I have known many designers flesh out the CVs and follow that right up into the interview with a portfolio stuffed to bursting with printed crap lying around the office, or even worse by appropriating what has come through their door that day. This is an unsavoury thought to those of us who tend to play by the rules, but it's never bothered me too much because I have assumed that employers are too concerned about who they employ to allow liars to slip the net. Hopefully this is borne out by the experiences of others, but nonetheless the unscrupulous will still try it.

In the specific CV example I am referring to today the person in question has not lied in this fashion, but has gone on to make a faux pas in my eyes of equal level, if not surpassing it with deft skill. He has quoted his colleagues from a previous employer, essentially offering their reviews of him as a person and his work. As an example (but not a direct quote):

"Geoff Creatus is not only the nicest man I have ever known, but is also the nicest man, the nicest man in the world has ever known. His phallus is biblical in proportion, both on the x and the y planes and boy does he know how to use it. I've never seen a man use his thumb and forefingers with such heavenly dexterity, why if God had an ad agency tasked with selling loaves and fishes to infidels and heathens he would be mad not to employ Geoff Creatus."

Sadly, there is not just one example of this on his CV, but as many as 6. I think everything that was said about testimonials for companies should stand for personally commissioned reviews and that even if you were to have these on file, they shouldn't be splattered over the most business like of documents - the CV. Isn't it the duty of the respective employer to request a reference upon their own steam and therefore guarantee it's neutrality and honesty? Maybe it's just me who thinks like this, but I wanted to put it out there and ask if anyone has gone down this road themselves and if it had a positive outcome.