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Removing 1st 10 years off CV?

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    Removing 1st 10 years off CV?

    Just wondering what the general consensus is for this.

    Bit of background - I'm a front end developer, been contracting for 11 years now, had a mixture of perm / contract roles before this, back to 1996. My CV is 2 pages long, I detail my latest contracts (last 4-5 years where sites are still live and skills relevant) fully, contracts back to 2008 get a reasonable but brief description, before this it just client, title, date.

    As a front end developer, the technologies I have used more recently are obviously the most relevant, and building sites with frames, table layouts and browser sniffing JavaScript is pretty much irrelevant now (except for HTML emails I guess, but don't really deal with that). So is it worth removing the positions from my CV I had prior to starting my second contracting stint in 2008.

    I am thinking about age discrimination really. I realise that shouldn't be an issue, as it is illegal, but believe it is still really an issue. Recruiters seeing 23 year experience will be expecting someone in their 40's+, where as 11 years experience on first look, they will probably expect someone younger. Agents receive huge amounts of applications for each role, so anything that stops them discarding you for the role has to be good, right?

    So far I've been pretty lucky and my only bench time has been self imposed, but would obviously like to keep this the same going forward. A minor change to my CV might help me keep on getting through the door for interviews.

    Just wonder what the general thoughts were on this?

    #2
    For older gigs I just drop to one line

    Years - Company/Role - Location

    If they are completely unrelated remove them, not at the age where discrimination is a factor but I guess I will soon
    Originally posted by Stevie Wonder Boy
    I can't see any way to do it can you please advise?

    I want my account deleted and all of my information removed, I want to invoke my right to be forgotten.

    Comment


      #3
      To be totally honest I don't think agents give a hoot about age. They are just CV shifters and I'd be surprised if they look at anything past the first page if you have already proven you are the person for the gig by about 2/3'rds down the first page. I've got as many as I can fit on two pages and the title/company ones right at the end don't have dates on. That way I can show I've been working in my field for my entire career but the lack of dates in the one liners make it very difficult to guess age. Added to the above I really don't think an agent is going to sit there and do some sums to assume my age. They just get dropped off as and when I get a new gig to keep the CV to 2 pages.

      If you've got a 4+ pager that shows every date from when you left school you've got a problem but I think your actual age isn't really going to be your problem here, a long CV is just gonna go in the bin.

      If you are really that worried about it then yes, take off the one liners (and the dates for the ones you keep). They are virtually irrelevant when applying for a contracting gig so if you think it might actually be a down side vs no upside then drop them off. Can't see it being a problem.
      'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Your CV should be clearly and directly related to the role you are applying for. that means recent gigs showing exactly the skills and experience the client is looking for are needed, and the rest is just background reading. They won't look back more than one or two years anyway, especially in software work.

        So write an introduction explaining why you are the perfect fit, tailor your two or three recent roles to the requirement to prove it, then summarise the rest as one liners just to prove you do actually have a history.

        My latest CV is about four years long, out of 21 years freelance (and 20 permie but I don't mention them since they are totally irrelevant).
        Blog? What blog...?

        Comment


          #5
          I reduce the font size after the first page, as nobody bothers going past that anyway in my experience.

          Still can't cram it all into two pages even then, but I don't think three is really an issue when it's just being read on a screen. If a prospective client gets as far as printing it out, they're presumably keen enough that they won't be fussed about the extra page.

          Comment


            #6
            I've removed the 1st 20 years. I say on the CV to contact me for a full work history.

            No-ones interested beyond the previous 5 years these days.
            "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
            - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks for the replies. I'm also thinking about the hiring bod at the client too. Getting to the stage now, where I started work before the last few finished junior school. Hasn't been an issue once I'm in the door, but in the next 5 or so years I'm going to have been working longer than some of them have been alive, which makes me feel old

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by cojak View Post
                I've removed the 1st 20 years. I say on the CV to contact me for a full work history.

                No-ones interested beyond the previous 5 years these days.
                And the rest....










                See you all in a week
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by cojak View Post
                  I've removed the 1st 20 years. I say on the CV to contact me for a full work history.

                  No-ones interested beyond the previous 5 years these days.
                  me too, only the first 20 mind, - honest

                  Comment


                    #10
                    first few jobs are 1 liners with relevant experience.

                    I can get it to 2 pages and get jobs.I'm that old they like to know which era I started and Dinosaur wrangling in the Triassic era seems to go down well.
                    Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.

                    Comment

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