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Do you ever recommend that the resume writer puts his/her picture on the resume? It struck me as really odd when Linkedin started to encourage this, as I was to

Do you ever recommend that the resume writer puts his/her picture on the resume? It struck me as really odd when Linkedin started to encourage this, as I was told ages ago that a photo on your resume will get it thrown out instantly because it opens up the potential employer to discrimination.

jgtrosh 7y ago
Depends on the accepted practices. For example in France it's always welcome (AFAIK).
- walshemj 7y ago
  That is Problematic on so many grounds. I am surprised the EU hasn't banned that on discrimination grounds.
  - jaclaz 7y ago
    As a matter of fact the "standard" EU CV (so called Europass) has the photo "field" : https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/about-europass https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/about-europass (with a recommendation to check whether it is allowed in the specific destination country): >Add your photo only if required. Check local provisions in the country where you intend to send your CV.
  - NikkiA 7y ago
    As someone with a visible 'disability', I wish it would.
- tluyben2 7y ago
  In Portugal I have not received any without a picture on it. It does not help.
  - BubRoss 7y ago
    It does not help what? How would you know?
    - tluyben2 7y ago
      Because I review those resumes for our company and, as others have said here, it adds bias even if you don't want to. That does not help.
- seanmcdirmid 7y ago
  Europe and Asia generally require photographs, America generally requires no photographs.
  - rsynnott 7y ago
    It’s more granular than just ‘Europe’. Having a picture would be pretty weird in Ireland, say.
    - Silhouette 7y ago
      In the UK, too. I've heard lawyers advising a policy of blanket-discarding CVs with attached photos to avoid any possibility of discrimination during screening stages (though I don't know whether this is because of a specific law or just their judgement regarding minimising risk).
fecak 7y ago
As others have said, it depends on the country. For my US clients I never add a photo, but I will offer to add a LinkedIn URL at the top. The ability for the reader to view your profile (and photo) can help them to understand that this is a real person, and my guess is it's harder for most people to say 'no' to someone they have seen (of course this is assuming several things about each party).
RealityVoid 7y ago
> it opens up the potential employer to discrimination. This argument never seemed to hold any water for me. Ok, most cases of "discrimination lawsuit" were because people were discriminated negatively, not positively. Wouldn't discarding the resume _because it has a picture_ have the exact result that the person discriminated person complained of? If that is so, it seems NOT accepting the resume would open you to lawsuits, not accepting it. Yet, I don't see a lot of fuss being made about job-seekers claiming discrimination because of CV pictures out there.
- erikpukinskis 7y ago
  “People who put pictures on their resumes” are not a protected class.
  - RealityVoid 7y ago
    Yes, but "black people" is and you can easily extract that form a picture. Outright removing the CV because of the picture, regardless of reason, can be argued that you _actually_ did that because of being a protected class. Of course, it's probably easier if you can prove that you discard _all_ CV's with pictures anyways. But have some exceptions go through and you might get screwed. Regardless, if you don't have a clearly stated policy of dismissing CV's with pictures, it just feels like an asshole move, frankly.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
      Of course, it's probably easier if you can prove that you discard _all_ CV's with pictures anyways That's exactly why it's done.

jgtrosh 7y ago

Depends on the accepted practices. For example in France it's always welcome (AFAIK).

walshemj 7y ago
That is Problematic on so many grounds. I am surprised the EU hasn't banned that on discrimination grounds.
- jaclaz 7y ago
  As a matter of fact the "standard" EU CV (so called Europass) has the photo "field" : https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/about-europass https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/about-europass (with a recommendation to check whether it is allowed in the specific destination country): >Add your photo only if required. Check local provisions in the country where you intend to send your CV.
- NikkiA 7y ago
  As someone with a visible 'disability', I wish it would.
tluyben2 7y ago
In Portugal I have not received any without a picture on it. It does not help.
- BubRoss 7y ago
  It does not help what? How would you know?
  - tluyben2 7y ago
    Because I review those resumes for our company and, as others have said here, it adds bias even if you don't want to. That does not help.
seanmcdirmid 7y ago
Europe and Asia generally require photographs, America generally requires no photographs.
- rsynnott 7y ago
  It’s more granular than just ‘Europe’. Having a picture would be pretty weird in Ireland, say.
  - Silhouette 7y ago
    In the UK, too. I've heard lawyers advising a policy of blanket-discarding CVs with attached photos to avoid any possibility of discrimination during screening stages (though I don't know whether this is because of a specific law or just their judgement regarding minimising risk).

fecak 7y ago

As others have said, it depends on the country. For my US clients I never add a photo, but I will offer to add a LinkedIn URL at the top. The ability for the reader to view your profile (and photo) can help them to understand that this is a real person, and my guess is it's harder for most people to say 'no' to someone they have seen (of course this is assuming several things about each party).

RealityVoid 7y ago

> it opens up the potential employer to discrimination. This argument never seemed to hold any water for me. Ok, most cases of "discrimination lawsuit" were because people were discriminated negatively, not positively. Wouldn't discarding the resume _because it has a picture_ have the exact result that the person discriminated person complained of? If that is so, it seems NOT accepting the resume would open you to lawsuits, not accepting it. Yet, I don't see a lot of fuss being made about job-seekers claiming discrimination because of CV pictures out there.

erikpukinskis 7y ago
“People who put pictures on their resumes” are not a protected class.
- RealityVoid 7y ago
  Yes, but "black people" is and you can easily extract that form a picture. Outright removing the CV because of the picture, regardless of reason, can be argued that you _actually_ did that because of being a protected class. Of course, it's probably easier if you can prove that you discard _all_ CV's with pictures anyways. But have some exceptions go through and you might get screwed. Regardless, if you don't have a clearly stated policy of dismissing CV's with pictures, it just feels like an asshole move, frankly.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 7y ago
    Of course, it's probably easier if you can prove that you discard _all_ CV's with pictures anyways That's exactly why it's done.