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

People will put anything on their CV that makes them stand out from the pack.
This can't be news to you?

it would only be an issue if it was compulsory to include hobbies and interests, surely?

If they are optional, people can still gain unfair advantage by including them.

Imagine 2 people apply to a company known to be somewhat stuffy, sexist and elitist: one puts down polo and member of the Garrick, the other leaves the optional field blank. Is the privately educated man more likely to get an interview than the woman with equal experience and qualifications who went to state school?

Not a CV one but something I read at work today. Email about a new till spit that is coming to push people to use a loyalty card.

'It will read "You could of saved XXX blah blah"'

I really really hope it doesnt actually say that, and I am mortified for the person who wrote the email as it was sent as a full company document!

Just remembered one more. A CV from a young man whose contact email address was "[email protected]".

Yes, I can see that, but it would only be an issue if it was compulsory to include hobbies and interests, surely?

Early 2000s. Two young blokes came into our office and handed their CVs in for the same job. The CVs were completely identical, apart from the names! Obviously there was one person reviewing all the applications, so I don't understand how they thought we wouldn't notice!

Yes lovey I did! It was an error caused by being in a hurry to catch the post, having been distracted by the phone back in the olden days of paper applications. I did get the job, taught a major subject up to A level and got in trouble with the English lot who said we were more strict on spelling than they were.

Hobbies can reveal - or be interpreted as revealing - socieoeconomic background and various protected characteristics. The assumptions made about someone mentioning riding and lacrosse will not be the same as those about someone who lists boxing and rap.

Even if they don't give away specifics, including them can encourage cultural uniformity and employing PLU rather than recruiting purely on skills and experience.

"Was giving it big about how much she loved White Stuff and demonstrating her company knowledge, to then wonder why she didn't hear anything as ticked all the boxes, then she realised she had actually applied for the White Company!"

Someone I know turned up for an interview at a women's sex shop named "Shh" and was confused to find they knew nothing about it
Eventually she worked out that she actually supposed to be interviewing at a Kebab restaurant named "Shish".
She'd applied for both and was offered the interview over the phone.
She had to turn up for the interview with the Kebab place dressed in the outfit she'd picked out for the sex shop.
She didn't get the job .

An application for a head of English addressed to 'The Principle'.

I once received a cv from an applicant for a junior office administrator role and his opening line was “I really need a job as I got my girlfriend pregnant”.
I did feel a pang of sympathy for him but oh dear…

Last year I interviewed someone for a senior role whose cv at the top said “senior executive positions held at [pharma co], [tech co], Uber, [another tech co]”

except it turns out when I drilled in that Uber was doing Uber Eats food deliveries during the pandemic when he’d lost his tech exec job. Absolutely no shame in that whatsoever, full respect for doing what it takes. But a senior executive position at the company it absolutely is not.

In 2012 the college I worked out put up giant posters all over saying "OUR NEW WESBITE IS NOW LIVE"

It made me laugh because I thought of Pam from Gavin and Stacey 'with the big pen'.

I hardly ever put down my hobbies and interests now as quite honestly with 3 kids and working F/T I don't have time for any.

If there is a section on a form, I'll just put that I enjoy swimming ( I do, but it only happens about once every 3 years), play Bassoon (I did and can but haven't had one in possession for about 10 years) and enjoy drawing (I 'enjoy' it but can't actually draw). So most of it is bullshit anyway.

@hairbearbunches spat my tea out 🤣

Laughed at the irony of that for far longer than I should have

@Whatifthehokeycokey wow, a time traveller. Better snap them up before someone else does!

Discrimination? Can you elaborate?

I would totally interview you.

Not a c.v but on an application form I read someone had mentioned they had a holiday booked from 28th Aug to the 33rd Aug. Made me chuckle.

Was that a “ hand -written job application form” or a “ hand-job written application form? “

Not CV but I have signed various work emails with:

Best Reggae,

Mira

A woman whose CV consisted of a convoluted and quite sweet handwritten explanation that she had never worked but at her advanced time of life(her words), she had been encouraged to find a ‘little job’. She went on to say that her husband had decided that she would make a good secretary so could she please apply for our PA role supporting the board.
A young man who listed his hobbies as ‘single handedly rescuing Patagonian villagers from the clutches of cartels armed with only a Swiss Army knife and a local chicken’. When asked why, he said no one ever reads that far but so he wanted to see if anyone spotted his little joke.

Was recruiting for a part qualified accountant, years ago, pre internet. Worked for a national tabloid newspaper, and the proprietor decided that all roles had to be advertised in the paper - resulted in a super high volume of applications, mostly rubbish.
The highlight was when my PA who was sifting for me held one up and said "look at this" It was hard to decipher, hand-written in pencil, on a sheet from one of those jotter pads bound at the top. It basically said little more than "I want this job". I replied Great, can't wait to see the CV, only for PA to tell me that the letter was it, no CV.
Unfortunately they'd forgotten to include an address or phone number, so we couldn't reply.

I worked in South Korea for a few years when I'd finished my degree.
You needed to have a degree, smile and most importantly a photo which showed you as fairly young (under 30), blonde/light hair, preferably blue eyes and white skin. That photo would be key to getting the job.
This was some years ago so hopefully things have changed.

If you didn't send a photo with your application, they'd ask for one straight away.