Will it go against me too much???

sammiboo

I have been told i am "possibly" going to be made redundant. Which looks like its pretty certain to me.

Anyway I am currently applying for a few jobs but I really feel like my GCSE results have let me down. Mainly getting Ds

I the jobs that I am applying for a few of them say you must have 5 GCSEs C and above.

I have done NVQs and BTEC Nationals and also I have a lot of experience in what i am applying for. So eventhough these jobs say about the GCSEs then I am not sure if they will over look my not great grades and look at the other qualifactions and experience I have?

I am being realistic?

I am considering re-taking some GSCEs but in truth I didnt think they would be THAT important :rolleyes:

bookduck

It also depends how much experience you have in a job and how long ago you left school and the type of job you are going for and the company that is doing the employing and the person on the day and how you come across among probably other factors.

Think BTEC out qualify GCSE though, but I could be wrong.

Strider590

It's not too difficult, don't state your grades for GCSE's just the fact you passed, then lead on into the further qualifications and give relevant details. It's not lieing, it's just not giving more detail that you have to.
You'll only get tripped up if you have to fill in one of those silly forms that asks for all details for all qualifications (mainly the NHS/Police/etc).

I got mainly D's in my GCSE's, but my English is well above average, my Maths is average and my techinical skills are through the roof.

I just did badly at school due to bullying, it's damaged my schooling and social life so why should I let it destroy the rest of my life?

I firmly believe that GCSE's should be totally ignored for the purpose of employment.

starsinmycrown

If it's any consolation, I have As and Bs at A level and gcse, and a good degree, but i've found it utterly useless in looking for jobs and I'd be much better off with an NVQ or BTEC. If you can, try and do key skills 2 literacy or numeracy. No offence meant to you, but GCSE maths now is hard going- and before anybody tries to argue the toss, ive been on a course for the past 2 years and we're all struggling. I can't really pass comment on English GCSE though, but it does involve a commitment. Key skills is much more common sense based, no algebraic equations or surds, just basic everyday maths. Level 2 is equal to an a-c pass at gcse. google it, or i'll find you a link. you just do practice tests online, then when you pass there you go to a centre to do it.

Many of my friends are in the same boat as you, now suddenly everything is 5 A-C passes, despite them having relevant professional experience. I'm really really crap at maths, so although i have 7 A-C passes, theyre all in english, languages, history etc. So staggeringly, i still cant do anything basic due to my lack of maths gcse ( i have a G!)

Worst case scenario, just be creative with your cv as the guy above says, just write pass or something- there are ways around it, if there's anything too bad, take it off. You'll be surprised the number of CVs i check, where somebody has included "GCSE RE- E" "DESIGN TECH- F" What is the point of adding it? get creative and at the end of the day, if you see something you really want to go for, you can always..um...twist the truth...?

I highly doubt that an average employer is going to contact an exam board and then when he finds out that you've got a D instead of a C, fire you! What i guess employers need to realise is that in exams there is a 1% or less margin between grade boundaries, so you shouldn't be on the scrap heap for a D instead of an C. I was one mark from an A in one of my A levels, but you know, you lose 20 ucas points because of it and have to go for a lower uni offer. Grades don't mean much- can you do your job? yes you can! Good luck!

VfM4meplse

starsinmycrown wrote: »

No offence meant to you, but GCSE maths now is hard going- and before anybody tries to argue the toss, ive been on a course for the past 2 years and we're all struggling.

Really? I don't believe that. It may be that your clasmates lack an aptitude for or real interest in the subject / the teaching is lacking / a combination of these and other reasons. Everything is relative, people have skills in different areas but to say a basic qualification in maths is difficult is difficult to attain is not true for most people.

starsinmycrown

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Really? I don't believe that. It may be that your clasmates lack an aptitude for or real interest in the subject / the teaching is lacking / a combination of these and other reasons. Everything is relative, people have skills in different areas but to say a basic qualification in maths is difficult is difficult to attain is not true for most people.

Oh.. here we go!

Have you done this year's syllabus as an adult learner being away from maths for ten years or more have you? Because i'm interested in how qualified you are to make this assumption.

Here is a maths exam paper from last year: the middle module (module 5 is a bit harder)
We have to be able to do this being taught one night a week in a nine month period:

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/qp-ms/AQA-43053H-W-QP-MAR08.PDF

the material covered in this syllabus is not "basic" for the average bloke on the street who just wants to show he has numeracy skills, this is why I said OP would probably be better off with key skills.

sammiboo

Thanks

I did my key skills at college. I also did it again 2007 when I did my NVQ level 2 in clerical and administration.

I have been applying for admin jobs in charities as well as general admin jobs. I am hoping my 10 years as a key person working in a charity, 4 years in admin roles will over rule my rubbish GCSEs.

Most of the jobs I have applied for hasnt been a case of just sending my CV off. I have had to complete an application pack, which asks you for your grade

But thanks for that about the key skills. I havent even mentioned that in my applications so I will in future ones now. I have just counted it as part of my main qualifications

VfM4meplse

starsinmycrown wrote: »

the material covered in this syllabus is not "basic" for the average bloke on the street who just wants to show he has numeracy skills, this is why I said OP would probably be better off with key skills.

I didn't find this difficult but then I suspect our backgrounds are very different. If you had a tutor that focused on the subject as a series of problem solving challenges neither would your class.

I wasn't overly fond of maths myself but I recognised early on it's about cracking the system by applying the right technique to the question. The same applies to life in general, it's all about playing the game.

Strider590

starsinmycrown wrote: »

We have to be able to do this being taught one night a week in a nine month period:

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gcse/qp-ms/AQA-43053H-W-QP-MAR08.PDF

the material covered in this syllabus is not "basic" for the average bloke on the street who just wants to show he has numeracy skills, this is why I said OP would probably be better off with key skills.

Oh my god........ I cannot believe they are still pulling that crap, it's not maths, it's riddle solving!!! Give the numbers for god sake, don't ask people to solve a riddle first! this is partly why maths was such a pain for me at school.
Even at college I didn't have half as much trouble with BTEC engineering standard algebra, quadratic equations, differentiation, etc etc etc.

debralee_2

I just wanted to say that NVQ Level 2 in Business Admin is equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A*-C. NVQ Level 3 is equivalent to 2 A Levels grade A-C.

On my CV I just put the subjects I studied at school not the grades, if they want to know they will ask and I make a point of my NVQs as these are usually more important for any jobs I apply for.

Strider590

debralee wrote: »

I just wanted to say that NVQ Level 2 in Business Admin is equivalent to 5 GCSEs grade A*-C. NVQ Level 3 is equivalent to 2 A Levels grade A-C.

On my CV I just put the subjects I studied at school not the grades, if they want to know they will ask and I make a point of my NVQs as these are usually more important for any jobs I apply for.

Equivalent to, but not a substitute for. Unfortunately.