putting time as a carer on my cv?

kate_op

I was a carer for a family member from when i left school up until last year. Do i put it on my CV ?

I am desperate for a job and i have been looking for a year now and still nothing. because i was a carer for my Nan for so long i have nothing much to put on my CV apart from some volunteering in a charity shop that i am currently doing.

Eric_the_half_a_bee

kate_op wrote: »

I was a carer for a family member from when i left school up until last year.

How long was that for?

General_Grant

Do you want to work in retail or work as a carer?

In either case mention your care work on your CV but it is obviously more relevant for a carer role.

lj876

You could put it on your CV, yes. Describe the sort of tasks you've been doing, what it's taught you. Are there any nursing homes nearby that you could do care work in? You could argue that you've got prior experience, it's not easy caring for a relative.

ReadingTim

Yes - it shows what you've been doing for that time. Unexplained gaps on CVs don't look good, and you sometimes hear silly stories about companies who don't check up on the 5 year gap on the CV of someone they'd just hired to work in the accounts department - turns out he'd spend those 5 years in prison for fraud...!

w06

I would. I had a few year gap in my cv through illness and was glad when it fell off the end of the page, although I used to just proactively explain it.

being a carer isn't easy and does require and develop quite a few skills that would be assets in all manner of careers, I'd include it and expand on what it demonstrates in you

Fireflyaway

I think its good to put it on your CV. It shows that you have been doing something valuable and not just sat about doing nothing. Being a carer requires patience, empathy and communication skills which are great assets in any job.

Kynthia

Yes, it's better than an unexplained gap. You can list the transferable skills you gained that are relevant to roles you are applying for.

TBagpuss

I think it is reasonable to put it does to show why there is a gap.

I think as a general rule, people are often sceptical when they see things listed as transferable skills in this sort of situation.

I'd suggest giving factual examples rather than trying to 'sell' it as specific, work related skill, unless of course you are applying for other posts as a carer. (e.g. put down that you successfully applied for carers allowance / PIP / whatever for your family member, rather than framing it as having experience with complex processes or admin)

This is not to underestimate the skills you may have, but it is less likely to be perceived as you making misleading claims.

trailingspouse

Yes, definitely. In fact I received a CV with exactly that on it the other day. It wasn't for a job that had anything to do with caring, but it showed me that he was honest and straightforward (it was only for a couple of years, so he could have 'lost' it in the dates he gave for the other work he'd done), and that he could accept ownership and responsibility. It also made him stand out amongst the other candidates, not a bad thing.

andygb

I had to put this on a CV many years ago, and didn't think twice about it (well maybe I did, because I didn't think some folks would be as caring or honest as me).
When questioned by employers I simply left out the very personal bits, and if they pressed for details, simply let them know that I was no longer interested in the position.
Most decent employers will understand.