Omissions on resume's and applications (degrees, principal, university, class)
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Is it acceptable to leave off information on a resume or teaching application? I've come to the conclusion that my chemistry cert hurts me more than it helps. It makes my math cert invisible but is unmarketable when competing with holders of general science certs. I'm a dual major with a physics minor so I still have a major/minor combination even if I drop it completely off of my resume.
Most on line applications don't even have room for two majors or minors. I have to force fit them. What's the worst case if I simply leave off my chemistry major in order to market my math major?
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 09-04-2009 at 09:01 AM..
It's your major and you can do what you want with it. Leaving it off of a resume is not the same as lying on a resume. A resume is a compilation of education and skills that you present to an employer as evidence that you are capable of doing the job for which you are applying. Leaving something off--especially if it has very little to do with the job for which you are applying--is not unethical.
What jobs are you applying for? (I know that I should know this--I have read enough of your posts; but please be so kind to refresh my memory, it's been a long week.) If you are applying for math jobs, then yes, leave the chem/physics off of your res. If you are applying for science jobs, then put it on there (and leave the math off). However, I wouldn't bother applying for jobs that do not specify chemistry. If you want to teach chem, then look for jobs that specify a need for a chem teacher rather than a science teacher. And when applying for those jobs, leave out the math and put the chem and physics on the res.
That said, if I were in your position, I would leave whichever degree you are not needing for the position off of the resume but mention your additional degrees *briefly* in any possible interviews so that you do not have colleagues and administration getting miffed at you later on for "witholding info" (why it would bother anyone is beyond me but I have seen it happen.) You can also mention it in a different section of your res, perhaps under "additional skills," or something to that effect, rather than under the education and degrees portion of your res. Anything to deemphasize the degrees that are not pertinent to the job.
Thanks. I like the idea of, casually, mentioning it later. That way it can't be said I wasn't up front about it.
I'm applying for math teaching positions. I was applying for engineering positions in the summer and did leave off my ed major but it's totally unrelated so there was no issue with that. The chem cert is still a teaching cert. So I'm wondering if it's different. I just want to make sure there aren't any negative ramifications to a school finding out I also have a chem major after they've interviewed me.
Thanks. I like the idea of, casually, mentioning it later. That way it can't be said I wasn't up front about it.
I'm applying for math teaching positions. I was applying for engineering positions in the summer and did leave off my ed major but it's totally unrelated so there was no issue with that. The chem cert is still a teaching cert. So I'm wondering if it's different. I just want to make sure there aren't any negative ramifications to a school finding out I also have a chem major after they've interviewed me.
Make sure you read the application and what you are verifying as being honest and COMPLETE when you sign it. If you leave off course work and your final transcript comes in you could be dismissed. You have your reasons for omitting someone else might do it to cover up poor grades. If the application asks you to list all courses and certifications and you don't! Oh well!
Make sure you read the application and what you are verifying as being honest and COMPLETE when you sign it. If you leave off course work and your final transcript comes in you could be dismissed. You have your reasons for omitting someone else might do it to cover up poor grades. If the application asks you to list all courses and certifications and you don't! Oh well!
Thanks. I'd list it if asked. That's why, eventually, I'll decertify to get rid of it all together. That's tricky though because as long as I'm in my current job, I need the cert. Once I get a general science cert, I can drop the chemistry cert because I can teach chemistry on a general science cert but that's three years off. I may be broke by then.
You can leave any information off, but you cannot lie. If you lie, you are guilty of fraud and your employer will probably fire you even if you have already been hired.
You can leave any information off, but you cannot lie. If you lie, you are guilty of fraud and your employer will probably fire you even if you have already been hired.
At what point does an omission become a lie?
I rewrote my resume to reat Major:Mathematics and Minor:Physics, omitting the chemistry major which I suspect is eclipsing my the math major. I listed the two certification codes alongside the major/minor and not after my certificate number, as would normally be done and then added a line on the second page way down on the bottom for additional education/cerfitications and listed the chemistry certification. It looks strange. Maybe I should just leave it off alltogether and then just, casually, tell them in an interview.
I do plan on decertifying in chemistry so it will, eventually go away. It just can't go away as long as I have this job. Since all of my chemistry credits are transfer credits, I can ask the university to un trasnfer them so that the one transcript that counts here (and the only one they ask for) doesn't list chemistry class one. I just can't do it until I decertify. My current employer would have no choice but to fire me if I decertified during the school year. I won't be able to return next year once I decertify unless they wanted me to do a math/physics combination but they seem to like the chemistry/physics combination. I could always tell an interviewer of my intent to decertify in chemistry but that's not something easily explained.
An omission is never a lie. When you apply for a job, you have a very small window to show what qualifications you have for that specific job.
Don't every decertify any education you have. Listing it under other education is the smart thing to do. You are telling them that you have this education, but it doesn't apply to this particular job. They will give you points for your efforts in getting it. You never know when you may need it. If you loose it then try to revive it when needed, a new employer may think that you are lying.
Most online applications generally have a spot to add anything else. In the education world the more you have, the more likely you are to get a job. I would find a way to get that on there either through your cover letter or in a comments section.
Do the math as major, chemistry minor. As a hiring official, ie principal who is looking at your resume, put EVERYTHING you can possibly teach on there. It makes you much more attractive than someone who can only teach one thing.
Actually, anyone who can teach math should not worry about anything else, you will be hired on that alone in many areas.
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