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

[Kidulthood2027]

Have just realised I've been sending off a CV with a sentence that reads "I undertook regular security checks of the hotel during evening shits." I had meant to say "shifts". I thought I had proofread the CV thoroughly before sending it off, but clearly not enough. I was wondering why I was receiving so little interest for basic retail/food service jobs. Absolutely mortified. Any stories to make me feel better? Can be from you or from CVs you have reviewed during your working life.

It is. It’s perfectly fine.

A friend once sent a Star Trek fanfic instead of her cv. The covering email said something like “I hope the attached will explain about my skills and experience will make me suitable for the job”. Unfortunately the job she was applying for didn’t involve piloting the Enterprise…

I think this is what is blatantly overlooked by the people who chastise those who include hobbies and interests on their CVs.

It's all well and good when you're 55 and have years of solid, auditable experience under your belt, but everybody has to start somewhere. Knowing that a school-leaver has a keen passion for a productive pastime, or the discipline to attend regular training for a team activity, are very positive facts that shouldn't just be ignored, purely because a 16yo hasn't yet had the chance to become a chartered accountant or CEO of a SME.

It's all about the stage of life you're at, and absolutely not your fault or anything you can possibly change. It's why everybody so keenly wants to know a baby's sex, birth weight, birth time and name - because they obviously haven't yet had an opportunity to do anything groundbreakingly original or exciting.

To be honest, I wonder if this is the same message that makes the candidates on The Apprentice feel pressured to 'embellish' their workplace achievements, to the absurd extent that they claim 14 years in a senior management role when they're still only 25!

I don’t read hobbies on a cv - I couldn’t care less what you do as a hobby. I get why 16 year olds would put it in their CVs but I don’t interview 16 year olds.

That is fantastic 😂

I was advised not to put DOB on a CV but my first job was 1972 so it could easily be guessed

A friend once sent a Star Trek fanfic instead of her cv.

Maybe if the recruiter read it they might have been inspired to explore strange new worlds and boldly go where they had never thought of going before. Some fanfic goes to very strange places, and in sci fi almost anything goes.

Years and years ago when I was in HR someone had written under ethnicity 'born in Scotland of Scottish parents'. I could feel the pride.

That's great for you; but other recruiters will be interested to see what hobbies potential employees have - even if it's just something like golf, so they can schmooze the boss/important clients on the golf course; or baking, in the hope that they will bring in regular Friday treats!

It's extremely unlikely that your hobby/interest alone will win you the job, but if you're one of several equally-good candidates with the same qualifications and experience and nothing else between you, sharing a passion with the boss might just tip it in your favour.

They may not actually invite you to come to an interview in person, but they could still give you the job if they believe that they've felt your presence anyway!

This is why I title the employment section on my CV as 'Recent Employment' and include only the last ~15 years (unless its an application form specifically asking for full employment history).

But then if they were to try and work out my age via employment dates, first job + 15 years would put me in prime potential maternity leave category anyway, so I'm not sure that's any less likely to be discriminated against than 'we think she's past it' age if the employer is inclined toward discrimination.

It's a bloody minefield!

Talk of hobbies reminds me of the job advert that supposedly appeared for a Sheffield steelworks in the heyday of the works brass bands:
Wanted, trombone player. Ability to operate capstan lathe an advantage.

Business is not done on the golf course - our clients don't care that you can play golf either - interests are diverse - seriously baking for Friday treats? I think one of the great things about our team is that everyone is into different things - it's interesting - and occasionally it's impressive but sometimes a commitment to a hobby has caused us to drop a candidate - their training schedule came across as being the no 1 thing in their lives - we didn't want that battle.

It surprises me how many people have frivolous voicemail messages, even if nowhere near as bad as you quote.

I've heard several along the lines of 'I'm not available to take your call because I'm doing something much more exciting'. It may be true, but what message does that send to people calling you, even friends?

😂😂😂 a so-called 'gaydar'

Isn’t that just to Che k that it’s read properly by the person 🤣

I screened an application form (for a job as a doctor) which said “I was asked to leave my previous training scheme for poor performance, and have been unemployed ever since” - admirable honesty, still ended up in the bin.

I once signed off a professional email with kind regards, except I had accidentally wrote a T instead of a G in regards.

Not only do I think the word is absolutely abhorrent, but as it was at the end of the email and I was typing so fast I clicked send pretty much as the same time as I realised.

A massive apology email was sent afterwards. I usually proof read, I don't know what made me skip it that day!

Don't feel bad - hobbies and life-experiences like that are very relevant and helpful for a younger person who hasn't yet had the opportunity to build career experiences. They give a good idea of character and experiences. What you've put is impressive to prospective employers looking at a field of candidates aged around 16. I think where it falls flat is where someone has had 20 - 30 years in the workplace but skims over that and flags hobbies in its place.

Best wishes to your DS in his job hunt; I hope he finds something he enjoys.

When I was really into water skiing, diving etc

I said that I enjoy watersports in my hobbies and interests patagraph.....not till years later did I know the other meaning of being into watersports

I had a BEAUTY back in the mid 2000’s in finance recruitment!! A man attached a photo of himself in a car with his seat belt on and the tag line was “fasten your seatbelt and get ready for the ride of your life”
the whole office was in hysterics and … to be honest his CV was not the ride of (our) my life! But it was famous in our company!

Absolutely on both counts. When I worked in recruitment I could spot the folks applying purely to meet a requirement for staying on benefits a mile off after a while. I was extremely wary of anyone that didn't have a hobbies/interests section on their CV - as it often meant that they didn't have any, and when you're working in a stressful role ways of decompressing/relaxing outside of work are essential imho.

I had one where they clearly used a template and as per their CV their was "Name Lastname", email "[email protected]" and phone number "00000000000" .... They didn't get the job

I find bullet points can be good. Showing you can be concise and they get a lot of info in one place. Some people are put off by huge paragraphs.
Also please don’t say you work well independently and in a team, you’re punctual, hardworking etc. These should go without saying and it’s quite boring to read. Tell the reader how you can do the job!

😂