How to list Subsidary company on CV?

Dominic-Toretto · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:44

Hey all,

If you work for a company that is a subsidiary of a bigger well known company, how would you list this on your CV.

Would you simply put the subsidiary company name, the parent or a combination of both?

Thanks!

MrRockliffe · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:48

You'd list it as the company you work for, not the company that owns it :-)

dl8860 · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:50

I'd put the subsidiary (the company you work for), and include the parent company if that might be familiar to employers

D.P. · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:50

Just list the subsidiary, nothing else.

Dominic-Toretto · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:52

dl8860 said:
I'd put the subsidiary (the company you work for), and include the parent company if that might be familiar to employers

The parent is very familiar, the subsidiary you would not realise was associated. Thus why I was thinking something like:

Company A [Parent Company] or
Company A as a Subsidiary of Parent Company

MrRockliffe · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:54

AlphaMale1 said:
The parent is very familiar, the subsidiary you would not realise was associated. Thus why I was thinking something like:

Company A [Parent Company] or
Company A as a Subsidiary of Parent Company

If the person reading the CV knows their stuff, they'll either:

Know the company is a subsidiary of X
Ask

Don't overcomplicate your CV. Less you put on there the better

Dominic-Toretto · 21 Nov 2018 at 14:55

Thanks for the advice guys!

Quartz · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:04

You work for the subsidiary company so list that as your employer. If you want to note its relationship with the bigger company then something like

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (a subsidiary of Megacorp.)

or

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (a Megacorp company.)

or

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (part of Bloggs Group.)

You can extend that to things like

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp contracted to Bloggs Group.

dowie · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:19

I presume you mean a subsidiary with a completely separate brand name/identity?

I mean if you work for a big international company in reality you're often officially working for a subsidiary anyway... like say you work for BigMegaCorp.... but BigMegaCorp is actually an LLC registered in Delaware and you are officially employed and paid through a UK entity say "BMCorp UK services Ltd." It would be rather silly to write down "BMCorp UK services Ltd" instead of just putting "BigMegaCorp" the name everyone recognises.

On the other hand if it is a completely separate brand/set of products etc.. we're talking about then it would make more sense to mention the subsidiary/brand you work for and then optionally include the fact it is part of the well known parent company.

Quartz · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:25

dowie said:
It would be rather silly to write down "BMCorp UK services Ltd" instead of just putting "BigMegaCorp" the name everyone recognises.

I disagree. The company you list is the company with whom HR will check and they will say that they haven't heard of you so your application will be binned.

Rids · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:26

XYX part of the ABC group

dowie · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:31

Quartz said:
I disagree. The company you list is the company with whom HR will check and they will say that they haven't heard of you so your application will be binned.

Why would they do that? I think you might have missed the point a bit there in my example - in that case they contact the London HR of BigMegaCorp and ask for a reference... which they then give. They're likely also employed by the UK company called "BMCorp UK services ltd" but that isn't a name anyone recognises or uses.

Rids · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:36

dowie said:
Why would they do that? I think you might have missed the point a bit there in my example - in that case they contact the London HR of BigMegaCorp and ask for a reference... which they then give. They're likely also employed by the UK company called "BMCorp UK services ltd" but that isn't a name anyone recognises.

I agree here also

I worked for a subsidiary company of one of the worlds largest re insurers, we were primarily a direct insurer with our own product range and little in common with the parent other than being owned by them. So I listed my employer as XYZ Insurance part of the ABC Group.

Now I work for a services company which is a subsidiary of a Top 10 UK Motor insurer. As a services company we do not provide a product to market, and are not identifiable from our parent, so I just list myself as working for 123 Insurance.

Quartz · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:41

dowie said:
Why would they do that? I think you might have missed the point a bit there in my example - in that case they contact the London HR of BigMegaCorp and ask for a reference... which they then give.

But BigMegaCorp can't give a reference because you are not an employee of BigMegaCorp; you are an employee of BMCorp UK Services Ltd. Which is why you put BMCorp UK Services Ltd on your CV and note the relationship with BigMegaCorp.

dowie · 21 Nov 2018 at 15:49

Quartz said:
But BigMegaCorp can't give a reference because you are not an employee of BigMegaCorp; you are an employee of BMCorp UK Services Ltd. Which is why you put BMCorp UK Services Ltd on your CV and note the relationship with BigMegaCorp.

Nope...you're missing the point still - I gave two examples, one where the subsidiary is a known brand, the other where it is simply some random legal entity

in the example you're quoting it is some random legal entity you're simply paid through, your e-mail address is still @BigMegaCorp, the product you work on is the one sold by BigMegaCorp and the HR in the London office of BigMegaCorp (who are also technically employed by the same UK legal entity and not the parent company LLC in Delaware) can quite easily give a reference for you - you just provide the contact details for HR and they send the reference...

Lopéz · 27 Nov 2018 at 10:24

Look at TUI in the 2000s - people working for Lincoln Travel, Travelhouse, Lunn Poly, Britannia, ThomsonFly - but all under the world of TUI banner.

Trappi$t · 3 Dec 2018 at 20:36

Quartz said:
You work for the subsidiary company so list that as your employer. If you want to note its relationship with the bigger company then something like

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (a subsidiary of Megacorp.)

or

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (a Megacorp company.)

or

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp (part of Bloggs Group.)

You can extend that to things like

2000-2017 Junior Flangewangler at Microcorp contracted to Bloggs Group.

This is the answer.

To people who are skim reading thousands of CV's, it is preferable to have a more familiar name in there, if you think the subsidiary is not as recognised.