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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think you don't need to list your school achievements on your CV

55 replies

User543212345 · 30/05/2016 13:09

If you're over the age of 21?

I'm proof reading a CV for a friend and we're having a spirited discussion about how much of their school career/achievements to include. She thinks that, even though she's a professional in her 40s, she should include the 6th form scholarship, the senior chemistry prize and the 5th form physics prize. I think they have no place on a CV and would have very little place even on a UCAS form.

AIBU to think we should put professional qualification, degree and A levels down and leave off the rest? Or am I being a curmudgeonly bugger and should I let my friend celebrate her achievements?

OP posts:
Yakari · 30/05/2016 13:55

Is she European? I ask because I know the French and German tend to list everything all the way back to school and explain each job in detail.
A French friend once gave me his 3 page CV and asked for some feedback - I took a red pen to it and slashed it by half, it was HUGELY satisfying but he was horrified.

roarfeckingroar · 30/05/2016 13:57

I put down 10 GCSEs (A-A*) (smug) then my A level subjects without the grades (went off the rails). Then degree and postgrads.

No one cares about your interests or specifics of school.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es · 30/05/2016 13:58

Definitely not and I wouldn't add much about recent hobbies etc unless they added something fairly concrete/responsible or were highly relevant, so - treasurer of Scout group, probably yes, enjoys cinema and reading - definitely not.

Original poster
User543212345 · 30/05/2016 14:02

It's interesting - she's not including GCSEs as she doesn't think they matter (aside from if they're relevant/English and maths but they're a given as there are further qualifications that required them) but thinks the 5th form prize is. Bonkers.

She's British so I can't see it being a cultural thing, though take that on board. Her entire working life has been here too.

Interesting point about the scholarship - the parents paid up to GCSE but she got exhibition and a fee reduction for 6th form. Still, I don't think it's hugely relevant - after all I was super at school but have been a fuck up since Grin

OP posts:
LogicalThinking · 30/05/2016 14:02

If someone had A Levels or higher, then including GCSEs would look a bit ridiculous. I would assume they must have had them in order to progress academically, and if they didn't, it would be pretty irrelevant by the time they had some work history under their belt.

doozie90 · 30/05/2016 14:06

"it shows that the education was earned and not simply paid for by wealthy parents"

This doesn't make sense. An education can't be paid for in the sense of handing out good grades for free. You still have to study hard and work at it! I think the scholarship is something to be proud of but not for that reason!?

YesThisIsMe · 30/05/2016 14:06

Roar, putting your grades for GCSEs but not for A levels screams "I went off the rails in my teens" and more seriously has the taint of cover up which always waves red flags. Recently saw an even more extreme cv which listed stellar A level grades and then omitted to mention degree class Hmm. Put me off the candidate far more than if he hadn't mentioned the school grades.

doozie90 · 30/05/2016 14:07

On my CV it annoys me that my A-levels were taken at a time when the A* wasn't invented. I wonder if I get looked down on for 'only' getting As! Grin

NeedsAsockamnesty · 30/05/2016 14:09

If your over 25 I want to see the highest qualifications you have and I don't give two hoots about GCSEs if you have anything higher.

I bin applications that list everything

Anything notable like do you have a recognisable award of significance that interests me but very little else. Something like a gold blue peter badge would interest me and that would almost guarentee you an interview as would a local award like young carers/person of the year/bravery or a national award of the same ilk would also guarentee one,in lots of roles that I employ people for that can be trained for those would get an unqualified person a job over an already qualified one unless the qualified person was very very good.

LaurieMarlow · 30/05/2016 14:12

YANBU. Shows a lack of judgement on her part. If I got a C.V. with all that gubbins on it I'd think it was hilarious.

StatisticallyChallenged · 30/05/2016 14:13

I include my standard grades and highers (scottish) but very briefly - total of 2 lines that says something like "Highers: Grade a obtained in all 5 subjects - list of subjects" for higher then "Standard Grades: grade 1 achieved for all 8 subjects" or similar

I'll probably ditch the standards at some stage but I'm only in my 20s (barely!)

Other than that I don't mention school at all, including prizes and such like. They can be relevant if you are applying for first grad roles as (I know from experience) they can have all sorts of box ticking extra curricular weirdness going on so I think I still had young enterprise on for grad applications but it got lost soon after

ShebaShimmyShake · 30/05/2016 14:21

I am in my 30s and I do state 11 GCSEs including English and maths, all at grades A* and A.... should I not?

enterYourPassword · 30/05/2016 14:29

I think I'd include the scholarship. FWIW, everyone I line manage has at least a masters. They would have undergrad and post grad.

If someone's including anything lower than that, I'd think it looks like they're trying to fill in the space. D of E and anything else is a waste of time. Do I really give a fuck that they enjoy travelling and listening to music in their spare time or once made a plasticine volcano?

enterYourPassword · 30/05/2016 14:32

ShebaShimmyShake

Not if you have a BSc / BA. Absolutely not if you have a Masters. Fill up your CV with relevant info like people managed, budgets or initiatives you're responsible for, professional achievements, PD etc. I hate CVs longer than a single page - that includes people at the top of their game applying for 6 figure salaried jobs. I'd think you were immature to be including them.

ShanghaiDiva · 30/05/2016 14:37

She should also include - cycling proficiency badge, queen's guide award, 100% attendance certificate too ;)
professional qualifications, degree and a levels only if she is in her 40s. O level might be relevant if it knowledge of a mfl was required for the job, but under languages not qualifications.

StatisticallyChallenged · 30/05/2016 14:40

I've seen a fair volume of CVs for different roles - I don't think I'd class just someone listing their qualifications in a brief and factual manner as immature, but I would find someone actively discussing school achievements to be.

BrendaFurlong · 30/05/2016 14:43

If you are applying on a standard form for many (most?) public sector positions, you have to list absolutely everything, including failed O Levels and the job you did for 5 weeks following graduation until your graduate position actually started.

It's a total PITA.

(Mind you, I also had someone from the LA telling me that Level 2 qualifications expire after a certain length of time, so my A Grade O Levels from 30 years ago 'no longer count' and if I went for a post which specified Grade A*-C maths, English etc I'd have to redo them. I have a Masters, a post-grad cert, a post-grad diploma and a professional qualification. How I laughed.)

doozie90 · 30/05/2016 14:56

Brenda - afraid to say I have seen that happen. It shouldn't, but it does.

BlueberrySky · 30/05/2016 14:56

Employers rarely read anything other than the first page. So keep everything relevant on that page.

Anything apart from qualifications, that does not relate to their job search is irrelevant on a cv. I would think someone childish if I saw that they had school awards if they were over 25.

I read 100's of cv's a week.

You are right, she is wrong.

Floggingmolly · 30/05/2016 15:02

Someone having a gold Blue Peter badge would guarantee them an interview, Socks? Please tell me you recruit checkout operators for Asda??

maisiejones · 30/05/2016 15:14

I assume Socks meant a gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award. At least, I hope so. 😀

senua · 30/05/2016 15:27

From wiki:
The Gold badge: This is Blue Peter's highest award and is given for exceptional achievement, such as to people who have performed acts of extreme bravery, or represented their country in a major event. Gold badge holders include Leo Stuchbury (1993) who was awarded this badge for being the youngest ever person to complete the National Swimathon at the age of 6, Christopher Newby (2000), David Beckham, JK Rowling, Stephen Payne, Queen Elizabeth II (2001), Tom Daley (2009), David Tennant (2009), Anthony Horowitz (2011) and Sir Jonathan Ive (2013), Helen Glover (2014), Peter Lord (2015). Two dogs have also received the Gold badge: Bonnie in 1991 and Endal in 2003. It has also become tradition to present a leaving presenter with a gold badge on their final show. Former editors of the programme; Biddy Baxter and Lewis Bronze were both given the badge live on their last shows, whilst Richard Marson was awarded one after his last programme by Baxter.

Gold BP is more impressive than Gold DofE (Though I grant you that neither may be relevant to the matter in hand!)

merrymouse · 30/05/2016 15:29

I thought the gold blue peter badge was for people like famous authors, the Queen and David Beckham. Great to interview them, but hopefully they wouldn't have too much trouble getting a job!

senua · 30/05/2016 15:29

As to the matter in hand - viz the 5th form prize - I wouldn't include it. It shouts "that was my finest hour, it's been downhill all the way since then."
Hardly the message you want to convey.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 30/05/2016 15:35

Gold Blue Peter badge is awesome and would definitely get an interview from me!