done very badly in the beginning, and then gave up and switched majors because that class was too difficult for you.

I would want to hear that you didn't even try to take the course, didn't take the tests, hand in the assignments and that the grade does not reflect your ABILITY to dod the work. The grade reflects ONLY your decision not to take the course too late to withdraw from the course. I would want to feel fairly sure that you could have gotten a good grade had you made the attempt, but that you purposely chose not to even try.

They I would want to hear your explanation as to why you did not even try to take the course -- why you chose not to put any effort into getting a decent grade. Remorse would also be appropriate -- showing that you have at least a few second thougts about having this on your record -- wishing now that you had been able to find a way to switch majors while also putting in the effort needed to succeed in the course, etc.

To get yourself into a position where you purposely take an F onto your permanent accedemic record makes you look young, irresponsible, foolish, etc. I want to hire people who are mature, responsible and wise. I would want to see evidence that you have a few regrets about your past decisions, have learned from your past mistakes, and will not behave in similar ways again.

I hope that gives you a clue as to what at least some employers would want to hear/see in relation to that F. The fact that your other grades are outstanding will help a lot to show that you are a capable person. So it won't appear that you are not sufficiently intelligent for the job. However, the judgment/wisdon aspect is an important element in hiring that goes beyond mere grade point averages. You need to address that judgment/wisdom part more than the academic abilities part of this situation.

You are putting far too much mental energy into one letter grade that will most likely have no significance to your future whatsoever.

LLG,

Thanks for your insightful and very helpful response. Believe me, I very much regret taking that F, and you're right, it was young, irresponsible and foolish. I wish I could go back and change that, but I can't.

It's been three years and I feel like I'm a completely different person now than I was back then. My viewpoints and mindset are no longer about doing what I want, when I want, but it's about thinking for the future and my family. I guess growing up, living on my own and getting through a really bad breakup will do that to you. With age comes wisdom, although I know I am still very young and have so much more to learn.

That's what you need to say if asked about your transcript. That's the attitude that would allow me to feel good about offering you a job. Don't be afraid to use words like that ("growing up" "have more to learn" etc.). Such expresssions show that you CAN learn from your experiences and probably WILL continue to learn and grow if given a chance.

Good luck to you.