To ask for the biggest CV fails you've come across?

NNNNOOOOOOOO... 😂

Not a CV, but in a personal statement on an application for a university course in a science subject: 'During my gap year, I hope to study astronomy or astrology'.

I forgot to mention that the same person whose CV I had helped with had included her email address, which would sometimes be fine, but hers included her nickname. Nothing wrong with her nickname when taken literally but it is a word that also indicates she smokes a particular drug. She absolutely doesn't but hadn't thought of that when she included it.

Sounds about the standard of utter contempt for applicants demonstrated by most recruiters.

I remember one where the applicant did not mention that they had been a Police officer.

The pp about throwing all the CVs in the air reminds me of the "Top Tip:"

"Avoid hiring unlucky people by dumping half of the CVs before reading any."

Oh no! There's some kind of hobby cut off point in life. I wish someone had told me 🤣

I've seen sports and extracurricular activities in CVs from candidates aged 40+! That always gets me :)
Why?

We had one in which the 'previous employment' list started with:

Soldier of fortune ([year-year])

They'd actually worked for a magazine of that name, but it caused a moment of consternation.

I worked at the Argos up the London Road for a bit...

Not mine.

In the days when people were asked to provide written applications together with a cover letter I did actually provide feedback to one candidate that using writing paper with flowers on it might not be entirely appropriate for job-seeking.

It is a language difference and not suitable for an English editor post.
It’s a good way to spot if people really have C2 English skills. We do prefer English mother tongue but it’s not always possible.

Maybe she was spoiling for a fight?

It wasn't a CV mistake but a secretary at my firm - huge, global, serious, hierarchical corporate organisation - was arranging a meeting with the massive bigwigs from across the world.

Up to a point she'd been liaising with these bigwigs' secretaries but now she had to send the agenda email to all the actual bigwigs themselves. She triple checked that email before she sent it. Confident that there were no errors, she sent it.

In it, she confirmed that the meeting would be held under Queensbury Rules 😂😂😂😂

She meant Chatham House Rule.

a good 25% must truly not want to work, they are complete crap

Do people need to make job applications to keep their benefits? If so, that might be the case for some of them. I'm not benefits bashing, I believe most people on benefits deserve them, but this wouldn't be completely unheard of. Even genuine jobseekers might be forced to make up the numbers if there just aren't enough jobs that they genuinely want, and in that position I wouldn't waste any extra time or energy on the application.

I'm reviewing CV's at the minute and a good 25% must truly not want to work, they are complete crap. One in particular spent half the first paragraph of her CV describing how she enjoys making vegetable smoothies with her children. Wtf that has to do with a junior financial role I don't know.

Properly laughed at the killer whale though 🤣

I work in science publishing and lots of places have house style to use 5 g, or 5g or 5<thin space>g. I wouldn't count this as wrong unless it was an editor/copywriter and they had been given a house style.

Omg that is hilarious 🤣 Did you at least get an interview?

I sent a recipe for mango and king prawn curry once instead of attaching my CV.
Dragged the wrong pdf onto my email and hit send without checking like a prat.

😅🤣. Although you could be doing some level of security check whilst shitting.

years ago I applied for a job through an agent, he provided my cv to the employer but in his wisdom decided to edit it first to make it more role specific. He did not tell me this!
The interviewer left me in an empty room with a red pen and asked me to circle every error ‘I’ had made. I was so embarrassed until I saw the version she had. Luckily I had an original hard copy in my bag so I was able to demonstrate that a) I could spot the errors and b) I didn’t make them. I also told them I didn’t have the experience that had been added. I did get the job but I was furious with the idiot who did it. He nearly cost me a job. She only interviewed me because she knew my brother!
I’ve tried to cut people a bit of slack since… they may not be the source of the idiocy..

We've had some bonkers applicants for advertised jobs too though.

1. A secretarial job requiring audio typing skills - application from a guy with no secretarial experience who earned his money as a DJ (perhaps wearing earphones for both roles was seen as the minimum skill required?)
2. Professional role based in the London suburbs, very clearly listed as an on site job. Application from a wildly underqualified candidate in Saudi Arabia who made it clear he had no intention of moving to the UK then got offended when we said thanks but no thanks!

I read one in which the sender claimed to have spent "three years in a collage".

😂😂😂That just made me laugh out loud!

Not me or even a C.V, but an ex colleague of mine sent me a link to his website for his new consultancy business. Included in his list of expertise was proof reading. His web site was full of spelling and grammatical errors. As well as inconsistencies in type face, use of logos etc. I felt like a teacher going through it with a red pen. He was mortified when I emailed him back with a list of changes he needed to make. I jokingly sent him an invoice for proof reading with his going rate.

@JohnSt1

It's not common practice to put hobbies etc in a CV. This is even more true for older candidates, who should hopefully have enough experience that they wouldn't be able to fit it in anyway!

It also opens up the door for bias/discrimination. If you put Manchester United in there and they support Arsenal... or you like fishing and they were cheated on by Captain Birdseye.