Is it wanky to put my photo on my cv?

[TheoriginalLEM]

I needed to quickly do a cv for a job interview that i have already secured.

So to prompt myself to include everything in some sort if order i used a template from word. I normally just do a plain document. Anyway the document came together well and there was space for a photo. I take a terrible picture so its definately not vanity, but the picture shows me at work looking happy and its very relevant to the post.

Two questions.

1. Are they going to think im lazy using the template (i was a bit) and will i stand out for the wrong reasons?

1. I now have my cv written out so could effectively ping it out to jobs im half interested in. Do i leave the pic/template or do i go back to sober cv?

Yabu - wanker
Yanbu - will stand out positively

A photo is the norm in so many countries that it wouldnt bother me at all if a CV had a professional head and shoulders photo on it.
I did get a CV recently with a pretty printed border all round it....wasnt thrilled with it.

I'd it's a job in modelling or porn, then yes. Anything else, it's a big no.

I hit too early. Instead of preview...

So with all taht bs on linkedin I think wedding dress/cycling/salsa/mine visit pics are the least of problems. Actually fit in there

it's just the UK which is a bit old fashioned about using a photo

Its not about being old fashioned its about trying to avoid bias in recruiting. Its difficult enough to reduce bias without using photos to reinforce recruitment of 'people like us'.

@FTMF30

It depends on what industry you are working in. Many creative industries appreciate a photo and it's not to admire someone's beauty. It's to bring the CV to life and show the person behind the application.

You also certainly wouldn't stand out using a template. Byt again, this is industry specific.

Ah yes you say that but... one of the roles is quasi creative. And I have zero interest in carefully posed shots of 'pretty girls' though they seem to think I do. It's not industry specific it's that a lot of younger women do these roles and are so used to leading with their looks. They are used to going to the top of the pile/front of the queue based on the way they look but really I just want someone smart and willing to do the job well.

It does bring it to life - but also introduces bias if the person hiring is male. I think we need to stop being so lookist and just hire people based on how good they are and how well they fit. I see a company entirely made up of good looking young women and wonder if it's really possible that there were no less glamorous women who also could have done that job.

But then I'm a bit old school like that

It's not old fashioned, it's to avoid bias. See pp above who stated that a bunch of cvs with pics 'gave an impression of what the person was like.' No, it gave an impression of what the person looked like and that's not something you should be basing a hiring decision on.

MMN I can see where you're coming from regarding discrimination, however he is hardly responsible for that happening, if a recruiter is going to discriminate they'll do so anyway at interview stage if not before. It's more often than not easy to tell a person's race, nationality, sex and approximate age from the info on the C.V.
That said, I think the photo thing is ridiculous. However a well formatted C.V. clearly helps.

I don't think it's old fashioned not wanting pics. If anything the opposite. It's great that you can't be put on a no/yes pile because of your face. I am no wicked witch, nor am I Heidi Klum, in my opinion just nothing special face but still. It's good to know my face has nothing to do with getting or not getting interview.

Just to say I don't bin cvs with photos! I just ignore the ones where they have clearly tried to present themselves as gorgeous. I'm getting linked in applications too (Always has a photo) and the photos on that are ones that you would expect on tinder.

Don't get me wrong my linked in pic is not awful and I definitely want it to look good. But it's a very fine line.. so pouting is out, sexy is out.

But photos on cvs also introduce racist bias which I'm not comfortable with.

I wouldn't add a photo, they'll find out what you look like when interviewing you, but if you do decide to, please don't do what a colleague did and add photo of you posing in lingerie by double bed....... for an admin job....... honestly......

The cv stage is very much the screening stage. So you might not get through if the person hiring is male and everyone else is beautiful. Once you are there the hiring on looks is slightly less prevalent.

But I worked with men for YEARS and saw a lot of men that just co incidentally always had good looking PAs and admin staff. Let's not pretend it doesn't happen and let's not male it even easier for them. It's very disingenuous of great looking girls (and I'm not bad myself) to pretend that every opportunity that comes their way does do because they are so amazingly clever. All those middle aged men hanging on your every word do do because of the pearls of wisdom falling from your mouth.

Cvs with photos would have just sped that up I guess. But still. It is 2020. At least an interview gives you more of a fighting chance to be hired in your merits rather than looks.

The only time it's acceptable to include photos is if you're an actor, and they're headshots.

Or, if it's a marketing CV for clients. Not a CV for employers.

For the love of god do not put a photo on your cv

Didn't realise it's important to add a link, to your linked in profile ,on a cv. Will mention this to the kids.

Yes.

When I was recruiting, I didn't mind about templates or photos. If I'm going to end up checking LinkedIn then I'm going to see what you look like so having the photo on the CV makes no difference. Good luck!

@Jeremyironsnothing it's not. That's what the search function on linked in is for. Otherwise that's just another way to add a photo indirectly.

And linked in! No pouting, girls! Please! You may have a great cv but if I see a seductive linked in photo or it looks filtered it's 'next!'

In my work (academia) I would say about 50% of CVs have photos. It is definitely the done thing in mainland Europe, and many other countries. Most of the UK ones don't have photos. In an international recruitment market it's fine. It would be madness to throw away a CV just because of a photo. Spelling mistakes - that definitely gets binned. No care and attention to detail.

I don't know if it's wanky, but it's contrary to pretty much every piece of jobseeking advice going because it gives people an opportunity to discriminate against you.

That said, if you've already been asked for interview it's less of an issue (but if you've already been asked for interview, I'm not sure you need to stand out positively - the purpose of the CV is to make it through the interview sift.)

You might find this thread from a couple of months ago interesting. It has lots of recruiters on it discussing common CV mistakes.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3954013-Terrible-CVs

Don't include the photo.

It's not about not being a wanker its just inappropriate. It creates headaches for recruitment people on the grounds of their need to be careful of anything discriminatory.

Use the template but don't use the photo. I've only ever seen one CV with a photo and it put me right off the guy (mostly because it looked like some kind of wanky headshot you'd put on an actor's CV). He was as insufferable in interview as the photo suggested.

Super strange OP sorry. I always cringe when people attach photos to CV's sent to me. I can look at LinkedIn if I wanted to see what they looked like - I never have

It gave an immediate impression of who the person was and helped create the short-list

Well, exactly. That's why it's bad.

I have come across a few CV's over the last few years and a number of them have got pictures. To be honest this shouldn't have an impact but unconsciously it may do, and to be honest I don't think I would do it myself.
Saying that once you are up for the interview stage, there is a good change they have Facedbooked you anyway

No photo!

I'm in a European country and photos are expected on CVs. I absolutely hate it. I'm butt ugly and I'm self-employed. Go figure...
I really wish they would get rid of the photos here because they definitely do discriminate on grounds of race. But then again, they can tell by the name (or at list make an assumption) what the person's background might be.
If you look around in this country you'd be very very hard pressed to find someone black or asian or from Eastern Europe in a professional role.

Why do they need to see a photo beforehand if it's not to make a judgement as to whether they like the look of the person or not?