Job Discussion Forums

[Nozka]

I'm currently brushing up my CV in anticipation of working in the ME next year, and I can't decide if I should include my previous ME experience. For the record, I believe I meet all the general requirements for most university job postings I've seen: MA TESOL, 8 yrs experience teaching adults - five overseas. I currently work in an IEP for an American university. I have good references.
Prior to doing my MA, I worked for a private school in a Gulf country. The contract was for a year, but for reasons I don't care to remember, I only lasted nine months. I gave proper notice when I left this job, and I left on relatively decent terms, but I'm now wondering if I should leave this job experience off of my CV.
This job was some time ago, and I have no idea what this employer would say about me if contacted other than I did not complete my contract. Probably no one I worked with is even there now or would even remember me. Should I even worry about it? Is it better to have experience in the ME and no gaps in my employment history, or is it better to not have a questionable employment record? If I do include it, should I be explicit about the dates that I worked, or just mention that I worked there? What would you do?
Thanks for your replies.
Peace,
Nozka

[cmp45]

It is a tough call... I can understand you don't want to have the 9 month gap on your CV, however,...since you have worked abroad and have 8 yrs ligitimate experience plus good references and relevent education already, I would leave the '9 months gig' off your CV.

Although the previous employer from the Gulf may not even remeber you nor have any major greivance against you, the fact that you left before the end of the contract may not sit well with the employer you intend to apply to...personally, I don't think it would help putting it on the CV.

So you asked...what would I do? I would not put it on my CV.

Good luck!

[15yearsinQ8]

it could go either way

if the reason was 'my boyfriend dropped me', etc - anything that exhibits immaturity, poor judgement, poor choices - don't give a potential employer a reason to deeply question your judgement even in the past

if the reason was unprofessional working environment or standards, then stick to your guns , these were and continue to be my standards as a professional - i was asked to falsify records, etc and couldn't do it and would never do it, state it proudly - you may not get the job you're applying for now, but you'll keep your standards and your head high

[miski]

MMm.

I would imagine that 9 months is as near to a year as damnit...so I would put :

XXX School 1990-1991

and who are they to know if it was 12 or 9 months- however, should they ask if they can contact your previous employer, then that might be a problem. You could always put ''references available on request'' .

I like 15years advice - if you left because of justfiable reasons, keep your integrity and stick to your guns. I was also asked to falsify records in both a govt institution here and a private school. On both occasions I said to the manager ''You want them to have an 'A' , then you write it.''
Never give up your integrity.

This year a girl was discovered having had access to ALL exam papers. The owners did nothing.
I gave her an 'F'.

[lall]

Hi Nozka,

You said that this job was some time ago.

I suggest that you call them up and say that you need an experience certificate of sorts from them. Nothing illegal in doing so and you'll know from their response about how they feel about your stint with them. If they agree to send the exp. cert., nothing like it.

I would mention the job on my CV, irrespective of whether or not I get a favourable reply from them.

Also, once you put it down on your CV, you'll feel much better than worrying about not putting it down and later answering uncomfortable questions.

From what I know of the way things work here, your prospective employers may not bother to contact your earlier place of employment, especially if they are a private institution and are in a different Gulf country than your earlier employer. Also, you have great qualifications (MA TESOL, 8 years' experience teaching adults - five overseas).

Put it down in your CV. Pray and hope for the best.

Good luck.

[NadiaK]

I would put it down. Unless you put them down as a referee, I can't imagine that they'd actually be likely to contact them. Looks better than a 9-month gap, and ME experience will prob. be considered a plus.

Again, just what I would do. Good luck, whatever you decide!

[veiledsentiments]

I'd include it with no comment on the breaking of the contract unless they specifically ask. It could show up in the security check that most countries do... and some employers don't want to see any empty spaces in your employment history.

Once one is of a certain age, most of us have an employer like this on our CV where we had to bail out. Most employers are only concerned about your last couple jobs. (unless you show a history of only 9-12 months for many previous jobs)

VS

[Kootvela]

A CV should not be a Master thesis. By this, I mean the more compact the better. I have left out one company where my work lasted for some time (about a year) because it didn't have a name at all in ELT. I would suggest leaving only the main companies on your cv with a short mentioning that there are others and may be discussed upon a specific request as for the reasons you left, should such a need be.

[veiledsentiments]

While this may be good advice for some countries, it is not true for the Middle East. They want every bit of your near past work history for their security checks. Any empty time periods... or if you have changed dates to fill those spaces, and what they learn in this check doesn't match, could mean that you will not be hired.

They are not that interested in brevity.

VS

[mishmumkin]

I would include it, as Miski suggested. It's nearly a year. The only people contacted during my recent job search were referees and the current employer.

[Kootvela]

[Nozka]

Thanks for all of your replies so far. I'm now leaning towards including it - as I have always done previously - mostly because I doubt that it will come up. However, a few follow-up questions.

If I do mention it, would it be duplicitous to state, as someone mentioned, "XXX school, 1997 - 1998"? I would guess that such a claim could either go unchecked, or backfire horribly because I'm implying that I worked a full year. On the other hand, putting the months down on this job and not all the others would draw undue attention to it.

VS, what the heck is "the security check that most countries do"? Why would a country, as opposed to, say, an employer, be checking my employment history, and how could they possibly find out where I worked if I never mentioned it?

I'm also thinking of calling them up, pretending to be some employer, and asking for a reference for myself. Has anyone ever tried this?

Finally, I do have another gap in my employment history. Following the aformentioned job, I did some volunteer teaching and then traveled for a while before coming back to the states. I then worked in a completely different field for a year before I got residency and did my master's. Is that now going to be an issue? I would hardly think that this disqualifies me from being a dedicated teaching professional, but is this some kind of red flag that will shove my CV to the bottom of the pile or the trash can?

Nozka