First contract - pre employment screening in tier 1 bank

[HugeWhale]

Hi all,

I've accepted a contract at a tier 1 investment bank but stupidly sent an old CV that didn't include a three month role. The role was my most recent job,

Omitting a previous role is understandable (I struggle to recall exactly what I was doing 20 years ago!) but omitting your most recent role was a serious oversight. You've been offered a contract based on misrepresentation. Ticking off done: you don't need a lecture from me. So what next?

Depends on what your most recent role was.

I) If it was a genuine oversight and you've been acting as Advisor Emeritus to the CEO of Barclays, you should disclose it without fear.

II) If however you were shovelling elephant tulip at Chester zoo and got sacked for incompetence, you've got to bluff it out.
Maybe claim that it was only relevant experience you were listing on your CV, or downplay it completely: your most recent role was only a small zero-hour temp role till you secured a contract so you felt no reason to mention it as it was so trivial; you were actually working for your brother in a very informal way while you pursued more serious opportunities...and if they ask for a contact at the company, give them the phone number of the HR department. They'll just confirm that "Mr Griff worked here from A->B in the role of tulip shoveller" and not that you were literally not fit to shovel tulip.

Only you know whether it was an accidental or deliberate omission and whether the disclosure could threaten the contract.

[griff2010]

Hi all,

Many thanks for your responses - definitely of great help!

The three month role I left off my CV was a step up from previous positions, but similar in industry and overall responsibilities. I then decided it was time for a career change, so left the industry to join a new one, and did so when I had my three month review - my own choice and not that of my employer. They will give me a positive reference.

I think in this situation honesty is the best policy, as advised by you all. Hopefully they will not have an issue with the above explanation! I'll keep you posted

[uk contractor]

Hi all,

Many thanks for your responses - definitely of great help!

The three month role I left off my CV was a step up from previous positions, but similar in industry and overall responsibilities. I then decided it was time for a career change, so left the industry to join a new one, and did so when I had my three month review - my own choice and not that of my employer. They will give me a positive reference.

I think in this situation honesty is the best policy, as advised by you all. Hopefully they will not have an issue with the above explanation! I'll keep you posted

Honesty is best before now you will come across as desperate to start the job it does not look good as it seems the industry hopping angle made you fail to mention it.

Not sure how on earth you can explain away why you failed to mention it at the interview stage as the first questions are usually around your last role!?

[sal]

When I was going through this process, the agent, who was internal for the Tier 1 bank specifically asked me to provide a "sanitized" copy of my CV for him to forward to the 3rd party running the checks. He advised me to remove any certification, professional qualifications and degrees i didn't have readily available proof of. Also to provide agency contacts, rather than client contacts for my previous roles (which i'm doing anyway, when asked for 2 references etc.).

Come clean with them, tell them it was an old CV and send them the correct copy. Then use the same truthful details in the 3rd party form.