Can you leave qualifications off your cv?

[AllarmBells]

Being obnoxious here and starting a thread about a thread...sorry

There was a thread in AIBU last week from someone who was really struggling to find work, she was repeatedly being told she was overqualified.

She received plenty of advice, some of which said "leave your qualifications off your cv".

Surely that's not allowed, and would be a sackable offence? You are misrepresenting yourself by doing that just as much as if you state qualifications you don't have.

Would love to hear from some HR folks on this - If you found out someone in your company had done that, what would happen?

[AMumInScotland]

I'm pretty sure that's not misrepresentation - a CV only contains what you choose to put on it. If they specifically asked you and you lied, that would be different.

I choose to drop my O-Grades off my CV, because I'm lucky enough to have got a degree, so I don't think they add anything. But they are still valid qualifications which I have. I might mention one if I felt it was relevant - like French maybe if they said some knowledge of that would be helpful. But not mentioning it wouldn't be misrepresentation.

If someone chooses not to mention higher level qualifications that are relevant, I don't see that being any different, unless, as I say, they specifically lied.

[LouIsWaltzingMatilda]

I leave mine off sometimes. Depends on the job really. As long as you are not lying about what you have then fine.

[AllarmBells]

Thanks for the replies!

Of course - you'd leave O-levels etc off once you had higher qualifications. Makes sense - I should have thought of that!

I was thinking about not putting your degree on, but putting A-levels on, so it misrepresents the level of education you got to. Or putting a degree but not a masters or Phd.

[AMumInScotland]

I think if an employer really cared a lot about the issue, they'd be better off having an application form where it said "List all qualifications beyond school level" - that way they would be able to claim that you had lied by missing things out.
Since there's no law that says what you have to put on a CV, I don't think they'd be able to say someone had lied by missing things.

[GrendelsMum]

My standard CV doesn't have some of my qualifications - no-one's ever been interested until I mentioned this at my most recent interview.

The issue with missing qualifications off is that you'd have a hole in your CV, wouldn't you?

[fruitshootsandheaves]

I don't usually put my O'levels on. They were 26 years ago so not very relevant IMO as I am now studying for a degree.

[potplant]

I would put my post grad and degree on as they are relevant to the type of work I do and put 10 O-levels and 4 A Levels. I don't bother with the acutal subjects as it was forever ago.

[nickelbabe]

with a CV you list all the things that are relevant to the job for which you are applying, or that will add somethign to your application.

yo udon't need to put everything.

eg, if i were going for a job in an office, i wouldn't say i had a driving licence, as it's not important to the job.

if they say she's overqualified, it's because they think she'll leave to find something better - which is unrealistic because jobs are so frequently left for something better these days - isn't the average time spent in one job less than 5 years?

[thedollshouse]

I have all sorts of qualifications that are not relevant to my profession, I only list the relevant ones.

[JeMeSouviens]

I've always been advised to adapt your CV to the position you are applying for, only include relevant information. There is nothing wrong with that.

[Shaz10]

I used to leave a qualification off my CV as I thought it made me look like a dilettante. Unfortunately it left a 2 year sized gap in my CV that schools are obliged to assume is a stretch in prison... .

It hasn't seem to have affected my interview chances once I put it back in.

[IveStillGotIt]

Shaz10, I have a few caps on my CV, but I just put in 'Housewife/Home Maker' Obviously if I didn't have DS I would be unable to do this.
I find when I have interviews, I don't get questioned about gaps in employment, after I put this in, however my childless friends do.

[seeyoukay]

Not illegal or silly to leave things off.

I now work moving large quantities of chemicals around the world - think methyl-ethyl bad shit.

My first career was in a garden center. Don't think my current employer really cares about the "qualifications" I got from that.

[bigstripeytiger]

A CV is a way of trying to get shortlisted for a post.
You shouldnt lie in it, but I see no problem in leaving off qualifications. If the employer wanted a more complete list then they can ask for that, but a CV is a volunteering of information.

[AllarmBells]

Thanks for replies everyone.

LeTwat

Sounds like you have fun in the office at TwatCorpHQ!