Past college drop-out/gaps - include or not on CVs/interviews?

Konata

TL;DR: Dropped out of college course after a year and a half. Have since completed an unrelated degree and unsure how to deal with the past uncompleted experience in CVs/interviews. Was a very high point Leaving Cert student and entrance scholar in original university so not sure I can ignore it as any Google search of my name brings up information about my original study path.

Hi all,

I've had a search through the forum on this topic but most threads seemed to be related to people dropping out of college and looking for a job without any degree whereas my case is a bit different so hear me out!

Essentially, I'm wondering whether I should include or mention a past experience of dropping out of college on my CV or in interviews. I have just completed a degree in languages and am expecting very high scores so I don't think I will have too much of a problem demonstrating my academic ability. However, before I began this course four years ago, I completed a year and a half of an entirely unrelated course in a different college which I then dropped out of. I have my reasons for dropping out etc. all sorted but I was wondering whether I should maybe not even mention the fact that I was previously in college at all? I feel like dropping out will reflect badly on me, even though I have legitimate reasons. I am currently applying for some jobs related to the degree I completed, and some unrelated, so for the unrelated ones in particular, I guess I'm afraid that having studied one thing and dropped out, studied another thing and completed it but then applying for a job in a totally different area might give the impression to employers that I'm indecisive and might not stick with the job? I was thinking that potentially I could just give what I have as my reasons for dropping out as a reason for why I didn't go to college until a bit later (I started the course I have completed when I was 21).

Unfortunately, I received extremely high leaving cert results and was an entrance scholar in my first college so a quick google search of my name produces some newspaper articles that mention what university and course I was going on to after the Leaving Cert. So maybe hiding the fact that I started a course and dropped out of it would be an even worse idea as a Google search will prove otherwise!

Apologies for this being so long but I would appreciate if anyone had any advice on how best to handle my past uncompleted education (unrelated to the degree I completed or to any of the jobs I'm applying to) with regards to CVs/interviews.

starlit

Some people just add in that they did the course even if not completed unless they managed a transfer within a short space of time. Another way is to say you had a gap year(s) if you didn't go straight into your degree course after dropping out of the other. But in your case, It shouldn't matter if both courses were both unrelated still worth mentioning any course you did. Depends how soon after you started the other course after dropping out of the other aswell. You'd have learnt something from the other course, transferable skills and all that. If anything they shouldn't some people have the cop on to change career direction when they realised a certain course wasn't for them and of no benefit unless was for other reasons that's a separate issue.

I'd just mention in the interview if they ask about your CV/Education that you mention it but that the course wasn't for you and decided to go down a different path. Its not something you could hide in an interview though when its still an online footprint. Regarding your CV, I don't know if it be necessary to add it in at all or maybe add it in way down in your CV but maybe just add it in but then they be looking for results. Maybe just add in the overall result from your first year or just say course uncompleted? They be wondering in an interview why you didn't think to add it in when its shown online if they were to do a background search on you.

Probably the best thing to do is add in your degree first then that course in your list of education. Such as
University of/IT XXX
Name of Course Years completed
Subjects and overall Achievement (Awarded X:X or depending on the uni they might state Distinction/Merit 1/2 etc

For the other course just mention:
University of/IT XXX
Name of Course Years completed and nothing else no need to put in result unless you like to just add in first year overall result. Entirely up to you what you think is best whether to state was uncompleted/changed course.

If you changed course within the same year of dropping out some people say not to mention it at all on CV and maybe mention it yourself in an interview. The thing is they could still ask if they did a background check on you and ask about that course so need to tick the boxes to make prospective employers happy. Though I don't think dropping out of the other course a bad reflection at all just means you switched career direction at a good point in your career. To me shows career direction rather than indecisiveness when the course was a longer course. If it were a year's course then I'd say differently that should kept going till finished unless had good reason for not completing it. For what ever reason you had for dropping out it shouldn't really be an issue unless they ask. If they see that as a bad reflection they aren't worth working for but i'd still mention it at some point either in CV or Interview or both. Even if you didn't add in CV i'd mention in an interview. If put in CV they may or may not ask you about it. Often or not if you just add in the name and year of course they don't usually ask about it.

From my experience of interviews, its usually the degree or most recent course completed that will take priority and precedence when in an interview! They nearly always refer back to your degree no matter what your recent course/job or job or unrelated job you are being interviewed for! You've something talk about! You just never know every interview/interviewer can be different!

Konata

Thank you so much for the incredibly detailed response! I've never done a proper interview before so haven't really thought about it until now. Your post puts my mind a bit more at ease though. As I say, I can't really hide it because of the information available online and actually, I can try to put a positive spin on it as you suggested. I was an entrance scholar and received an award for having the highest results in my year after first year so I'll try and mention those as I guess it continues with the theme of academic achievements (I don't have an awful lot of work experience so the academic side is the main part of my CV at the moment). Thank you again, I really appreciate it!

starlit

You very welcome. Practise makes perfect with interviews. Maybe try a mock one with someone or a recruiter/job coach if you like a more professional output on it. The very best of luck with your career!