The CV has had a long run. Since the 1950s we have used the CV to document our work and education experience and recruiters have used them to assess candidates. Now, though, the digital revolution is upon us and the CV must make way for the new.
But what exactly is the new?
Social media
Social media is one new form of application, with 44 per cent of 18-24 year olds saying they would rather tweet an employer about a job than send a traditional CV. Given the prevalence of online networking through LinkedIn, it seems natural that this would travel to other social networks.
One hopeful candidate even created a unique Twitter account to showcase his experience. @ConnorPetersCV was set up to grab the attention of prospective employers – and it worked. Connor received a lot of interest and several offers thanks to his unique approach to the applications process.
Personal branding
This is related to social media, but personal branding isn’t just for the social networks. It’s a candidate driven market at the moment, so often applicants are approached to apply for new roles. In fact, it’s thought that between 70 and 80 per cent of jobs are never even advertised. Gone are the days when job adverts would be enough to fill any given role; today’s job searches tend to be much more passive for the candidate.
That’s why personal branding is so important. Those who have developed the best professional version of themselves and are visible and approachable to recruiters are likely to receive the best offers.
Positioning yourself as an expert in your chosen field can illicit job offers, as Reddit user GreenTheOnly discovered. His demonstration of technical knowledge caught the attention of Elon Musk, who suggested he should interview for a position at Tesla.
Unique approaches
On average, there will be 118 applicants for any given vacancy. Although we are currently experiencing skills shortages across various industries, competition for the best roles remains high so some jobseekers have come up with unique applications to stand out from the crowd.
From spending their last resources on billboards to creating customised Lego sets, these prospective candidates went above and beyond to catch the attention of their would-be bosses.
Artificial intelligence
Of course, as with most other industries, there has been a lot of talk about artificial intelligence (AI). Unfortunately, so far no one seems to have quite cracked it, with several programs – most notably Amazon’s – demonstrating a clear bias towards certain candidates. Most of this software, however, relies on data collected from CVs, so perhaps the program that will ultimately win out will do away with the CV altogether. AI is certainly one to watch.
While it seems there are many contenders to replace the CV, there isn’t yet one clear, concurrent process that seems set to takeover. In reality, it seems most likely that we’ll see the format of the CV evolve from a written document into one that’s suitable for new media. Whether that’s the interactive and ever-changing social media or the personal and effective video resumé, it’s clear that the CV as we know it is no longer fit for purpose.
