It might be time to ditch the A-Level results from your CV

This Thursday is A-level results day. Thousands of teenagers will open manilla envelopes to see if they’ve secured the required grades. But as they celebrate or commiserate, research suggests traditional qualifications may no longer be the golden ticket to the jobs market.

Findings from job search platform Indeed show that UK employers now mention A-level or equivalent requirements in less than 1% of job postings on the Indeed platform.

The data could provide the answer to an age-old question that has troubled candidates for some time. When applying for jobs, should you include your school exam results? 

Do GCSEs and A-levels still matter?

Whether or not to include the GCSE maths score you received when you were 15 is a calculation that stumps many job seekers. Often, when you really want a role, it can be tempting to throw everything at your application in the hope that something will stick.

Exam results can also be used to flesh out thinner CVs for school leavers. Younger people will understandably have less work experience, and are more likely to apply to entry-level positions.

Including this information in your CV is unlikely to sway interviewers, however. Just 15% of staff surveyed by Indeed said their A-level results helped to secure their job. Meanwhile, 29% of workers said they have never been asked about exam results when applying to jobs.

Those that have been asked for this information may work in a profession (such as teaching) where specific GCSE or A-level results are still required. In this scenario, the candidate can simply choose to say “achieved passes in…”, rather than listing all their grades out individually.

In fact, the more padding you can remove from your CV, the better. Recruiters can be put off by irrelevant information on a CV, or anything else that slows down the review process.

Degree hiring bias declining

Previously, employer interest in exam results might have been due to a preoccupation with undergraduate degrees, which has historically made uni leavers more attractive to hirers.

However, experts are becoming more sceptical about the value of including educational qualifications on a job listing. 70% of senior leaders at larger companies say that attending university does not prepare students for the workforce.

Indeed’s research tells a similar story. Of the 1,000 workers surveyed, only 12% said they now have a job that’s related to any of the subjects they took for their A-levels or BTECs. 

As a result, many recruiters are now dumping degrees from job ads in an effort to make room for alternative routes into employment, such as apprenticeships.

Skills trump grades for employers

The Indeed survey also found that 67% of employers say soft skills are more important than educational qualifications in hiring. This suggests that the talents gained from completing A-levels, rather than the final grade received, matters more to today’s employers.

In its CV & Cover Letter Trends Survey, released last month, CV Genius found that 65% of hiring managers now favour skills-based CVs for less experienced candidates.

These kinds of CVs present the person’s skills first, with work history shared underneath. This allows the candidate to highlight sought-after talents such as ability to teamwork and good communication, which they may have learned at school or in a summer job.

The news is welcome for students. When Indeed asked workers who had taken A-levels or BTECs what skills it gave them, problem solving and time management came out on top. 

Danny Stacy, UK Head of Talent Intelligence at Indeed, said: “Students should remember that their studies have equipped them with valuable skills. My advice to those receiving results: take a breath, be proud, and know there are many opportunities ahead.”