Leaving qualifications off a CV - Martin on the Wright stuff,.

lynzpower

Interestingly over the last few days I have started thinking again about my career as the job that Im doing at the moment is pants.

I think Id like to do something that isnt completely office based and involves being out and about. One thing Ive considered is being a postie. This would suit me ( being out and about and more physical) and my skils ( organisational, attention to details etc) If I applied with my CV Im fairly sure I wouldnt get a job there. In fact with a lot of outdoorsy jobs like traffic wardens, street sweepers, recycling operative etc would I get them with a degree in politics form a top uni and plenty of other courses on top?

I would love to see this sort of discrimination outlawed. I have been discriminated for TEMP WORK too, of the stuffing envelopes for 3 days jobs Meanwhile I still sign on for JSA and tap the tax payer against my better efforts.

this approach drains the countrys coffers.

If someone wants to work then for gods sake let them :mad:

1jim

I think that its harsh to make assumptions about people based on their CV. If they meet the minimum criteria for the job they should be given an interview and then be appointed (or not) based on how they perform in the interview. This is the only fair way to conduct the process, if you allow your prejudice to enter the process in this way then you can not really say that you have employed the best possible candidate for the job. I have not seen this programme but if it is true then I must admit to being a little disapointed in MSE as I would have expected a higher standard of fairness. This form of discrimination may not be illegal but it is surely immoral to toss someone aside because you have prejudiced views.

welshman10

lynzpower wrote: »

If someone wants to work then for gods sake let them :mad:

I think it's easy to criticise employers for this, but I would do the same if I had a business, to be honest.

If you want someone to stay in the position for a few years, you wouldn't want someone who is using you as a stepping stone, as you then have all the costs of re-trai9ning a new starter and the recruitment process itself.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for career progression, but no employer is going to want someone who will just stay a few months then leave, as a high turnover of staff can affect the cohesion and morale of the workforce.

bristol_pilot

If you only employ mediocre people so that they will stay then after a few years the outcome will be that your organisation will be populated and run by mediocre people. This is because the low achievers will eventually be promoted, mainly bacause they are in the right place at the right time. The real reason that some managers are afraid of employing people who are over-qualified for a job is that they are afraid of a perceived threat to their own position. A poor manager can be successful in protecting themselves this way for a number of years but ultimately their organisation will be less successful than it otherwise would have been.

welshman10

Low achievers do not have to be promoted, though. You can recruit externally to more senior positions.

lynzpower

bristol_pilot wrote: »

If you only employ mediocre people so that they will stay then after a few years the outcome will be that your organisation will be populated and run by mediocre people. This is because the low achievers will eventually be promoted, mainly bacause they are in the right place at the right time. The real reason that some managers are afraid of employing people who are over-qualified for a job is that they are afraid of a perceived threat to their own position. A poor manager can be successful in protecting themselves this way for a number of years but ultimately their organisation will be less successful than it otherwise would have been.

that is certainly my experience in some areas of Public Sector.

1jim

lynzpower wrote: »

that is certainly my experience in some areas of Public Sector.

Oh yes, the NHS is a prime example of this

lady_fuschia

I wouldn't leave a degree off my CV. Apart from anything else surely I'd be asked at interview what I was doing for the three years of my life when I wasn't working full time!
What I would do is write a CV that placed less emphasis on qualifications and more on experience- the kind where you write the skills you have near the beginning of your CV in detail and then just briefly list your qualifications at the end.
If you make it look like your degree is your main life's achievement and give it pride of place on your CV, then it will look like you're really looking to take advantage of it in your job, and will be likely to move on. If you shift the emphasis and make your degree seem like one other thing you've done, amongst other relevant experience for the role you're applying for then employers are less likely to see it as a hindrance.

It's all in the presentation.

Whatever we do, we can't change that people are naturally prejuduced- you just have to find a way to work with it.