Small mistake on CV, called on phone interview

Question

I was called by a recruiter about a good opportunity in a company that is very close to my house.

So I updated my CV and sent it over to the recruiter, who he forwarded to the company and on Tuesday I have a phone interview.

Now, as a context, I migrated from a non-English speaking country to the UK.

While I was discussing something different with a friend of mine he pointed out about a certificate I had on my CV, more specifically Certificate of Proficiency in English.

By mistake, I mixed up Certificate of Competency in English which is the one I am certified, with Certificate of Proficiency in English. Why did this happen?

Probably because they are called slightly differently informally in my country, therefore, when I searched them for the first time in English, I thought that this is my certificate.

Please bear in mind that I got this certificate 8 years ago, therefore can't recall the exact title and don't have access to it as it is back in my home country probably hidden somewhere.

The interview I have is not so much related to English, as it's in the IT field rather than let's say, Sales, practicing Law or Medicine were using the wrong word can make a huge difference.

Also, I don't believe that this mistake adds anything to my CV, is just there to certify that I can speak, write and understand English. Most jobs don't even ask for it as usually, you are being tested for you English competency during the interview.

Moreover, the interviewer has a video of mine, which was sent by the recruiter, where I speak English. I want to point out it was an honest mistake, rather than a mistake to get the job.

Now my question is, do I notify the interviewer or not?

• Will it give a bad impression?
• Will they start questions my other certificates as well?

Answer 1

If you are applying for a job in the UK, where you will be interviewed by an English speaking person, they will find out whether you can understand questions asked in English, and whether you can reply in English that is understood by the interviewer. In most companies nobody will care what English speaking certificate you have or whether you have one at all. If you speak the language it's fine, if you don't speak the language no certificate will help you.

There would be rare exceptions, where for some legal reason they are required to check your certification. In that case if you didn't have the certification but get the job because they only checked your CV, you will lose your job instantly if they find out. But that would be a very rare situation.

Answer 2

Where there are two possible certificates and the different word designates a different level, it's worth mentioning. At worst the discussion about an obscure translation difference will show both proficiency and competence, and if you're the one to bring it up it's more likely to be recognised as an honest mistake.

English is weird and, as you've said, you're aware of the difference being context dependent. You can be competent at ordering a sandwich without being proficient, and proficient but still not competent if the task involves a high level of nuance.

If the certificates are different, proficiency is higher than competency, and you don't mention it - that could look like you were claiming something you didn't have. Avoid that one by mentioning it.

But if you can't produce a copy of the certificate - and particularly if you're not sure you would be able to produce one if asked - I would remove any reference to it from future versions of your CV.

[A bit more context : I'm a Hiring Manager in the U.K. I would regard a certificate with either word as being a nice formal declaration, but would base my judgment of your use of English and whether you have an honest approach on the interview discussion and any correspondence. Based on this question and the way you've written it, I would have no concerns about either and (all other things being equal) would move you to the next stage of the interview process.]