This is a question that I was asked recently. The person asking it had just joined LInkedIn and was wondering whether the days of the traditional CV were numbered. Before I go onto this, I would just like to say one or two things about LinkedIn – I think it is becoming more and more important to sign up if you are looking for a new job or considering changing your exiting one.
But if you’re going to take it seriously then you must make sure that you complete your profile section as fully as possible, plus here are some tips from Forbes.com that you may find useful:
“Create a Stand-Out Headline: Your LinkedIn headline appearing just below your name is really your online brand that’s advertised to the world–that’s because your headline, name and photo are the only things a LinkedIn user sees when searching a LinkedIn database and discovering your profile, and they determine whether the reader will click through to your full profile. Make your headline sing! “Advertising exec seeking new opportunity” is dull, but “Consumer products advertising exec looking to make small brands explode” offers a deliverable.
Follow Your Target Companies: If there’s a specific company where you’d love to work, follow them through their Company page. You can keep informed of new developments and later use those details in a cover letter.
Jazz Up Your Profile: If you’re simply listing a dull chronology of previous jobs, add some elements to spice up your profile like a video of your presentation or an article you’ve published. Make use of the Status Update feature to share anything you write.”
OK, so we’re agreed that LinkedIn is a pretty useful if you are to be taken seriously in the jobs market.
The other thing that has undermined the use of the traditional CV is the practice that most companies now use in online recruitment of asking you to fill in a form rather than just sending your CV. Forms make life easier for them – they allow better comparison of candidates, help them to avoid bias (age, sex, nationality, etc) and they often have software that helps them to weed out unsuitable applicants.
After reading this you may definitely think the humble CV is on its way to extinction. But hold on a minute! Before you can complete your LinkedIn profile or an online form you need to have all the relevant information at your fingertips. And the actual process of putting together a CV will help you to do this. It will also help you to think about your strengths, how to showcase these and which areas you need to work on. So, the art of writing a good CV isn’t dead yet – and if you want more information on how to go about this, then you might want to check out our Advanced Business English Course as there’s lots of advice there and the opportunity to get your effort checked out by an experienced tutor.
Author: Diana Nadin
