I've gone into interviews before with my versions of CVs as generally I find that recruitment agents don't have a clue what they are doing.
For example, I run my own company and have many corporate clients. The clients hire me for between three months and a year at a time. In MY CV that shows as my company name with dates 1990 to 2010 (since then I have concentrated on accountancy) followed by sub headings showing clients with dates.
Look at an agents version and it looks as though I have a series of very short lived jobs.
More than once I only got to interview because the interviewer noticed that the same "employer" pops up several times on the CV (They were never my employer, they were clients).
If I get to interview I get the job but goodness knows how many times I failed to get to interview because agencies seem to employ care in the community people to review CV's.
I could of course make it simple for them and say that I had worked for my own company for 20+ years but that doesn't get you through the same doors as listing a who's who of the footsie 100.
I drop things from my CV if they do not fit (ICB does not appear on my CV). I put months rather than actual dates so always ensure contracts end around the 1st of a month to give me a month to find the next role which shows continuity.
I would however always expect to see dates on a CV and if they are not there I would not interview the person. If agents take them off then employers will tell them to put them back on again, or just drop that agency.
Best peice of advice, ask to see the CV that the agent sends to employers and also take a copy of your own CV that was sent to the agents to the interview. Do not show the potential employer your version though unless what you are saying and what is on the agent version of the CV are completely out of kilter with each other.
In the case of gaps in your own CV though Neil you could fill them all with management roles in the family firm so you have no worries on that score.
kind regards,
Shaun.
p.s. edited due to me seemingly deleting the end of a sentence before original posting.
-- Edited by Shamus on Tuesday 20th of November 2012 04:18:11 PM
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I don't think it's a good idea, it just creates ambiguity which, if faced with a large pile of CV's, is a reason to discard.
It may be useful to put reasons for leaving if a period of employment wasn't too long, or explaining a gap. Without those, again it may be a reason to discard.
This is from my more recent experience as an interviewer (my last job interview would have been 2003).
The only date I've seen removed is the date of birth, due to age discrimination, although they usually put what year they got their GSCE's, which people usually sit when they're 16.
If they don't put dates for both DOB and exams, and they got 'o' levels, as I did, then they're north of 40!
to my mind your exams at school will either get you your first job or into Uni after which they are of no consequence. Employers are only after whether you have a degree (doesn't necessarily follow that one went to Uni), your professional memberships and your employment history.
I've had a lot of CV's cross my desk with which schools a person went to and what grades they got in various exams which to my mind in trying to keep a CV short is just a waste of space.
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
to my mind your exams at school will either get you your first job or into Uni after which they are of no consequence. Employers are only after whether you have a degree (doesn't necessarily follow that one went to Uni), your professional memberships and your employment history.
Generally true, though not completely. Graduate schemes / positions in some case insist on certain A-level grades / UCAS points on top of having certain Honours degree classification. I'm not sure whether I've seen GCSE results as well, but a lot of places do ask for GCSE Maths & English, though that's usually on application form.
