Should I remove older low level jobs/education from my CV at this point?

Question

I am updating my CV. I am 26 and have been working full time for about 8 years now, I have some decent experience which I think looks pretty good on paper. I'm a senior developer at my current (small) company, but I'd probably be looking for a mid level developer job at a larger company. I've filled about a page with brief descriptions of what I worked with and projects I've worked on, I could write more if I went into detail.

I do not have a degree and as such my education section just consists of secondary school and A levels. I also have my first job on the job history which was just working in a shop for a year.

At this point I am applying for mid level developer jobs. I am just wondering if I should remove these sections as at best they aren't particularly relevant and at worst I feel they can come across as a bit childish to have on a "serious" CV and might affect the readers impression of me. The A levels have some relevance as I did computing but I'm not sure if it might be better to just focus on my professional work history and go into more detail there?

Answer 1

Rule of thumb: Your CV (and cover letter, if applicable) should be customised for each job application. It should not be a generic description of who you are, rather it should portray why you are probably the best fit for that post.

Put only what is relevant, leave the other things out. If you've got enough experience to support your claim for the post, even a single employment / job is fine. I personally think, no more than 3 previous entries are relevant, for anyone who has spent moderate amount of time in each employment.

That said, couple of general notes:

I've filled about a page with brief descriptions of what I worked with and projects I've worked on,

Rather than individual details about what and how, show the results , achievements and learnings. Adds more value.

I could write more if I went into detail.

No, you don't want to do that. A page is just about right.

Oh, and for someone who has got 8+ years of industry experience, school or college degrees (and details about grades, major etc.) are mostly irrelevant. Industry experience is what matters, highlight them.

Answer 2

Have them as a single line so it avoids a gap you might need to explain:

• 2013-14 Some School
• 2014-15 Tesco, Sales Assistant
• 2015-20 Junior Developer

I don't think anyone would question that. On the off chance you're asked, just tell them it was what you were doing while developing personal projects and looking for your first development role.

I wouldn't waste too much time on it.

Answer 3

The ideal thing to do is to tailor your CV/resume to the specific position that you are applying for. If the older jobs/education are relevant to the position you are applying for then yes they should be included. If not, then don't include them.

Since you already have 8 years of experience in your field, you likely would not need to add these older jobs/education.

Answer 4

First of all, the answer by Sourav Ghosh is entirely correct, however speaking as a hiring manager there are a couple of points I would like to add. 1, 2 and 3 are specifically related to how you write your CV, 4, 5 and 6 are more generally around how you apply:

1. Write your own submission

In addition to the point about customising your CV and cover letter to each role, I want to say: do not, under any circumstances where you actually want the job, use the automatic apply button on job websites. When I have a job opening I see hundreds of these automatically generated applications from the likes of Indeed.com, they are almost entirely terrible and frankly I don't have time to dig through each one, find the website profile and attempt to judge if this person is worth my time. I know it takes you a bit longer, but please, please, please write your submission yourself! It shows me you care about your application and haven't just hit "apply" on a hundred job adverts without reading them.

2. Do include any relevant training courses

While your school based education may have finished with A-levels, any relevant training you have done is worth including (even free online courses from LinkedIn or W3Schools or similar count if you have nothing better). Demonstrating that you are committed to personal and professional development will definitely get you further up the list.

3. Make your submission stand out

Make me notice your CV. I know not everyone is a graphic designer but make your CV catch my eye. Something nicely formatted with considered use of colour is perfect. Google for "modern CV template" for ideas. However make sure the colour and design don't overtake your content, that is what I'm really looking for.

4. Don't bother including a photo

I'm hiring developers, not actors to star in my latest West End musical, I don't care what you look like. In fact, with modern "blind" recruitment practices you may find it gets filtered before it even gets to a hiring manager, along with names and anything which may induce unintentional bias.

5. Research the company, if you can

While not always possible if going through a recruitment agent, if you know the company you are applying to, show me in your cover letter that you have at least a vague idea about what we do. Tell me why you're exited to work here (even if you're not) and what made you want to apply (beyond "I need the money"). Speaking of recruitment agents...

6. Avoid recruitment agencies wherever possible

Honestly, recruitment agents are the absolute bane of my existence. They pester me constantly even if I don't have roles advertised, their salary expectations for the people they send are wildly unrealistic and frequently they have no idea about what I as an employer actually need from my people. I often question if even they read the job advert. If you can apply directly, I strongly advise you do so.