WIBU to remove 2 short term jobs from my CV?

[HazySunsets]

I left a job (which I bitterly regret) to move to a new role in a new company for more money a few years ago. It was hell on earth, nothing like as described and I was bullied badly for the first time ever by my manager. After 6 weeks I couldn’t take anymore and went and spoke with the director. We agreed it just wasn’t working out and I left.

A couple of weeks later I then took an 9 month temporary contract for another role, which I hoped would perhaps become permanent. After 6 months they did offer me a permanent contract, but for another role for a lot less money, I just couldn’t afford to take that hit permanently financially. I had been thinking about going self employed in a totally different field for some time and decided to take the plunge.

That was 3.5 years ago now and I a proud to say I have set up a successful little business that earns me quite good money SOME of the time. And this is the problem, the income isn’t guaranteed (obviously) and just lately, I’m not sure whether it’s the time of year or brexit looming, but my income has been up and down like a yo-yo. It’s been years since I’ve had a proper holiday as taking time off is just so difficult as I’ve no one to cover my work and I also can’t really afford the loss in income that holidays bring. I’ve no pension, no real career progression and if I’m being totally honest I’ve lost the love for the business. I feel exhausted and would rather just go back to a permanent, 9-5 admin role with 25 days paid holiday, a pension scheme, colleagues (hopefully nice ones as I’m also lonely as I work by myself all day) hopefully some career progression and be done with it.

Now, I’m just dusting off my cv and honesty, with the 6 week role and the 6 month role, my cv looks so bitty. Ideally I would like to remove those 2 roles and just say that I went self employed 7 months earlier than I did! (So self employed from the Feb of that year rather than the August) So it just looks like I went from my last, permanent long term job to self employment. My CV would flow much better, I wouldn’t have to explain away the 6 week or 6 month roles (neither of which really add much to my cv in terms of skills) obviously I have 3.5 years worth of self employed accounts should anyone need to see them?

I know it’s lying and I feel really twitchy about doing it but it just looks like I’ve had so many jobs/ bitty cv otherwise?

I'd do it. I have done it. How will they ever know? It's not really lying as such is it - more like omission. Just do it.

Thanks Negroni, I guess I’m worried that they’ll look back at tax records or something to see if I’m telling the truth? Obviously if they did this they’d see that I was still ‘employed’ when I said I was self employed? I mean, I don’t know if they actually bother to do this tbh, especially if it’s just recruiting for an admin role etc. I just don’t think keeping random jobs on my CV which don’t really add anything will help me get a job! Sigh.

I’d do it

you’d never get found out - you’re being paranoid! It’s not a big lie, and everyone tells small lies on CVs

The fact you have raised on MN highlights that omitting the roles makes you feel uneasy. Why not reframe so you feel more comfortable and you underline that setting up your business was a planned rather than knee jerk/desperate step? So for example , you could omit titles of the two employers and just have one entry covering the 7 month period which is headed 'interim roles whilst developing and launching own business'. You can then mention building up skills in budgeting, planning, sales etc which is a very positive take and no doubt was what you were doing. All the best with your job hunt OP.

You don't need to put the months on your CV so you could just say e.g.
Job 1 2010-2015
Self employed 2015-2019

The fact that you spent the first 8 months of 2015 doing 2 different jobs wouldn't be obvious then

Or if you are really worried about the lie, you could put 'relevant experience'
Job 1, dates: loads of great skills etc
Self employed, dates: loads of great skills etc
and further down a section that says 'additional experience'
Short term work at company 1&2 Feb-Aug 2015

Honestly I don't think it will matter that much.

I like @DorisDances suggestion too!

I have recently done this. I was in my new job 10 weeks and was being bullied. I couldn't cope and had to leave. It was easier just to take it off the CV than have to answer at interview about why did you leave the job etc.

Just do it and good luck with the job hunting

Personally I would feel free to leave out the 6 week job- I only ever give month/ year as employment dates on my CV so I don't think this would even be noticed anyway.

As for the 6 month temp role, why not leave it in and make clear it was only a temporary contract? Sounds like it didn't end badly or anything and there may be relevant skills to the jobs you're applying for now.

I don't think most jobs will cross check your employment history (for me it's only been a part of high level security clearance).

The recruiters won't have time or inclination to cross check the tax records of everyone who applies. I'm not even sure they could! They'll be looking at your CV to see if it's well written and matches the requirements they need, not going over it with a fine tooth comb to verify every date.

I think the only 'danger' is if you get through to interview and a question happens to come up where you'd want to reference your 6 week or 6 month job and it becomes obvious it's been left off your cv. Even then I expect most employers would accept you'd left it off because it was a short job rather than as a pernicious lie

(Different for jobs with particular security requirements as above)

Spend your time and energy making sure that your CV shows off all your best skills and matches each job you're applying to. Don't get too hung up on little things

Oh it's fine! However if you are looking for similar roles to your others then i would personally leave out the 6 week hell on earth role and include the 6 month temp contract so you can mention relevant past experience. Assume the temp role would be happy to give you a reference too which would be useful for you.

A 6 week gap in your CV is fine - it's unlikely an employer would even notice.

You could just combine them as 'short term contracts' and lump them together, on the premise you wanted short flexible roles while you established your business.

I never put all my previous jobs onto my CV - I always try and keep it to two pages, because no recruiter wants to wade through 5 million pages of CVs! I include my previous roles most relevant to the job I'm applying for, and put them under the heading 'Relevant work experience'. That way you're not lying, even by omission, you've highlighted that you're only including the relevant roles.

I would do it.

I write CVs for a living, and I would advise that you leave out the 6 week one, and just use a term like Temp work in interim roles to cover those months in the other role as there may be relevant experience there. Or just use the years and not the months in dates. It's not lying, it's just not including something that's not relevant

Yeah good suggestions by PPs - just "reframe" it. So that you huaven't actually lied.

Not If you were applying for a job at GCHQ or MI5, but ok for anywhere else.

My DD2 is only 21 and already she has decided to lop 2 short term jobs form her CV to keep it to 2 pages.

I think it's fine to miss out the 6 week job, but I would include the 6 month one. You could say you were using the time to get ready to go self-employed.

I took a short lived role off my CV and when I got the next job, I had to be vetted and account for the past 5 years and submit tax records. I had to fess up about the short lived job when I got vetted but just came out with some bullshit about how I thought it wasn't relevant on my CV as only a few weeks. I got away with it but beware vetting which is increasingly common these days.

Agree on being careful around gaps in dates. All the financial companies I know (who usually have a lot of admin jobs) will query any gaps as part of their pre-employment screening checks.
You need something to cover the gap, without lying, so “month/year - various temp jobs for x reason” should be sufficient.

I'd leave out the 6 week job but probably put the 6 month one?