5 random things you should never include on your CV… ever!
By Amy @BubbleJobs
Thanks to our extensive background in recruitment, here at Bubble it’s fair to say that between us we’ve seen more than our fair share of CVs. Now, while most CVs are pretty standard and play by the rules so to speak, there are some rogue CVs out there that want to rebel against the guidelines when it comes to the Dos and Don’ts.
OK, so the aim of the game is to make your CV stand out from the crowd but there’s a fine line between standing out for a quirky, good reason and standing out for all the wrong reasons. While originality and painting an accurate portrait of yourself is key, there are some random things you should never, under any circumstances, put on your CV.
Forget slagging off your old employers or over-egging your experience, the things we’re talking about missing off your CV are down right odd and unnecessary and are bound to get you attention but for all the wrong reasons. Think we’re making some of these things up? Believe it or not, the following five things are all things we’ve seen on real live candidate CVs over the years. Take note – this is what NOT to include on your CV.
1. Marital status: You’re applying for a job, not a dating site so why would you ever need to put your marital status on your CV? You wouldn’t so why do people do it? This one is actually pretty common and really bugs me – an employer isn’t more or less likely to give you a job if you’re single or married so stop wasting valuable space on your CV with this useless information! Just like the next four, this is one of those things you should definitely strip your CV of before applying for any digital job.
2. Age: Next up is age and this is a pretty tricky one. New laws mean you don’t have to put your age of date of birth on your CV but may people still do – why? Maybe because they think their age will show they have experience or they are young and enthusiastic. Our tip? Stay away from mentioning your age altogether and just focus on your experience and skills – that way, you won’t give employers the chance to discriminate against your application because of your age! Think your age won’t make a difference? It’s sad to say that while it technically shouldn’t, age can be used as a factor when trying to whittle down candidates so be careful!
3. Physical attributes: Remember I talked before about your CV being for jobs and not dates before? Well, just like marital status, physical attributes are another piece of info which sometimes sneak their way on to CVs instead of dating sites. Why, why, why?! OK, so you might be proud of the fact that you’re a ‘petite blonde’ or a ‘strapping rugby player’ but really, what difference is that going to make to your ability to do the job in question? Unless you’re applying for a modelling position, it’s best to keep your vital statistics well away from your CV!
4. Photo: Now, as a Broadcast Journalism graduate I was always taught that the only way I was only ever going to bag a job in the industry is if I equipped my CV with a professional (ie. expensive!) photo. The result? Well, three years on, in my second major role and yet to pay out for some pricey pics, I think it’s fair to say that was a full-blown lie. OK, so photos on your CV are important if you’re going for a job in front of the camera, but if you’re destined for an office job glued to your computer they’re just unnecessary and can come across as little self-indulgent – not a good look! And let’s be honest, these days employers are going to check out your social media profiles any way so save yourself some money and leave the photo CVs to the models!
5. Blood type: Yep, believe it or not, someone has actually put their blood type on their CV in the past. Why? Who knows! Needless to say, I’m not going to even waste my time explaining why this shouldn’t be a feature on your CV!
About the Author
Amy Edwards Amy Edwards is the SEO Manager for Bubble Jobs. With a strong background in online content and copywriting, Amy is responsible all the on-site and off-site SEO of Bubble Jobs and the Bubble Jobs blog. You can follow her on Twitter here or add her to your circles on Google+ here.
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Hi there. Great website and blog!
It is good to consider what is to be placed on your CV but these points you mentioned don’t necessarily apply to everywhere in the world. For example in some countries like in the Middle East where there is no anti discrimination laws, employers discriminate all the time based on age and marital status. The stigma that a young person is less experienced or that a married person is not fit for a high travel job still exists here.
If they are not placed on the CV it is a guarantee that one is asked by the recruiter or later in the interview stage.
Hi Karim,
Thanks for the comment. That’s really interesting – I didn’t know that anti-discrimination laws still existed in the Middle East :S