# What would an employer think about a picture of me on my resume? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 1, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675 "2005-07-01T13:10:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/21 "2005-07-01T16:12:43Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > Aaah, so it’s just another result of the litiginous American society? 😉 You’d get exactly the same response in the UK. (Or should do.) A picture makes those short-listing vulnerable to accusations of discrimination, whether by race, looks, height, age, disability, whatever. Some of these are illegal, some against company policy. Those short-listing just don’t need this extra hassle so a photograph would be unwelcome. It’s also likely to make you look either weird or vain. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/22 "2005-07-01T16:29:57Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > In other words, they can be racists as long as I don’t catch on? 😉 Well, that’s not quite what I meant. They shouldn’t be racists at all, and shouldn’t be racists trying to hide it. But the fact of life is that some people are racist and will refuse to hire the most qualified person on the planet if that person is also black/Jewish/female/whatever. I just meant that an employer can refuse to hire you for any reason inside his head but it’s quite possible that you will never know it as long as he keeps his mouth shut. There are certain types of jobs or contracts here too that are earmarked for minorities or women, for example. And many companies will make an active effort to hire them either to make it harder to sue for discrimination, or to make themselves seem more friendly to diverse groups of people. Or because they just want the best people for the job! ---
**Author:** ![Studs\_Murphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Studs\_Murphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studs_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/23 "2005-07-01T16:40:17Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > I see people who do it. I presume they are trying to tell me their race in an inoffensive way. They communicate their race effectively, but not inoffensively. Why would you presume that someone is telling you their race? Are you that bothered about the race of a person you might hire? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/24 "2005-07-01T17:31:22Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > ), so that saves space on your CV. Work experience is also listed very perfunctorily (where and when you worked). All relevant information should be fleshed out in your cover letter. German and Dutch companies pay much more attention to your cover letter than to your CV. “CV”?? ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/25 "2005-07-01T17:34:27Z")
> [@missbunny](#): > > If a company doesn’t want to hire you because you aren’t handsome enough, they are legally free to do it. They can even tell you that’s the reason and there’s not a darn thing you can do. (Most sensible companies won’t do this, just to avoid starting up trouble.) That’s not true, is it? I thought this was specifically prohibited (in California at least) by anti-discrimination laws. [http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/catId/A353C662-F63B-4FB9-8CCC3B667D1711AE/objectId/3B0C0AC5-18D6-4F1F-9D3381722920470D/111/259/231/ART/](http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/catId/A353C662-F63B-4FB9-8CCC3B667D1711AE/objectId/3B0C0AC5-18D6-4F1F-9D3381722920470D/111/259/231/ART/) ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/26 "2005-07-01T17:37:27Z")
At the time that they first look at your resume, they don’t care what you look like. They want to see the right words on the page. Next time they look at it, you’ll be in the room, so they can see your face then if they want to. If you don’t make enough of an impression on them at the interview that they remember what you look like, a picture won’t help, because they’re never going to look at your resume again. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/27 "2005-07-01T17:44:12Z")
> [@Mycroft Holmes](#): > > Aaah, so it’s just another result of the litiginous American society? 😉 … Nah, I realise you were being a bit tongue in cheek, but a photo would be unusual in the U.K. too, and even if we DO tend to follow U.S. ☹ trends, I’m thinking of over 25 years ago - it jsut serves no puprose _unless_ acting/modelling etc. And I have always felt that the only thing a photo is likely to show is racial, ethnic or even general good-looking vs. ugly or whatever characterstics. It doesn’t show anything much about general tidiness or mode of dress becasue anyone can put on a good face for the time it takes to have a photo taken. As for the O.P.'s reference to current technology, well, wouldn’t that tend to make a photo rather _less_ trustworthy than more? I mean, in the days when you could only put a photo on a C.V./resumé by photocopying it, there wasn’t teh same room for deception (oops, “creativity” 🙂 ) as is now offered by Photoshop and similar toys. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/28 "2005-07-01T17:46:15Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “CV”?? Ah, two nations divided by a common language, sort of thing.🙂 “C.V.” or “curruculum vitae” is U.K.-speak for resumé. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/29 "2005-07-01T17:48:47Z")
…only, of course, when I’m not typing with the sun in my eyes, it is spelled “curriculum vitae”. oops. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/30 "2005-07-01T17:50:18Z")
> [@tiltypig](#): > > That’s not true, is it? I thought this was specifically prohibited (in California at least) by anti-discrimination laws. > > [http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/catId/A353C662-F63B-4FB9-8CCC3B667D1711AE/objectId/3B0C0AC5-18D6-4F1F-9D3381722920470D/111/259/231/ART/](http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/catId/A353C662-F63B-4FB9-8CCC3B667D1711AE/objectId/3B0C0AC5-18D6-4F1F-9D3381722920470D/111/259/231/ART/) Handsomeness isn’t a protected class. I don’t see anything in that article that addresses this anyway; am I missing it? It seems to discuss questions that are ill-advised to ask, which have to do with the person’s belonging to a protected class. For the record, it’s not illegal to ask someone “Are you American?” or “Do you have children?” - it’s only illegal _to discriminate_ based upon those answers. But, since it’s very hard for an employer to prove that he asked the questions but didn’t base his hiring on the answers, they just don’t ask the questions in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/31 "2005-07-01T18:26:17Z")
Do not put your picture on your resume. It can be okay on a CV sometimes, especially if you’re well-known or if you’re applying for work that puts you out in front of people (spokesman, model, etc.), but not on a resume. I have reviewed many hundreds of resumes, mostly for technical people, and I’ve never seen a picture on one of them. The picture would make you appear vain. Also, as others mentioned, I usually obscured the names and any information that might reveal gender, marital status, or ethnicity when I circulated resumes for others to look at. I’d just end up removing the picture anyway. > [@missbunny](#): > > For the record, it’s not illegal to ask someone “Are you American?” or “Do you have children?” - it’s only illegal _to discriminate_ based upon those answers. Actually, it’s fine to hire only American citizens - at least it was when I was hiring in the 80s and 90s. I specifically checked on the legality, because we had certain positions we wanted only U.S. citizens in. It is definitely illegal to hire (or not hire) based on whether someone has children. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/32 "2005-07-01T18:34:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, it’s fine to hire only American citizens - at least it was when I was hiring in the 80s and 90s. I specifically checked on the legality, because we had certain positions we wanted only U.S. citizens in. > > It is definitely illegal to hire (or not hire) based on whether someone has children. For certain positions, it may well be that a person must be a U.S. citizen. There are relatively few of those types of jobs, mostly having to do with sensitive security projects or possibly government contracts in which the person would be working on a military installation. (There could be more, but overall, there are very few jobs that require the employee be a U.S. citizen.) For the great majority of jobs, the only requirement is that the person be legally allowed to work in the U.S. It doesn’t matter if that’s because they are citizens or have a green card or the proper visa. it is definitely illegal to hire based on whether a person has children - but it’s not actually illegal to ask them if they have children. It’s just illegal to base the hiring on the answer. So, most employers don’t ask at all. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/33 "2005-07-01T18:53:51Z")
Now that I think about it more closely, “children” are not a protected class either under federal labor regulations. However, sex is. Asking someone if she has children is lumped under the laws against sex discrimination. Or, it could be a way of finding out someone’s religion - lots of children might equal Catholic. But “children” by itself isn’t protected. The federal protected classes are: age (if over 40), race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and disability. Some states expand their own discrimination laws to include marital status or other factors. “Children” _is_ a protected class under the Federal Fair Housing Act; a person cannot refuse to rent to someone who has children except under a few exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/34 "2005-07-01T20:18:39Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Do not put your picture on your resume. It can be okay on a CV sometimes, especially if you’re well-known or if you’re applying for work that puts you out in front of people (spokesman, model, etc.), but not on a resume. Maybe I’m missing something, but aren’t \*resume \* and \*CV \* just two ways of saying the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/35 "2005-07-01T20:42:05Z")
In the U.S., a CV is often longer and lists all the persons publications and research projects, as well as employment. It is the format often used in academia. A resume is usually a lot shorter - one or maybe two pages - and more focused on just the person’s education and employment. In academia, it’s not uncommon for a CV to be 10 pages long but a resume would be the “normal” length. Someone applying for a professorship is almost certainly going to be asked to provide a CV - not a resume. However, many people use the term interchangeably. I believe Europeans use the term CV even to mean what we would normally call a resume. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/36 "2005-07-01T21:05:01Z")
> [@Studs Murphy](#): > > Why would you presume that someone is telling you their race? Either you are very young, very sheltered, or are just trying to think that people always have the best motives. I envy you. 😉 Like **Paul in Saudi** said, it’s how you tell them you are white now that you cannot include it on the job application. When I am unemployed I sometimes find work through temporary agencies. It’s a technical field so most companies don’t much care what your race is, how presentable you are, or how well you interview but one agency always had me drive thirty miles through Chicago traffic so I could drop off my resume and meet with my [del]pimp[/del] agent for about three minutes. At first I called it an “Is he white?” interview. The third time I called it my “Is he **still** white?” interview. As for the reason the Germans and Dutch insist on picture, I presume it is for the same reason, or at least started out that way. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/37 "2005-07-01T21:39:53Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > … > > As for the reason the Germans and Dutch insist on picture, I presume it is for the same reason, or at least started out that way. Don’t know about minorities in the Netherlands but in Germany the photograph would be superfluous for purposes of ethnic discrimination - if you are a racist you just need to look at the first name. I suspect it’s mainly lookism - a sales rep visiting farmers must look the part (solid, not too young), a sales rep selling to fashion stores must look the part too, someone for a stressful job must not carry too much weight, a receptionist mustn’t be a Gorgon, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Studs\_Murphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Studs\_Murphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Studs_Murphy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/38 "2005-07-02T00:06:18Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Either you are very young, very sheltered, or are just trying to think that people always have the best motives. I envy you. 😉 Or D - none of the above. It seems to me quite plausable that someone is trying to say, “Hi, I’m white.” However, if someone presumes that is the motivation and says that that behaviour is inoffensive to them, doesn’t that suggest more about the predispositions of the recipient? If someone sent me a pic on a CV, I might suspect them of trying to win points by being of a certain race though I would consider other motives. I would never say that it is an inoffensive or acceptable way of telling me this applicant is white as trying to win a job on those grounds would offend me based on the racism of the individual and what I would perceive as an implied insult that I might share their racist views. > [@dropzone](#): > > As for the reason the Germans and Dutch insist on picture, I presume it is for the same reason, or at least started out that way. Picture the scene: White Dutch applicant wins job from American employer having posted a pic with CV. Thinking that the applicant was reassuring his prospective employer that he was white, the employer remarks: “Smart move, using the pic so I knew you were white.” I’m guessing that you would be likely to have one very pissed off Dutch applicant with a very low opinion of his new boss. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/39 "2005-07-02T02:07:24Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Ah, two nations divided by a common language, sort of thing.🙂 > > “C.V.” or “curruculum vitae” is U.K.-speak for resumé. And if I recall correctly, the French word _résumé_ means “summary” and has nothing to do with employment documentation… the French use only the term CV. So it’s anyone’s guess how _résumé_ ever came to be synonymous with CV… I suppose at some time in history, someone wanting just the summary of a CV requested a _résumé_, and a false cognate was born. ---
**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675/40 "2005-07-02T03:25:57Z")
Yes, I’ve always heard to write a resume to apply for a job, but to write a CV to apply for something academic, like a scholarship or bursary, In the UK (or anywhere else, for that matter), what do you call the written-up academic history you’d send in with a scholarship application? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-an-employer-think-about-a-picture-of-me-on-my-resume/310675.md?page=3)