To not know the best way out?

[milleniumhandandprawn]

Evening all - have name changed in case this is identifying.
I've recently started applying for new jobs and have been merrily sending out my shinily updated cv.
I've got an interview next week and i have realised in re-reading that the a-level grades I've put on my cv are wrong. I think I must have mixed up my gcse marks or something.
Basically I did pass everything I have on my cv but the grades at a level were worse than I've put. Think ccde instead of ccbb.
What do I do? I've been having sleepless nights and google has not been my friend!
Apparently it's a crime to "falsify" a cv and you can go to prison or at least get fired?
I just wish I'd not put any grades on at all!
In my defence it's getting on for 20 years ago now and I've done a degree and had many jobs and 2 kids since taking them.
I'm blaming some babyrelated mind fart. But I'm not sure a prospective employer wants to hear that!
I was wondering about contacting the recruiter who got me the interview and getting to him tell them in advance?
DH thinks I'm being ridiculous and they'll never know, check or care, but I'm a very honest person and this sucks!

It's good that you are so honest, but no one will mind your A level grades now. I don't even put mine on.

Thanks mrstwix it's a blessing and a curse...
If I'd not put any grades I'd not be worried, but I'm not sure now how I can come out of this not looking either
a) an idiot for not knowing my own grades
Or
B) dishonest for trying to inflate my grades.

Arrrrgh!

OP - I am too certain that nerves are making you more anxious than you should be about this error. However, whether or not you disclose it depends upon the sector you are applying to. Investment Banking for example will check your grades with your school/college/uni before passing your probation. If this is the sector, I would come clean now and explain the error. I say this as the friend of a close pal who was literally marched out of an investment bank with a box for exactly this except it was GCSEs and it too was a genuine error. (This was before the banking crash so I am not sure now what the protocol is) If it is not this sector, update your CV to the correct grades and put it to the back of your mind. Take a copy of the new CV to the interview and explain your error if given the chance at the 'any questions stage'. It wouldn't bother me as an interviewer and actually I would think of you as quite honourable for putting the error right early on. As Mrs Twix says, no one cares what grades you got but if there is a certain requirement level criteria that you haven't met because of the error, tell them now.

Good luck for the interview!

It's not a crime to misrepresent your grades by itself, it might be if you got a job on the back of having done so. So you haven't committed any crime yet. If you put it right now, no-one is going to think you're dishonest.

I would wait till after the interview, personally. If you don't get the job, it doesn't matter anyway. If they offer it to you, then you can say 'I'm really embarrassed, but when I went to update my cv for another employer I noticed.... if you need to go away and discuss the offer as a result I understand' type of thing.

Honestly try not to worry. I recruit at least 20 people a year and would never check their A-level grades. It's really irrelevant once you start working.

Thank you so much all - I've calmed down a bit now and all of your advice is so sound!
Middle of the night horrors are awful!
I think I definitely need to tell them before accepting any job. I'd be worrying about it all the time otherwise in case there was a spot check or something.
Am thinking right now "you only get one chance to make a first impression" and I don't want that to be
"Here's the daft one who doesn't know her own grades".
So I'm inclined to wait and see how the interview goes and then tell them either at the end or if they make an offer.
There are no specific criteria I need to hit, so it's not as if I need to be "qualified", my area is very much experience based, so the chances are they won't care at all.
But I absolutely have to tell them - my conscience won't let me sleep otherwise!

That sounds a good approach. I'm sure they wouldn't hold it against you. You can always send them an updated CV and say please disregard the other as there were some typographical errors.

(And I can totally relate to the middle if the night terrors - the number of times I have felt deeply doomed at 3am and then generally complacent at 8am!)

Thanks jelly.
Am still stressing about it now a bit but at least I have a sort of solution.
Just wish I could magically swap what's been sent to them for my real cv...
I might update it now and ask the recruiter to email it to them on Monday. I could just say it's generally updated?
I know my a-levels aren't all that good, so I don't really want to draw attention to them.
Grrrrr

Thing is... I really want this job! Which isn't helping all that much with the stressing!

Glad you feel calmer! Good luck fr the interview you'll be fine!

People who get in trouble for lying on their cvs are people who get hired because of the things they make up and then can't do the job properly. If you now have a degree etc - no one is going to be hiring you on the merits of your high school results. You made minor mistake - move on and just make sure you change it for any future job opportunities. Good luck with the interview!

Ps - I don't think you need A level results on your CV unless you have just graduated.

I interview regularly and I never look at A Level results which are 20 years old. We only ask for proof of the qualification that is required for the job, i.e. whatever was stated in the advert / person specification. Good luck with the interview!

So tas and ittakes would you just leave it then and assume they won't ask for the certs?

All of my family and friends that I've spoken to are saying to take the chance.

I love the idea that it is a criminal offence to lie on a CV.
We will need to build another 1,000 prisons I think.

When you put it like that piglet....

I think it did happen to one woman though. But she might have made up certificates as well.

If it were me, I'd go ahead and assume that they won't check unless the job requires a spotless personal, criminal and financial record and where they will in any event perform background checks on me and my family, e.g. MI5, Royal Protection Squad, etc.

Thanks tas this does seems to be the overarching opinion except for NHS jobs.
This isn't one of those so...

Also I'm probably being very cocky in being so sure they'll offer it to me.

I did O levels in 1975 and A levels in 1977. I don't put the the grades on my CV, I just list the subjects. If you took A levels 20 years ago, have a degree and plenty of work experience no-one will be interested in your A level grades, so just leave them off and list the subjects only.

Who puts their ALevel (or GCSE) grades on an application? The most any employer will care about is a degree if it's relevant to the job role. ALevels are pretty much solely relevant to getting in to Uni only. No employer gives a toss about them unless they're hiring an apprentice. They also do not check them.

Thanks all :)
I guess I'd better concerntrate on acing the interview now!

concentrate... ffs I won't have to worry about other things if I can't even spell!

Depends what the job is as a solicitor I never had to prove any of my qualifications only that I was eligible to have a practising certificate. Have recently done some exam invigilation at a couple of schools and had to provide all my certificates back to o level!!!