Emma Do I have to specify if I have a proprietary car on my CV? How important is it to specify on the curriculum vitae if you own a car?
The question seems trivial but in reality it falls within the scope of those issues that can hide pitfalls and, in some cases, also jeopardize the success of an application. Let’s see together how to behave in the specific case, with real examples.
Is owning a car a key element?
The first questions you have to ask yourself if you think of thinking to the possession of the car as an element to add on your curriculum vitae is the following: when I meet someone, one of the first things I do is specify if I have a car owned? And if I do, why?
Finding an answer to these two questions will help you determine if personal ownership of a car is information you want or need to add when applying for a job. In general, it is a good idea to remember that when selecting for a job, no element external to professionalism and skills can be used to discriminate one candidate over another.
In light of this, however, it is necessary to make some differences as there are some jobs that require you to have your own machine and others that do not.
When the possession of a vehicle must be specified on the curriculum
If you are applying for a job position whose announcement specifies that “the candidate must have his own car to carry out the maintenance” you can NOT absolutely omit this data and therefore the possession of the car MUST be entered.
What are the job positions for which own car may be required?
The list is quite long, but among them undoubtedly include:
- Agent of trade;
- Private driver;
- Private courier;
- Health inspector, doctor, technician, etc;
- Private doctor;
- and etc.
It is not certain that for these positions the advertisements always and only require the candidate to have their own means available, but it often happens precisely because of the nature of the occupation.
What to put on your CV to specify that you own a vehicle?
If you need to provide information on the ownership of a vehicle as requested by the employer you are hiring, it is good to do so without turns around and entering the information on both the vehicle and the driving license:
- Type of driving license
- Year of graduation
- Ownership vehicle
It is not necessary to specify the vehicle type unless, again, the job posting is specific.
Where to enter the car ownership information?
Given that in such cases it is information necessary for the recruiter and essential for the candidate, where to insert it in the CV?
The best thing would be to insert it immediately in the top, so that it immediately catches the eye of those who select and pushes them to continue reading the CV to check the possibility of an interview.
Machine ownership on CV: when to avoid and why
Most jobs it does not require you to have your own car and, consequently, owning a vehicle is not information a recruiter needs to read on a candidate’s CV.
After all, are you interested in knowing if the cashier in the bank owns a car or not?
Also remember that all superfluous data contribute to making a CV heavy and long, difficult to read and this in turn can cause the recruiter to decide not to offer an interview to the candidate precisely because of a too rich CV, but not relevant.
Some practical examples
Let’s take a few examples, to better understand what could happen in real situations.
Example 1
Job announcement for beverage dispenser at local supermarkets, among the requirements the possession of the car is not specified, but it is specified that “priority will be given to candidates with the car”.
Even if the ad does not close the doors to those who do not have their own vehicle, it specifies that those who have one have more possibilities : in this case on the CV to be presented, the information must be added without ifs and buts.
Example 2
Job advertisement for private car driver. As above, also in this case the information on the possession of a car (with specification of the model and capacity) must absolutely be included in the CV.
Example 3
Job announcement as a nurse in a private clinic, with daily and night shifts. The announcement does not specify the availability of a vehicle by the candidate who must not provide this information but must focus only on the experiences, skills and information relating to the position for which he is applying. He can obviously do this since the job in question requires the willingness to work night shifts and specifying the possession of a vehicle can be a good way to pass the first screening.
Example 4
Job advertisement for personal secretaries: no own vehicle is required, but a driving license is required. Although it is not expressly requested, it would be good to add information on the possible possession of a car to demonstrate that, in case of need and by agreeing the details together, you are available to use your car to perform the tasks indicated. It is not a sine qua non, but it could make a difference in the selection phase.
Our final advice
As we have already advised you regarding the declaration of possession of a driving license, even in the case of the declaration relating to the ownership of a vehicle, the choice must be weighed in relation to the job position for which one is applying.
If it is not information that the employer expressly requests, there is no need to enter it, on the contrary, if it represents the condition to be admitted to the selection it must absolutely be added and be among the most prominent elements.