Another Camino Myth? Or true?

[SYates]

I read frequently, not only here on this forum, but also in newspaper articles and similar, that "many Spaniards walk the Camino because it looks good on their CV" - or variations thereof.

When speaking with Spanish pilgrims they never mentioned this and I think having the Camino in your CV would only be helpful for a segment of the employment market. But that is only my opinion. So I decided to tap in the accumulated knowledge here and ask:

Camino Myth or Not?

Feliz Navidad, SY

 

[Al the optimist]

In England we have something called "The Duke of Edinburgh" award. Youngsters embarking on this have to show a level of perseverance over a long period of time involving many different activities. To achieve the award is considered favourably by many employers when a youngster first seeks employment with often little but academic qualifications to help in the selection process. I believe the same is true in Spain. I have heard mention of this in the past by Spanish people.

 

[bystander]

When I was in hospital during October two of my nurses were Spanish (one, female, from Valencia, the other, male, from Andalucia, both in their 20s) and both had "done" the walk from Sarria to SdC and added that most of their friends had also done so.

 

[jpflavin1]

Do not know the answer to your question. As a past employer, I would definitely consider this a positive.

Ultreia,
Joe

 

[t2andreo]

Depending on what age the person was when they made a Camino, it could end up being a "tie-splitter." What I mean is that, all other qualifications being equal, someone considering this person's candidacy and knowing anything about the Camino would know they were getting an employee who can finish what they start, is a self-starter, and does not stop when presented with adversity.

To me, it seems that overall, a person listing one or more Caminos on their CV would come across as more responsible and mature than other candidates for a position. But, that is just my opinion.

Bottom line, it can't hurt...

 

[Tincatinker]

As you say Tom, no bad thing on a young persons CV. Me, I just get asked "...and how long have you had this obsession?"

 

[Camembert]

I worked for some years in Spain and indeed it is good to add an acomplished camino to your CV. I talked about it several times with my customers and they confirmed it regulary.
Bom caminho

 

[CaptBuddy]

Maybe I'm just too old, but what is a CV?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Maybe I'm just too old, but what is a CV?

Probably too young!! Resume.

C.V. curriculum vitae.

 

[Al the optimist]

And here was I thinking it was Camino Veteran!

 

[WldWil]

And here was I thinking it was Camino Veteran!

Thanks for the chuckle! I am glad someone asked before me.

My kids and I have second and third degree black belts and I always tell them to add that to their resume. I do not know why a CV would be different. As a former employer, this would make a difference to me, especially if it was something I had completed myself.

 

[Al the optimist]

I too have one in but it didn't help me with my employer - as my employer wore the same Gi! But I would have taken both it and the Camino into consideration when employing someone.

 

[Mark Lee]

I've also heard that young Spaniards also include it when applying for admission to a university.
I've also heard of counterfeit compostela's being produced for those reasons (CV's and university admission applications).

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am retired and cynical, but I would not want to work for someone who thought it was important as a job qualification.

On the other hand, it would be fun to raise a glass with such a person.

 

[CaminoCruiser]

What a pity it wouldn't work in Australia! I've been looking for work since February this year. I'd love to add that to my CV if it meant having a better chance at gaining employment

 

[Mark Lee]

I am retired and cynical, but I would not want to work for someone who thought it was important as a job qualification.

On the other hand, it would be fun to raise a glass with such a person.

Yeah, gotta agree there. Really not that hard to walk the last 100 kilometers and get a compostela, especially for a young person. Can be easily done in 4-5 days.
If I was an employer I think I would be more impressed by some type of public or military service. Something selfless.

 

[t2andreo]

In plain English for those not familiar with the mostly European term "CV," it is the same thing as a resume. You say "potahto" and I say "potatoe," you say "tomatoe" I say "tomahtoe." Same difference.

I hope this helps...

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I have heard more often in Spain of the Camino being the best place to find a spouse!

 

[Anniesantiago]

<----- Looking for a husband

 

[mikevasey]

I put it on my last CV, I had to give a reason for the gaps, not sure most British employers get a Camino as a one off never mind going back to repeat the punishment in their eyes.

 

[mikevasey]

I have heard more often in Spain of the Camino being the best place to find a spouse!

My girlfriend is Spanish, met her in Exeter, she is studying in Lille. If it goes that one step further that will be the place for her to find me, on a Camino.

 

[Bogong]

I squired two ladies (my wife and sister-in-law) over quite a bit of Spain after my Camino. Numbers of locals told me that having a compostela was an aid in seeking employment and that this in part accounted for the many local pilgrims walking from Sarria in summertime.

But the walk, and travelling lots of Spain is a marvellous learning experience! A most wonderful Camino story I only learnt of recently is that the many stars in the heavens you see on fine nights are from the dust thrown up from the feet of the many pilgrims over more than 1,000 years.

And the richness of the experience shouldn't be limited to just the Camino. There are a host of marvellous festivals throughout the year if you have the time to stay. Spanish people told us that there are two cities they see as magical, Santiago de Compostela and Toledo. I took the two ladies back to Santiago and we were thrilled to see them "swing the thing" after Mass in the Cathedral. And then we spent Holy week in Toledo, with processions late every night or in one case in the dark of the very early morning, tracing the whole Easter story from the Palm Sunday procession through the crucifixion and resurrection. What a joy to have been able to time my camino to fit all this in. And Gaudi's memorial, the Sagrida Familia in Barcelona. I crossed this one off my bucket list before I had even put it there!

De Colores

Bogong

 

[Mark Lee]

I have heard more often in Spain of the Camino being the best place to find a spouse!

A young lady in her twenties who was from Europe whom I met on my last Camino told me that several of her female friends have walked the Camino in hopes of meeting a boyfriend/husband, and at times it did look like the dating game among the younger peregrinos.

 

[cher99840]

For anyone looking, it IS a good place to assess the general health and physical condition of potential partners....also to weed out the whiners.

 

[CanPete]

I read frequently, not only here on this forum, but also in newspaper articles and similar, that "many Spaniards walk the Camino because it looks good on their CV" - or variations thereof.

When speaking with Spanish pilgrims they never mentioned this and I think having the Camino in your CV would only be helpful for a segment of the employment market. But that is only my opinion. So I decided to tap in the accumulated knowledge here and ask:

Camino Myth or Not?

Feliz Navidad, SY

If 'CV' stands for 'Cardio Vascular' (system), I fully agree !

 

[natefaith]

SY, are these the kind of answers you were looking for??

 

[SYates]

SY, are these the kind of answers you were looking for??

Yes indeed, very thankful to everybody that commented! SY

 

[jeffnd]

I have heard the CF referred to as The Divorce Trail - Lol

I met quite a few folks that were coming off divorces on the Camino. Two separate women each told me I had the same name as their ex-husbands. I wasn't quite sure how to take that!

 

[SYates]

... Two separate women each told me I had the same name as their ex-husbands. I wasn't quite sure how to take that!

Carefully, very, very carefully! SY

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Oh yes, quite the meat market.

Came across a retired gentleman who came on the Camino with his wife, only to dump her for another woman he met on the trail... And then there was the girl who thought she had heard someone way he 'was attracted to her' when what she had said that 'he found xyz (some personality trait) attractive) - she stalked him from that day onwards and all the way to Muxia. I guess the lesson here is not to drink so much that you may start hearing what you want to hear ;0)

I have also seen many walking to figure out if the relationship they are in back home is what they really want, others sorting out their sexual identity, and a lovely couple get engaged in Santiago. Ah, and then there was then man whose wife has given him a green light to "look elsewhere" and so he looks on the Camino.

With pilgrims quickly shedding social constraints, sharing the pain of blisters, tendonitis and chinche bites, and "seeing the light", of course others who are experiencing the same will seem like soulmates. Wonder how many of them turn back into frogs once they get back home. I hope they don't, but I know I tend to revert to my old ways, even if I do tweak things every time I walk ;0)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Relationships forged in an anvil are the least stable!

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

[Kanga]

I suspect in Australia if you told a prospective employer you had walked an 800 km religious pilgrimage, carrying your own pack and sleeping in shared dormitories, you would finish up in Ward 8.....

 

[Arn]

The Dr is IN:
We’ve talked of “one offs”, “accomplishment”, “tiebreaker”, “marriage-breaker”, “marriage-maker”, “relationship-splitter-mender-ender”. My question is: If any and, or all can serve a pilgrim in a manner considered positive in their life would this not be another indicator the Camino is truly a force to be considered?

Are we pilgrims not unique enough that whether a “one off” or a multiple Camino sojourner the accomplishment is reward itself?

Should the effort necessary to complete a Camino, if known to an employer, not be that tiebreaker all other things considered equal?

Your marriage may be long suffering, in need of renewal or strong and satisfying; the Camino providing the breathing space needed for an amicable resolution, or the thrill of an additional shared adventure in an already full life together.

The start of summer, or a long separation, can be the most trying of times for young (in heart AL) love. Will any romance be strong enough to bridge the months until the lovers reunite? If they are going to different locations (college, new job, new city, Camino) will the absence truly make the heart grow fonder, or will the seeds of new love burst forth in this moment?

I’m a firm believer that if you are seeking a new partner, for what ever reason, the best place to find that person is where you are both sharing the same love interest. Be it tennis camp, horse racing/riding, soccer tournaments or on Camino. It’s way easier, in my mind, to already share a passion than try to change another’s to yours.

So often when we embark on our Camino we do so with a hidden, or at least an unspoken agenda: I speak mine aloud now to _______________ as I walk the Way. Life is too short to remain _____________.

How would you “fill in” those blanks?

There’s a song by Garth Brooks titled “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers”.

Be careful what you wish for…that just may come true.

Oh, and as far as an addition to your CV, consider this:

I have completed the Camino de Santiago, a ________ km/mi endeavor that requires: attention to detail, physical stamina, awareness of multitudinous social and cultural mores, ability to work and cooperate with diverse personalities under often arduous and exacting circumstances culminating in successful completion of the task. As recognition, I received the coveted Compostela, indicative of my strong belief in the many positive personal traits and convictions I possess.

 

[fraluchi]

Oh, and as far as an addition to your CV, consider this: I have completed the Camino de Santiago, a ________ km/mi endeavor that requires: attention to detail, physical stamina, awareness of multitudinous social and cultural mores, ability to work and cooperate with diverse personalities under often arduous and exacting circumstances culminating in successful completion of the task. As recognition, I received the coveted Compostela, indicative of my strong belief in the many positive personal traits and convictions I possess.

As an employer I would certainly consider these traits as a plus, if the professional qualifications and experiences also stand up for the requirements of a job. I would at least consider a deeper going interview with the person.

 

[Saint Mike II]

[QUOTE="Saramago]I have heard the CF referred to as The Divorce Trail - Lol[/QUOTE]

Especially when one partner has walked it before and then drags other half along (quote) "its lots of fun, you will enjoy it"!!. At Pamplona Other-half says "I'm stuffed, going home". So yes it could be the end!!

 

[Kanga]

On the off-topic subject of mangles, I'm a fan, but beware of what they do to buttons and zips. Would it be too risqué to say the same about Camino romances?

Sorry, but it is post Christmas and in our house serious subjects are on holidays.

 

[CaptBuddy]

Yeah, gotta agree there. Really not that hard to walk the last 100 kilometers and get a compostela, especially for a young person. Can be easily done in 4-5 days.
If I was an employer I think I would be more impressed by some type of public or military service. Something selfless.

I see it another way, Mark.
I might not hire someone who walked 700 km that they did not have to.
Might sound like, "oh, I took a year off to ride my motorcycle through Europe".

 

[mikevasey]

On the off-topic subject of mangles, I'm a fan, but beware of what they do to buttons and zips. Would it be too risqué to say the same about Camino romances?

Sorry, but it is post Christmas and in our house serious subjects are on holidays.

So beware of standing too close to the mangle?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I see it another way, Mark.
I might not hire someone who walked 700 km that they did not have to.
Might sound like, "oh, I took a year off to ride my motorcycle through Europe".

In the UK it is standard practice to take a year off between the end of Uni and work. And it rounds out an individual. But I can understand your take on it coming from a country where 10% or so of people do not own a passport. It's just a pity.

 

[Arn]

Quote:
"In the UK it is standard practice to takea year off between the end of Uni and work." Quote

When I was a youngster (eons ago) I read of English lads taking a year to set out upon the "World Tour" visiting the enlightened capitols of liberal arts (Paris), science (Heidleberg) and arts/love (Roma).
Today, many graduates of both high school and college do the same. I see this as a tradition worth keeping.

 

[bystander]

Quote:
"In the UK it is standard practice to take a year off between the end of Uni and work." Quote

Incorrect - it is much more usual to take a gap year between taking A levels (last exams at school i.e. at 18) and going to University. Post University most head for a job as soon as possible so as to start paying off their debts from their University days.

Gap years (pronounced in Sloane "Gap yaar"!) are not planned as part of a Grand Tour of the ancient cities of Europe for self-education or self-edification but more likely, depending on finances, as a self-indulgent traipse through the Far East, the Antipodes and South America.

As to the 10% quote about passports. I assume this is a reference to the US. However between 35 and 42% of US citizens have passports (the discrepancy being accounted for by immigrants to the US who have to have passports so as to be "naturalised"). As to Americans travelling abroad, it is only about 3.5% annually.

 

[Saramago]

The U.S. is an enormous country - 30 million plus US citizens travel outside the US every year - so the percentages per population cannot be compared to a small European country. You can also spend your whole life traveling in America and be exposed to a wealth of cultural and environmental, geographic places. The Gap Year here is between high school and university - but with horrendous college costs (one of mine was 45,000 $ per year) it is restricted privilege. I do know a student now taking the Gap Year - just having travelled throughout Indonesia - but, really, it isn't very popular and can be a detriment to college applications here.

 

[jacktar]

I read frequently, not only here on this forum, but also in newspaper articles and similar, that "many Spaniards walk the Camino because it looks good on their CV" - or variations thereof.

When speaking with Spanish pilgrims they never mentioned this and I think having the Camino in your CV would only be helpful for a segment of the employment market. But that is only my opinion. So I decided to tap in the accumulated knowledge here and ask:

Camino Myth or Not?

Feliz Navidad, SY

It is true I´m afraid. I met a guy from Valencia. 35 tears old, trained in IT. Laid off and had to move back in with his mother. Desperate for work he has tried to improve his C.V by doing the camino. In his words ´´some Spanish empolyers see the Camino as character building´´Great guy. I wish him all the luck

 

[Deleted member 3000]

When I was a youngster (eons ago) I read of English lads taking a year to set out upon the "World Tour" visiting the enlightened capitols of liberal arts (Paris), science (Heidleberg) and arts/love (Roma).

This is an amusing account of the old time Grand Tour:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0312300476/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[WldWil]

Another reason for no gap in the USA just because of the way scholarships are set up for graduating seniors.

 

[Texasguy]

i have too heard this. Mainly in the last 2 summers and whike the economy was still recovering in Spain, lost of spanisrds, try to make a party of the walk, in some instances there wre lots of boose and other activities thst increased the possibily of an affair snd or another not too pleasant activities.

 

[xin loi]

Walked for a week or so with a young Spanish woman named " Camino"!. She was walking the Camino to put it on her CV. She said that in Spain , employers think it indicates the person is someone who made a commitment and then did it. Not that common in any country.

and Gap year--my daughter when young used to be in awe of the young women we would meet in Latin America who were just backpacking all over the world. Still recall the young Danish woman backpacker we met in Guatemala who walked from Cancun to the Pacific then took a left and walked to Guatemala. Last time we saw her she was humping her large backpack on a rural dirt road, walking to Chile.

 

[jmcarp]

Depending on what age the person was when they made a Camino, it could end up being a "tie-splitter." What I mean is that, all other qualifications being equal, someone considering this person's candidacy and knowing anything about the Camino would know they were getting an employee who can finish what they start, is a self-starter, and does not stop when presented with adversity.

To me, it seems that overall, a person listing one or more Caminos on their CV would come across as more responsible and mature than other candidates for a position. But, that is just my opinion.

Bottom line, it can't hurt...

Good analysis, Tom.

 

[nycwalking]

In plain English for those not familiar with the mostly European term "CV," it is the same thing as a resume. You say "potahto" and I say "potatoe," you say "tomatoe" I say "tomahtoe." Same difference.

I hope this helps...

Tomato. Potato.
Life is crazy. Ain't it.