First Disney bans the selfie stick, then we’re told not to put them on our CVs. What is Hong Kong coming to?
Young professionals eager to make their mark in the financial landscapes of Hong Kong and Singapore have turned to selfies in order to make their CVs stand out in a sea of applicants, reports EFinancialCareers.com.
As seemingly enticing as this might sound, don’t do it, the site warns.
While the act of placing a traditional headshot on a resume is slowly but surely taking a turn for the obituary, selfie photos are reportedly even more of turn-off for employers, especially if you fail to crop out the arm successfully.
Leaders of Asia’s recruiting industry are lamenting the new trend. Jaya Dass, a director at recruiters Ranstad in Singapore, says, “Often the younger generation now put the same type of selfies into their CVs as they would on social media, with skimpy attire, odd expressions or posture – within a casual or private setting like a bedroom or restaurant.”
Ben Batten, country general manager of recruitment firm Volt in Singapore adds, “A candidate for a finance position in Singapore sent me a picture of her posing against a pole. I really didn’t know what to make of it. That’s the odd thing about many selfies and photos in CVs these days: more and more of them aren’t flattering. People in beach wear, wearing sunglasses, at a bar – how is this supposed to help a job application for a banking role?”
In a multicultural society such as Hong Kong, many recruitment agencies wary of potential accusations of discrimination have implemented a policy to flat out reject resumes with photos.
Randstad states, “It’s illegal to consider factors like age, race, gender, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability status in hiring decisions.”
James Carss, Hong Kong director of recruiters HFG, continues, “Employers in Hong Kong these days never actually request a photograph, so there’s no point including one. When we put a candidate’s CV into our in-house format, we never include a picture.”
Hmmm… looks like you’ll have to get your next job on the merits of your education and experience. Sorry about that.
Photo: Matthew Roth, Wikicommons
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