Why CV Templates and Free CV Samples Are Obsolete

When Jonathon graduated, he knew exactly what he wanted his new CV to do: get him a job designing web sites in London. So he studied all those free CV examples and templates on the web and then went to work creating an eye-popping CV he was sure would snag the job of his dreams. He sent it off to recruitment agencies, job boards and a few targeted companies. Then he waited. And waited.

Once upon a time, this might have been a good strategy. Job searchers were encouraged to select a CV template from dozens of examples. Then, they’d spend hours if not days fitting their data into the template to create a CV with equal parts impact and information. Even today, the web is full of free samples and examples that illustrate the old way of doing things... a way that pretty much ensures your CV will not produce the results you want.

What are these?

CV Templates: The Dinosaurs of Job Search

It is not common knowledge yet that spending time on beautifully designed CVs is not the best use of a your time! These days, when a CV is sent to major recruitment agencies, the initial eye appeal no longer matters because the document is processed before anyone in a decision-making role even sees it. The key information contained in the CV is extracted, reformatted and placed in a database where it can more easily be searched and accessed by recruiters and hirers. So everything but the raw information is discarded: the CV template you so carefully selected, the headings, subheadings and formatting, the design layout... everything but text is removed during extraction and reformatting.

Jonathon, being a recent grad, had never done a CV before so he didn’t realize his CV would end up this way. He contacted a friend in the recruitment industry who told him most of the UK job market is converting to the iProfile online CV. So Jonathon went to iProfile where, in a matter of minutes, he had created his free online iProfile.

Get Ready For The Switch to iProfile

Here are a few tips to help you get ready to build your online iProfile CV:

  1. If you already have a resume or CV saved to your computer, the iProfile system will upload and extract much of the information from it and insert it into the iProfile template. All you need to do is make any necessary edits to complete your iProfile.
  2. If you don’t have a CV yet, concentrate your efforts on compiling key information about your skills, experience and training. You’ll need specifics like:
    1. dates of jobs and schooling,
    2. names of companies,
    3. your job titles and responsibilities for each job,
    4. achievements and accomplishments at each job,
    5. transferable skills you have acquired,
    6. professional associations you belong to,
    7. published works,
    8. any security clearances you’ve obtained,
    9. complete, current contact information.
  3. As you enter your data into the iProfile software, you’ll see helpful hints and suggestions at each step of the way such as a list of relevant skills for you to choose from. The program anticipates your questions and provides quick, easy answers so you don’t get bogged down.
  4. Once you’ve entered your information into your basic online iProfile, you can enhance it by changing the order of categories, creating different CV versions for different jobs, and converting it into a Word Document to see how it will look to hirers.

There’s one more critical advantage of the iProfile over the standard CV template: the iProfile doesn’t need to be rewritten each time. Simply add, delete or edit your information to reflect your current status and hit the "save" button. Recruiters instantly have access to the new and improved you!

As Jonathon and millions of other job seekers have found out, having an iProfile not only saves time and delivers a better CV to more recruiters, it also helps ensure you get scouted and interviewed for positions that really suit you. That translates into fewer disappointing "fishing expeditions", more appropriate job openings directed your way, and a faster track to a great job.

From where you’re sitting right now, you’re just one click away from getting on that fast track.