Professional CV - leaving off short term posts?

triggerthat

triggerthat

triggerthat

Soldato
Joined
26 Aug 2005
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London
Hi guys,
I'm a young professional with 5 years experience. I've been at my current job for 14 months. Prior to that I was employed by a company but I left after a few months (and decided to take a 6 month career break). I'm very concerned at how this looks on my CV and not sure how best to approach it (leave it off all together and leave it on there and explain the reason why I left/career break).

Advice?
 
I wouldn't leave any 'blank' time on a CV. And your young enough that leaving a job to travel or 'find out who you are' is perfectly valid. What did you do during the 6 months career break? That would be relevant...

Blank time on a CV looks bad - it can be viewed as sickness/time unemployed (by choice)/or at worst time at her majesty's pleasure.....
 
I've recently recruited for a few jobs and came across a couple of CVs that listed jobs like 'January 2013-February 2013' and just thought: why?!

Maybe inflate the time a little if necessary, but make sure you note what you actually gained of value from being there.. Not that you just joined.. and then left.

Hope this helps.
 
As an frequent CV screener and interviewer (software dev roles), I wouldn't be interested in 1) Any gaps (as long as they weren't 1+ years 2) Any jobs you were at for less than 4 months.
 
megakid said:
As an frequent CV screener and interviewer (software dev roles), I wouldn't be interested in 1) Any gaps (as long as they weren't 1+ years 2) Any jobs you were at for less than 4 months.
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Even in a career starter?... as op has only has 5 years experience. Are you filling contract, temp or perm roles? As someone who sifted CVs also I would be interested in a 6mnth gap in a 5yr career, and family care seems perfectly reasonable to me. I would prefer to see that explained rather than a 6 month blank period.
 
triggerthat said:
You would dismiss someone for those reasons?
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I wouldn't, but I'd be curious to find out how you spent the time. Again, I recently interviewed someone who had some big gaps in their history, but the answers I got when I questioned about them were full of integrity, and I fully believed what I was told.. Actually ended up taking said candidate on for one of the roles we had going.

Females have got it easy though, as gaps in career history are assumed maternity :p
 
triggerthat said:
Family care.
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You could put a brief line in to that effect - don't have to go into details. I'd also include the job you didn't like - you're early in your career, its OK to pick a wrong direction and correct it etc... just stick the job in, period you were there and mention that you left because.....

Whatever you don don't try and fudge dates... you've got a very reasonable explanation for taking a gap.
 
I just have small print below work experience (Excluding short term positions)

Also have a 2 page and a full CV.

HR people are useless, they often spend their life trying to validate their ridiculous career choice so you can't give them any excuse to bin your CV.
 
Don't leave a gap, the brutal truth is your CV will get a very brief look at the first pass in most cases. My most recent vacancy was up for 3 days, was viewed nearly 800 times and had nearly 100 applicants. HR filtered that to 50 before they came to me, I then culled it to 20 from a coarse filter then down to a final shortlist of 12 for interview.

I did remove a CV from the 50 that made it to me because there was unexplained gaps in employment history, other frequent causes for CVs going in the bin are poor grammar and spelling mistakes.
 
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