White lies

[ClipsnCurls]

I have recently been offered my dream job....... literally over the moon BUT!
Qualification specifications stated NVQ level 3- no problem I have a level 5 plus a wide range of others.
GCSE grade C or above- I lied
I did my GCSEs 25 years ago and my results were poor and not a C.

I have now recieved my job offer letter and contract which states I need to show ID for dbs checks as well as my level 3 certificate and GCSE certificates.

I'm now losing sleep as I lied in the application. If i come clean I may lose the job before I ve even started.
I could lie and say I don't have the certificates but they may ask me to obtain them from the examination board.
I thought about photo shopping the certificates but then thats fraud.

Most people tell little white lies on job applications right?

Now I don't know how to approach this without shooting myself in the foot.

The job is working for the local council.

It does matter, it's a basic requirement. Most people know this and op hasn't said she forgot and put a D or an A. She's put the basic requirement.

And it's not nothing, a chief executive of an NHS trust recently got sacked for this. It's gain by deception.

Jesus, the hyperbole on this thread is ridiculous

This seems to a new thing with employers at moment. Obviously aimed at younger people.
I have a band 2 job( lowest band) in Nhs, been in Nhs 20 years different jobs and bands, never had to dig out any qualifications.
Earlier on this year I took on my new role, the main qualifications were a NVQ in relevant or transferable subject and an IT qualification which I have.
As I’m too old for GCSE I just list a few CSEs and a couple of O’levels I sat 45 years ago ( yep I’m that old! ) never had anyone ask for them in my whole working life!
Suddenly I’ve been asked for my qualifications, so I emailed the two main certificates. I then get an email that they want my 45 year old CSE qualifications!
They’ve obviously been lost decades ago, the exam boards probably don’t even exist anymore!
I sent a reply back to HR basically explaining how ridiculous this request is! How does something I did 45 years ago reflect the person I am today, I given them more recent, relevant and better qualifications. I apologised that I no longer have these certificates or actually ever even had them and I don’t intend to spend good time and money on trying to find them.
I heard no more and got a start date, don’t feel bullied, employers need to wake up and use common sense.

If you are working for childrens and families hub, is the role a nursery nurse? If so, the importance of the gcse will depend on when you got your level 5.

Without it, you may not count as qualified at all, even with the level 5.

If I'm wrong, then great. If I'm right, pm me if you want to and I can talk you through it all, it's a bit complicated.

I sat my exams so long ago (1982) they were O Levels and CSEs. I haven't a clue what exam board they were, there were different boards for different subjects and probably don't exist any more. I'd struggle big style to replace them.

Tell them that you haven't got the certificates from 25 years ago. Surely, employers wouldn't ask for something from so long ago?

@Spidey66 you and me both! I was 1977!

This seems to a new thing with employers at moment.
+1

I applied to a council contact centre in the summer this year for a 19.5k role; they too emphasised knowing GCSE grades (from 25 years ago in my situation and I was really fortunate in my leaving year they were trialing a GNVQ in addition to GCSE's which I did) but I'm sure it was they asked that you should present at interview if selected (I ended up turning the interview down reluctantly) - could OP ask why this has come up so late in the process, especially if they have given up an existing job.

OP I'll have my fingers crossed you have just received standard text and the ID for DBS is so much more important; please could you keep us updated.

Hmm, as this a new “ thing” within the last couple of years, the cynic in me is wondering if this is a way of discriminating against older candidates, through the back door?

Most people over 40 to 50+ who sat school exams when they were 15 are probably not going to have any certificates to hand.

It's not a new thing, it's been a basic requirement for years!

@ItwasinJeremyHuntsoffice Professional qualifications yes.
I can assure you, possibly being on this earth many more years than you, and stated in my earlier comment, that 45 year old CSEs have never been requested in my whole working life until this year.
So, pardon me for thinking this is a “ new thing”.

But just how many years, and how many folk of my generation (and slightly older) are going to be caught out by this if they've never changed organisations?

I didn't have to prove my GCSE or A level competence when I secured a role at my company at the age of 18 before the turn of the century. I've progressed through the company and through all my job applications, not once have I been asked to prove my exam results.

It's a bit unnerving to think that if I were to be made redundant I'd have to prove competence in something utterly unrelated to my very employable skillset to gain new employment. I have no idea what exam boards were used at the time, I'd be amazed if my frankly inept comprehensive school have kept records from the 90s on which exam boards they used for specific papers. In short I can't prove a thing.

I agree with others, this is a covert way of discriminating by age. There'll be a lot of people caught out by this...especially when the last 20 odd years of working should be a more appropriate measure of competence than exams sat at the age of 16!