How far back should I go for work history on my CV ?

Page 1 of 1 [ 5 posts ] 

Jonny
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 440
Location: London

31 Jan 2006, 9:45 am

Ive only really had one real job. Ive had several tiny 2 week job type thing but go way back till about 1998.

I want to submit my CV to a job agency, is it even worth writing these older jobs down ?



Litguy
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 649
Location: New Jersey

31 Jan 2006, 11:05 am

I might if they are relevant to the kind of work you are seeking now. It would depend, to a degree, on the reasons why you left the jobs.



TheGreyBadger
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 31 Dec 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 266

31 Jan 2006, 11:49 am

What I did after having a long period of short-term jobs was to take the entire period and say "Part time and temporary assignments," give the general field they were in (office work & accounting), and "details on request." Then in the interview I'd say I kept working towards my goal using a large number of short-term assignments.

If you say up front it was short term, you don't ever have to say why you left.

Hint: in one case I had to find a delicate way of phrasing the reason I left a firm, and settled on "The management and I had different opinions of ethics." You will note I did NOT say they were as crooked as a hound dog's hind leg! One is not supposed to do that! But it worked.



Litguy
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Aug 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 649
Location: New Jersey

31 Jan 2006, 2:19 pm

TheGreyBadger wrote:
Hint: in one case I had to find a delicate way of phrasing the reason I left a firm, and settled on "The management and I had different opinions of ethics." You will note I did NOT say they were as crooked as a hound dog's hind leg! One is not supposed to do that! But it worked.
Good advice. As a former administrator, I can say that rule one in finding a job is that you never criticize a former employer. It makes you immediately suspect.



Jonny
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 9 Feb 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 440
Location: London

01 Feb 2006, 10:41 am

Thanks.

Actually Im only a fresh graduate from uni, so those old jobs I done back in 1998 I was only a kid and I wont really need to explain my gaps since I was still in education. I was just wondering if I should just put them down. They were only shop assistant jobs and nothing really relevant to the type of job im seeking now.