A
male
age
51-59,
anonymous
writes:26 years of working for the same company and i am suddenly unemployed. Basically i dont know what to do, they paid redundancy but offered no help in regards to securing another job. While i may have work experience my job advisor keeps going on about my academic qualifications like i have just left school. I worked for a University and took many in house courses to improve myself as my job progressed but apparently these do not count because they were in house and are not recognised. I can speak both spanish and french really well because i took several courses over a few years just so i could converse with students in their own language. I took in house IT courses, improved my Maths and english but because these are not recognised qualifications my work advisor suggests leaving them of my CV. I think all my experience in improving myself should be there for all to see, otherwise why even try. What do you think?
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female
reader, Aunty BimBim  +, writes (24 March 2016):
 Assuming the UK system is similar to Australia's (as they are in many ways) see if you can get some sort of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the in house courses, your job provider should be able to advise on this.
I have also done in house training and short courses, but because they were not provided by a registered training organisation, nor part of the national curriculum, they are not worth the paper the certificates are printed on ..... BUT, when looking for jobs where I think this training may be of value I add it in, either to the CV or include as a paragraph in my covering letter.
You could also get around it by listing attending these courses as an interest on your resume, or CV, or as part of an introductory paragraph.
I agree with the answerer who says CVs shouldn't be too long, this could be why your advisor is suggesting leaving the bulk of them out, maybe ask them what their reasoning is.
Good luck, I hope it doesn't take long for you to find something else.
A
reader, anonymous, writes (23 March 2016): You should have gained credits or certificates for your college courses completed. It will matter how the courses are accredited. Whether credited or non-credited. If these were all non-credited courses; they are only gratuitous, and simply improved your work qualifications. That does not mean they will not be considered by prospective employers.
The were necessary and useful in executing your job functions. They enhanced your qualifications.
You did not set a formal curriculum; so the courses don't necessarily add-up to a degree. You will have to find an institution willing to combine your formal college training into a degree program; and attend a university to complete a degree.
Apparently the university you attended only exploited you for the sake of labor; but had no intention of offering you a degree program. It's odd that they took advantage of such employee loyalty for so long; and never encouraged you to obtain your degree or assist you in getting one.
Your foreign-language skills are definitely an asset; and having your CV properly prepared to your advantage is a must. It will be a task, but not an impossible one, to put your work experience and abilities on paper to be reviewed by interviewers and recruiters.
Just do not allow yourself to be discouraged. Simply review your options and attend seminars that offer assistance in preparation of CV/resumes. You have to learn how to creatively prepare your CV to display every skill and job-qualification you have. To clearly represent the type of experienced and qualified worker that you are.
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A
female
reader, Tisha-1  +, writes (23 March 2016):
 Did you receive grades for the in-house courses or were you auditing them (in the U.S. this means sitting in on the lectures but no work needs to be handed in nor exams taken, basically no grade is given).
I don’t know how formal the CV you are putting together needs to be. Does it follow an exact formula or is it more of a resume (as we would call it in the US) which lists education, jobs, skills, and qualifications in no specified order?
If it’s a less rigid format you can sneak in your coursework and improving skills by outlining how these helped you do something positive and powerful for your company.
I would also see if you can petition the University to give you qualifications, assuming you have proof you attended the classes and achieved grades.
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A
female
reader, Honeypie + ♥, writes (23 March 2016):
 I would add them to a CV, IF you have a "paper trail" so to speak that you actually took those classes.
I don't know how that works in the UK, but I have taken a couple of courses here in the States and I got a grade and a diploma for them. (One was a 6 weeks course then other 12 weeks).
So IF you have a piece of paper that cooperate that you TOOK those classes, then YES! add them.
If not.. I'd mention them in your "about me" on the CV.
Self improvement is always a plus on a CV. Even if it's for something you won't be needing for the job you are looking for. I shows that you didn't "stagnate" but kept learning new things.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (23 March 2016): I have done the licensing exam, risk assessments, coshh training, buying, promotions, staff training, epos systems, events set up. Language lessons on a personal basis but also to speak to other students and employees out of courtesy.
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A
female
reader, wrathykins +, writes (23 March 2016):
 I can 100% say that your job advisor has NO idea what the hell they're talking about. I've been to the job centre, they know nothing!
You obviously have TONS of good experience that many employers are going to look at. They say a CV shouldn't be any longer than 2 pages, so try and condense all your experience into 2 pages and you should be fine. Just because they're not recognised qualifications doesn't mean they don't count!
It's not a very pleasant place to find yourself in, but you WILL find something! Best of luck to you!
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