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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask for the worst CV's you've ever seen?!

620 replies

Isitgiroday · 29/01/2021 10:27

About to pimp my CV prior to a career change after almost a decade in the same industry - looking for tips and hints of what to avoid!

OP posts:
Triphazards · 30/01/2021 12:52

@Gwenhwyfar

"they can get someone to check the letter before sending it in"

You're discriminating against children whose parents are less educated or less hands-on here.

I daresay, but the purpose of recruitment is not to do favours for children of illiterate parents, or indeed for anyone other than the firm.
SchrodingersImmigrant · 30/01/2021 12:57

@Gwenhwyfar

"they can get someone to check the letter before sending it in"

You're discriminating against children whose parents are less educated or less hands-on here.

That's what school is here for. If students ask to have it check teachers and other staff will help. There is also a free spell check, free grammar check etc online.

It's not discrimination.

TheOrchidKiller · 30/01/2021 12:59

Please do not type the entire thing in block caps. It makes it difficult to read.

Also, if an application form asks why you think you are suitable for the job please don't list the degrees you got from uni & leave it at that. It smacks of arrogance.

EmmanuelleMakro · 30/01/2021 12:59

Just chortling at these -especially the unexplained ‘life sentence’ gap Grin

daisypond · 30/01/2021 13:00

@Gwenhwyfar

"they can get someone to check the letter before sending it in"

You're discriminating against children whose parents are less educated or less hands-on here.

Most children aren’t applying for jobs, though. The education or involvement of adult jobseekers’ parents is irrelevant.
MrsNewtS · 30/01/2021 13:05

Which is why I also suggested that teachers should be checking their students work

MrsNewtS · 30/01/2021 13:07

Sorry. That was to Gwenhwyfar. I do understand where you are coming from but letting kids assume that these things don’t matter is not doing them any favours. It does matter, especially if you are looking to become a professional.

InTheDrunkTank · 30/01/2021 13:10

Oh My god I forgot the absolute worst. It was for a reasonably competitive role (salary of around £100k). Someone specifically mentioned that they'd left their last job because they'd behaved inappropriately with a secretary but it was OK because they'd learned their lesson and "grown" since then. It was all written very casually.

Crampon · 30/01/2021 13:13

@boredinthouseGrin

EmmanuelleMakro · 30/01/2021 13:22

had a friend once apply for a job via a London Head Office (long before google linked in etc where you can now find out about the person recruiting) and showed me her application. I recognised the name as that of my uni ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend before me.
So my friend went into the interview - she is foreign so when as ice/ breaker, the interviewer asked her about her travels etc in the UK and my friend was able to wax lyrical about Worcester which mightily pleased the interviewer. (My friend had never been there but we researched it as I knew the interviewer was from there) She also referred to being the eldest of four children (job was a travel company in s holidsy resort) -she wasn’t but the interviewer was, and was mightily pleased Grin
Ease of internet research now has taken the fun out of it Grin

KatherineJaneway · 30/01/2021 13:22

Help anyone - got 7 rejections so far jobs - admin/clerical in NHS - getting disheartened!
4 interviews - no success - is it my age I am 52 female with no previous medical experience but over 3o years secretarial/admin for private firms ie Solicitors/Accountants - but want to work within NHS - help!

@tillyandmilly

Have you asked for feedback? I tried to get an NHS job once but because I had not had a medical based job before I was rejected as they wanted someone who understood medical terms and language.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 30/01/2021 13:24

@InTheDrunkTank

Oh My god I forgot the absolute worst. It was for a reasonably competitive role (salary of around £100k). Someone specifically mentioned that they'd left their last job because they'd behaved inappropriately with a secretary but it was OK because they'd learned their lesson and "grown" since then. It was all written very casually.
I raise you the one related to "playing around with expenses"

Keeping it vague for obvious reasons, but you can imagine!

Gwenhwyfar · 30/01/2021 13:27

"Most children aren’t applying for jobs, though. The education or involvement of adult jobseekers’ parents is irrelevant."

Daisy, you didn't understand my comment. It was in reply to someone talking about work experience children and how they should get their parents to help them.

psychomath · 30/01/2021 13:33

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

Online application forms help protect the company. When I was recruiting you'd have admin access but also recruiting access. The latter never allowed you to see any personal details about the candidate, not even their name. That is so no one could claim bias when shortlisting applications.

gets funny when a bad agency submit details of a candidate without telling them
and the candidate actually works there 😂

twisting details a bit, but that has happened in real life!

Oh... oh no BlushGrin
PlumFuzz · 30/01/2021 13:33

I assume that was for me? I don't know anything about programmers, I'd hate to make a judgement on their skills or their personalities.

@Snoringmutt, yeah, it was! Grin. If you judged were nerdy, you’d be right! Many programmers would list programming as their hobby!

To be perfectly honest if I found 5 suitable candidates - we'd be so utterly delighted, we'd probably hire all of them

This was 2008, right at the start of the credit crunch, so there was a glut of well qualified applicants. Probably wouldn’t happen now. Or maybe would cos Corona!

and no one would be looking anywhere near their interests. grin

TBF, my ‘hobby’ is pretty standout (and also outing, so I won’t say what it is exactly) and also shows off a lot of transferable skills such as perseverance, planning etc so it’s not entirely irrelevant. If I said it was that I had walked solo from Patagonia to Colombia and then from New York to LA, that would be ballpark (just given myself the idea to do this! Wink)

SirGawain · 30/01/2021 13:41

@AlCalavicci

Keep it short , I dont need to know your life history , I had a chap applying for a part time cleaning job that gave me all of his work history for the past 30 something years and his school education ( not collage or uni just school ) Only explain what you did in your pervious job if it is relevant to the job you are applying for . Get someone else to read it through and listen to there thoughts on it . Dont inc your photo , age , kids / DH , If you do want to / are asked to include interest outside work be honest , I had some saying things like scuba diving, horse riding , etc but when I have asked them it is obvious they have no knowledge of the interests. Keep interest brief , if you like knitting I dont need to know whos jumper you made last
If one with as many errors as this post has came across my desk it would be straight into the bin.
Snoringmutt · 30/01/2021 13:48

@PlumFuzz I am honestly not trying to diminish your achievements, I know several of dh's colleagues, a few of my friends who have done similar things - most not alone though - although one has. We have one of our colleagues just itching to take off since last January but has been prevented from going anywhere due to the pandemic. It still wouldn't factor at all in our discussions.

Despite the pandemic - or probably because of it - talent is thin on the ground - those in a good job are staying put. From what I hear the pandemic has certainly not had a negative impact on programmers - quite the opposite.

UnderperformingSeal · 30/01/2021 13:55

@Iknowwhatudidlastsummer

Online application forms help protect the company. When I was recruiting you'd have admin access but also recruiting access. The latter never allowed you to see any personal details about the candidate, not even their name. That is so no one could claim bias when shortlisting applications.

gets funny when a bad agency submit details of a candidate without telling them
and the candidate actually works there 😂

twisting details a bit, but that has happened in real life!

It nearly happened to me! One agent rang me to discuss putting me forward for a position opening at the company I was trying to leave.
Hammyhamster92 · 30/01/2021 13:58

Some one applied for a job at our work saying how much they had managed to deal with a client whilst needing the toilet as an example of "multitasking."

DoTheNextRightThing · 30/01/2021 14:03

Someone who wrote their life story at the top of the CV, including the time they were shot. Not in the military or anything, just shot in their daily life. I mean, sorry you went through that but I'm not sure it's relevant to the role?

DoTheNextRightThing · 30/01/2021 14:03

@Hammyhamster92

Some one applied for a job at our work saying how much they had managed to deal with a client whilst needing the toilet as an example of "multitasking."
HAHAHA
Ellmau · 30/01/2021 14:09

I once received a CV in which the applicant declared they were fully up to date with all their vaccinations

Ahead of their time.

EmmanuelleMakro · 30/01/2021 14:19

What would you have liked to see? "I hate books, so a job that involves persuading members of the public to remove them from the building would suit me fine." ??
Grin
I love this thread!!!!

ddl1 · 30/01/2021 14:19

I once received a CV in which the applicant declared they were fully up to date with all their vaccinations

Well, it could be relevant to some jobs!

Snoringmutt · 30/01/2021 14:35

One of my friends used to list "cottaging" as one of his hobbies.
He meant staying in country cottages at the weekend - it was an embarrassingly long time before he realised there was an alternative meaning to the word.