Listing jobs on Application?

[fencikboy]

Hello,

I am a new grad applying for jobs. Over a year ago I took a CNA position at a local nursing home. At the end of the training/probabtion time, I realized that this was not the place for me. I then quit before being added as a permanent employee. I did good work there but realized that going to school needed to be my full time job. My question is, do I add this job on my current applications for a RN job? I only worked 5 shifts. I do think that if called, the nursing home would give me a good review. If I do not add it to the application is that considered lying?

Also, do they want me to list the jobs that I had when I was 16 (I am now 40) working at Long John Silvers? Or do they really only want the jobs from the last 20 years?

Thanks! Your comments are appreciated!

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Like you, I am 40+. When I have filled out job applications in the last several years, I have listed all employment about 15 years back.

In your case, I would list the CNA job, as it was pretty recent.

Good luck to you. :)

[caliotter3]

Several applications in the past few years have specified either seven years or ten years, so that is what I give them. I don't give them the jobs from 25 years ago unless it is some type of government-type job application plus background investigation that requests the whole kaboodle since age 16, then, again, I give them what they request. Many people recommend that you do not have to list any job where you did not work past the probationary period. I would not list a five day job. Then, on the other hand, one employer never employed me at all. They only paid me for five hours of orientation. This showed up as employment when I subsequently applied for unemployment.

[noahsmama]

I would leave off the CNA job and only list your last 10 to 15 years of employment. At age 49 when I was applying for my first nursing job, I did not think they needed to know that I worked as a cashier in a grocery store when I was 15!

[caliotter3]

Also, if no time period is specified, I will put down as many jobs as there are blank spaces, usually the last four or five jobs. Never had a problem with this. One employer asked for the last seven years worth of employment and the HR person told me to use the back of the paper, so I followed their instructions.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

There is usually only room for the last three positions on the applications I've seen. I had an Administrator once ask me for my ENTIRE employment history. Really? I started telling him about my first job when I was 13. Luckily he had a sense of humor.