EuroCVs

Friday, December 01, 2006

I've noticed that in the recent flood of job applications I've been reviewing, I'm starting to see quite a few that start off like so: Yes, the European Commission has managed to invent a EuroStandard CV format. It probably took an army of 200 researchers from 16 countries to do it, and a management and review panel of 30 eurocrats and associated assistants to, er, co-ordinate and steer the project. And then candidates are strongly recommended to use it. And they send it to me. And I file it in the bin. Why ? Well, because I'm looking for evidence of independent thought, creativity and some spark of intelligence in a CV. The CV is the first contact with the employer, and it gives the first impression - and potentially the last - of the candidate. So what impression do I get from this ? Well, if I was a data entry operative, I'd love it. Easy to insert into a megacorporation's HR database, because it is totally standardised and formulaic. For me, it is easy too - if a candidate cannot tell that filling in a pro-forma CV is an extremely bad news - even one that actually proudly declares itself as such - well, that is a clear sign that the individual in question has no place in our company. I'm actually a strong supporter of the EU, in general. But in this case, they're getting into areas which they just should not be meddling in. Advice to candidates - unless life as a soulless bureaucrat in a huge impersonal corporation appeals to you, avoid this like the plague.