to ask if you have stretched the truth on your CV or a job application

[MaudeLynn]

Well, have you?

I am an old gimmer. Twenty years ago I had well-paid office job and jacked it in to become a "trailing spouse" big mistake Eventually returned to UK with DH and did a degree and qualified as a teacher. Became pregnant during PGCE so never worked as a teacher. We live in rural area and DH works long hours so became SAHM.

Am now at the end of my tether and need to work. Not much chance of getting into teaching so thought I would look for absolutely bloody anything office work.

I can hardly say that I have spent the past few years since DC started school driving them to after school activities and watching Escape to the Country

So I thought I might be a bit -ahem- creative with the old CV. Anyone done this?

[rapasara]

Often it depends on the job. To be frank, if it is a job that doesn't require a lot of qualifications or knowledge, getting the job is about whether the employer likes the look of you.

Maybe a good idea to go for jobs like that instead? Basically do any job for the sake of a reference and apply for other things after a few months?

Also, I think it's OK to be creative as long as it's not an outright lie: don't for example, put you've got 10 GCSEs when you've got none.

Sure there's websites that can help with this creativity.

[Allergictoironing]

Looking at lower level jobs I get one of 2 responses. Either I'm "overqualified, so will get bored & leave" (on a 3 month contract??) and don't get to interview stage, or they already have plenty of applicants who have been doing that same sort of job so why should they look outside that list.

I don't think you realise just how high the contention is in some areas; even being incredibly fussy they can still have a short list of 20-30 people of which they will interview maybe 3-4 at most, so even getting an interview is tough. That's when it gets down to which one the potential boss clicks with, as everyone they are interviewing is fully qualified for the role.

[MaudeLynn]

Thanks for replies; some good advice. I wouldn't lie about having qualifications, in fact I probably need to "dumb down" my CV as I don't want a professional job - I just want to re-join the human race (so the virtual PA job wouldn't be for me).

[Johnogroats]

Everything on my CV is factually correct, but somethings look a bit more full on than they were...

eg, while on mat leave (I took 3 years), I had a position on the local council. This meant attending a few meetings now and again, and for the privilege I got paid 16 / month! However, my CV does not look as though it has a gap in it. Of course the truth would be apparent to anyone who new what "Indpendent member of the X Committee on X City Council" was...and I explain it in a positive sense.

[whodrankallthemilk]

i used to work in HR. we interviewed a chap who was in his 50's for a teaching job. on his application form he said he had achieved a latin o level (or whatever it was)

the problem was that the staff member I was interviewing with, went to school with the interviewee, in the same class. He knew that only one person passed that year, because it was himself. apparently there was a big scandal at the time and he remembered it.

Now the interviewee was by far the best candidate for the job, but i refused to offer him a job based entirely on his dishonesty on the application form.

furhtermore when you submit a cv and they offer you a job, they are offering you it on the basis that you can and have done what you say you have...eg if you say, i can ride a horse, and they hire you becuase they need someone to ride a horse, and you cant actually ride the horse....they can sack you, becuase you cannot fulfil your contract. iyswim

DONT LIE ON YOUR APPLICATION FORMS ever

[Dietagainmonday]

Years ago my brother said he had experience with transport management, his real experience was a trolley boy at local Sainsbury's on a Saturday while at uni. Got the job and still doing great.

[oscarwilde]

I've said that I enjoy keeping fit, but that's about it.

Why do you think you need to "get creative". You have a degree, a teaching qualification and presumably some life skills. Have you actually applied to do anything or just flummoxed as to what to put on a CV?

[anyzom]

I've definitely stretched the truth on CVs - similar to Johnogroats. Did some very very undemanding voluntary positions but they could have been much more full on. Was good friends with the person they asked refs from and she'd always run the written ref by me.

Also I did make up jobs completely when at uni, but that was quite a long time ago and internet was still in its infancy. Plus it was a fairly lowly position so I assume they just didn't check refs (I'd put down a company that I knew had gone out of business).

These days if I had a long gap on my cv I'd probably take up some token voluntary work for the sake of building up a reference, and/or do a short course. If you have recent references they don't mind so much if there's a five year gap behind it.

[PolkadotsAndMoonbeams]

One of my referees used to be the senior partner of a law firm I'd done some temping at, rather than the person I'd actually worked under. He was an old family friend, and when I told him who I had down from the company as a referee he offered to do it instead.

I never saw the reference he wrote, but I got the first job I went for after putting him on my CV...

[Allergictoironing]

Dangerous thing these days, putting your references on your CV. There are a few agencies out there who will call about a supposed job, say they need to contact your references before they submit your CV to a client, then call your references to try & tout their services. There never was a job in the first place, they were just after potential customer names.