Resumes and curriculum vitae typically hold a great deal of formatting issues based on the job you are applying for, the industry in which you find yourself, and more. However, rest assured that there are some things that you need to know about across the board when it comes to formatting and creating the perfect CV.

Being Memorable?

One of those things, which is also often times a very common question, is whether or not you should put a picture on a resume or CV. After all, some people think it can help their case if they can show their face on the CV to an employer, and if they can make themselves singled out to be unique and memorable amidst a stack of other resumes instead of getting buried at the pile.

Skills & Experience

However, unless you are working for a career in some kind of entertainment field, it is generally bad form to put a picture on a CV when you hand it out to employers. Employers focus on and care about things like skills, education, experience, and more and they do not care about what you may look like or what you may be in a picture (unless, of course, you have some sort of job application for an on-camera talent position or otherwise face-driven career).

How Can You Help the Business?

Assuming you are just going to work in the business world, it is better to leave your picture off, and instead focus on your skills, past experience, and more. After all, employers want to know exactly what you can do to help their business, and how you can make their business sell more products, make more money, and bring more value to customers.

Avoid Distractions

Pictures of yourself on your CV do not help this end goal of approaching an employer about how you add value to their business, and with many employers, putting things like your picture on your CV can actually hurt you, and function as a distraction. While you do need to read the industry in which you are applying, and analyse whether it may be acceptable in that situation, in most cases the answer is no.

Include Career Goals

Instead of thinking about putting your picture on your CV, focus on how you intend to add value to a company. Include career objectives that specifically relate to that company or corporation, and make it so that you are proving to them how you can add value and make their business money through your hiring. Employers are necessarily concerned about the bottom line: how can you help theirs?

'No' to Pictures, 'Yes' to Skills

Tailor your resume to highlight relevant skills and experience relative to each job you have applied for, and fear not about the picture you do not need it, it will not help you in the hiring process, and in almost all cases, it will only prove to be a completely unnecessary distraction that can actually hurt your chances with some companies and businesses. Dump the picture, and focus on shoring up your skills and abilities to land the job that you want!

RELATED: Forget writing a cover letter, nobody reads it anyway!

 

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