Be honest, have you ever lied on your CV or cover letter to make your skills sound better? One employer has shared the thing they wish people wouldn’t include, and it’s split opinion
It’s very important when applying for a job or internship to include everything you think makes you suitable for the position in your curriculum vitae and cover letter. While lots of recruitment experts say that many of us like to exaggerate our skills and qualifications, one employer has shared the topics they wish people would leave out – and it’s caused quite a stir.
Venting on a parenting forum, a director of a camp explained that at this time of year, they receive many applications from teenagers for positions at the sleepaway facility he manages, which is often their first experience of employment.
He wrote: “I know that a lot of the folks applying to me are looking for their first job, which is great! I know that learning how to interview well is a skill, and I do not expect the teens applying to me to be perfect. But I would love it if they stopped telling me private health info in their cover letter or during their interview!
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“I cannot tell you how many cover letters or interviews include the reveal of some mental health diagnosis. It’s inappropriate and puts me in an ethically uncomfortable place. I am more than happy to provide accommodations as needed if I’ve hired you, but it’s a weird thing to learn about someone you’re meeting for the first time, and it makes me question if I can trust you with sensitive camper information.”
Clarifying his position, he added: “This is not about shaming people for having a mental health diagnosis – I have some too! I just don’t need to know the specifics of yours the very first time we meet.”
People reading the post were torn with many replying that they felt it was a generational quirk. One person wrote: “For many kids, their mental health issues (usually self-diagnosed) are their whole identity.” However, another user replied: “I’d be glad that they were upfront about this, so I’d know not to hire them. I don’t want mentally unstable people working for me! Also, I would not want to deal with them missing work for therapy.”
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In response to this less-than-sympathetic retort, someone else replied: “Major violation. The camp director is right that potential employees should not be discussing their need for accommodations before they are hired because people like you will discriminate against them. But if you denied an employee time off to take care of a medical problem (which is what therapy is) you would 100% lose any resulting lawsuit.”
If you’re in the UK and need support for a mental health issue, speak to your GP, or if you need urgent help call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: [email protected] for a reply within 24 hours. You can also text “SHOUT” to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line. If you’re under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
If you’re in the USA and need urgent help, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or dial 911 in case of emergency. You can also visit Mental Health America’s site for information on mental health, getting help, and taking action.
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