Should I come clean about a mistake on my Cv

AskAsk

Ellis931 said:
I was getting a paid but i didn't have contract given to me until 2015 I don't get what is so confusing I'm just leaving it now I will email them tomorrow thanks for your help

but you said earlier you were not paid while you were helping them out?

AskAsk said:

OP - were you paid for this work while you were helping out?

I wasn't getting paid but I was working for them this is what I'm trying to explain I was basically helping them out before 2015 but I was only given a contract in 2015 

Ellis931

Ok well obviously I was getting paid I wasn't working for free for that amount of time 

warby68

What is the connection between the 2 companies in the same building?
Who was paying you 2013-2015?
That might help with wording a better explanation.
If you have a continuous employment record and its really a difference of 2 years between one employer and the other I would think the mistake will be accepted and not considered material. There isn't a lot of difference between 5y and 7y with the same employer.

pjcox2005

Personally I would just leave it, I doubt the employer cares about whether it was 5 years or 7 years there. You had demonstrated that you've held down a job, and any reference (if the company even were to give anything more detailed than standard wording) will say the same excluding the date.
If any question is asked then you can clarify but it sounds blurred that you were doing work for them so can easily be considered 7 years if not on a full time basis.
The key is how you came across in interview, ability to do the work and attitude going forwards. 

Ellis931

I've just found my work contracts 2 different contracts for the same company one states I started in 2015 then the other states I started in 2014????? 

Ellis931

pjcox2005 said:

Personally I would just leave it, I doubt the employer cares about whether it was 5 years or 7 years there. You had demonstrated that you've held down a job, and any reference (if the company even were to give anything more detailed than standard wording) will say the same excluding the date.
If any question is asked then you can clarify but it sounds blurred that you were doing work for them so can easily be considered 7 years if not on a full time basis.
The key is how you came across in interview, ability to do the work and attitude going forwards. 

Ok well it's not even 2 years I've found my contract and i started in 2014 so it's only one I also have another question do apprenticeships show up in your work history? 

AskAsk

Ellis931 said:

Ok well obviously I was getting paid I wasn't working for free for that amount of time 

this is going to be your problem.  you need to get your facts straight and not change what you say.  if i were HR and you said you were not paid while you were helping out, then later said yes you were paid as you were not helping for free, it would raise my suspicion and i would then start to doubt everything on your CV as even the basic dates of employment are not correct and you keep changing your story.

a lot of references these days are simply dates of employment and position at the company.  so factual details without any comments unless the employer felt it was necessary.  so you need to have the correct dates on your CV.

Ellis931

AskAsk said:

Ellis931 said:

Ok well obviously I was getting paid I wasn't working for free for that amount of time 

this is going to be your problem.  you need to get your facts straight and not change what you say.  if i were HR and you said you were not paid while you were helping out, then later said yes you were paid as you were not helping for free, it would raise my suspicion and i would then start to doubt everything on your CV as even the basic dates of employment are not correct and you keep changing your story.

a lot of references these days are simply dates of employment and position at the company.  so factual details without any comments unless the employer felt it was necessary.  so you need to have the correct dates on your CV.

And like I've repeatedly said it's confusing me now because people are bringing up the same thing over and over and maybe I made a mistake in my reply somewhere
but I know what I mean and I actually Dug out my contract which states I started in 2014 so I'm only a year out I will note it down for them to investigate it's really not that complicated certain people just wana complicate things on here thanks 

Ellis931

Ellis931 said:

AskAsk said:

Ellis931 said:

Ok well obviously I was getting paid I wasn't working for free for that amount of time 

this is going to be your problem.  you need to get your facts straight and not change what you say.  if i were HR and you said you were not paid while you were helping out, then later said yes you were paid as you were not helping for free, it would raise my suspicion and i would then start to doubt everything on your CV as even the basic dates of employment are not correct and you keep changing your story.

a lot of references these days are simply dates of employment and position at the company.  so factual details without any comments unless the employer felt it was necessary.  so you need to have the correct dates on your CV.

And like I've repeatedly said it's confusing me now because people are bringing up the same thing over and over and maybe I made a mistake in my reply somewhere
but I know what I mean and I actually Dug out my contract which states I started in 2014 so I'm only a year out I will note it down for them to investigate it's really not that complicated certain people just wana complicate things on here thanks 

I got hold of my boss I did my apprenticeship with and he's given me the correct dates also so I now know the dates I don't need patronising either 

AskAsk

Ellis931 said:

Ellis931 said:

AskAsk said:

Ellis931 said:

Ok well obviously I was getting paid I wasn't working for free for that amount of time 

this is going to be your problem.  you need to get your facts straight and not change what you say.  if i were HR and you said you were not paid while you were helping out, then later said yes you were paid as you were not helping for free, it would raise my suspicion and i would then start to doubt everything on your CV as even the basic dates of employment are not correct and you keep changing your story.

a lot of references these days are simply dates of employment and position at the company.  so factual details without any comments unless the employer felt it was necessary.  so you need to have the correct dates on your CV.

And like I've repeatedly said it's confusing me now because people are bringing up the same thing over and over and maybe I made a mistake in my reply somewhere
but I know what I mean and I actually Dug out my contract which states I started in 2014 so I'm only a year out I will note it down for them to investigate it's really not that complicated certain people just wana complicate things on here thanks 

I got hold of my boss I did my apprenticeship with and he's given me the correct dates also so I now know the dates I don't need patronising either 

you need to correct your CV with the correct dates.  i am only telling you what to expect so that you are prepared.  it doesn't really matter what i think, but it will matter what HR thinks, and if they are any good at their job, they will want to check the dates if you tell them there is an error.

so you need to make sure that when you do correct an error, you correct all errors and not just one or two, which then flags up other errors.  just check everything and make sure it is correct before you tell them this is the fact.

it is always best to think what will happen and prepare in advance as then you will not be at a disadvantage when those things do happen.  that is all i am doing here, trying to see how HR would think of your answers if they asked you questions.