If it said this on an a job advert

LadyMissA

'It would also be helpful to attach a picture of yourself'

Would you think they are looking for young pretty people?

Why put it if your CV was the deciding factor in getting an interview?

VfM4meplse

I would gues this would be discriminatory unless the role requires someone with particular characterisics - acting or modelling roles for example. If it's a retail enterprise I would forget it.

CompletelyLost

I've seen this a few times and think it's terrible.

It's obvious that they're looking for someone who physically suits their company's image... and even though they won't tell you that outright as it's discrimination, they will probably just disregard anyone's CV who doesn't fit the bill.

Lovelyjoolz

It could mean anything. Yes, they might be looking for pretty young things, but they could just as easily be looking for an older person.

Or, perhaps they want someone with an honest looking face. Or perhaps they want to just reduce the pile of applications by imediately binning all the ones that arrive without a photo.

Why worry about it?

LadyMissA

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I would gues this would be discriminatory unless the role requires someone with particular characterisics - acting or modelling roles for example. If it's a retail enterprise I would forget it.

It's an accounts job

LadyMissA

Lovelyjoolz wrote: »

It could mean anything. Yes, they might be looking for pretty young things, but they could just as easily be looking for an older person.

Or, perhaps they want someone with an honest looking face. Or perhaps they want to just reduce the pile of applications by imediately binning all the ones that arrive without a photo.

Why worry about it?

Why worry? Because if it says it is helpful to have a photo then why would you need one for a job in accounts where looks do not count.

scooby088

May need the photo for I.D. purposes who knows, but unless stated the reasons why then i wouldn't apply or even send a photo.

fourthlinewing

If it's an accounts job, that, frankly, is just plain weird.

Sounds like it could maybe be a cunningly-hidden test of attention to detail. Or indeed it could just be because they're looking for a particular type of person.
Or, if it's off a recruitment website it could be another one of these sweathouse sales jobs selling itself in a new fashion.

Lovelyjoolz

LadyMissA wrote: »

Why worry? Because if it says it is helpful to have a photo then why would you need one for a job in accounts where looks do not count.

Frankly, if they said to send my CV in on purple and green polka-dotted paper, or tattooed on a squirrel's backside I would do it if I had been out of work as long as you have. There is no point worrying about why they want a photo, because you have no way of knowing why they want it. If you want to apply for the job, then send a photo because it shows that you can follow a simple instruction if nothing else.

I've seen this very often and sometimes it is nothing to do with discrimination and everything to do with an aide memoir. It is much easier to remember a face than a CV and that could be why they want it.

Or perhaps they are looking for a particular image - but you are making groundless assumptions about that. What if you are exactly what they are looking for? Why scupper your chances by not sending a photo? That would be foolish.

Lovelyjoolz

scooby088 wrote: »

May need the photo for I.D. purposes who knows, but unless stated the reasons why then i wouldn't apply or even send a photo.

I assume then that you have a job? Or else how could you afford to pass up an opportunity for such a trivial matter.

ohreally

Officially they will likely advise the photo helps recall individuals while they are deliberating.

Unofficially, they may not want those who are cosmetically challenged or are strangers to a salad.