Dodgy photos appended to a CV have been a great source of entertainment for recruiters and hiring firm for several years now. Some recruiters (and even employers) are known to have established a kind of 'rogues' gallery of CV photo nasties. Candidates who make this gallery are, of course, never hired, but are great to take the mickey out of.

Putting the merriment to one side, however, as the practice of attaching a photo to CVs spreads from continental Europe and becomes more common in both the UK and the US, concerns are growing that candidates with ugly profiles may be discriminated against.

In view of this, ugly candidates (or candidates who look somewhat unusual) are strongly advised not to include a photo with a CV. And, indeed, if you are really ugly, it may be better not to attend a job interview in person at all, or, if you must go, do so in disguise. Some recruiters are now suggesting that facially challenged job-seekers consider attending interviews wearing a balaclava pushed down over their heads, or even a Jessica Alba face-mask.

In more extreme cases, candidates should consider getting a stand-in (or surrogate) to go through the interview process on their behalf. Mind you, this has its drawbacks, and doesn't always go down well with clients. In one particular recent case, the angry global head of equity trading at a well-known City investment bank thought he'd hired a rather attractive young secretary, only to find that he'd actually landed an 18 stone, middle-aged female with corns - and flatulence problems. Looking on the bright side, however, at least she could type!

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