With so many new routes to the perfect job, Jen Stevens speaks to some experts about the future of the CV...

There was a time when your CV was the be-all and end-all of your career future. You spent hours honing it; the right font, double spaced, perfectly formed to highlight your J1 summer in Ocean City spent waitressing – that’s your sales skills/people skills right there. 

Chances are that the CV you have now is the same one you started with. Tweaked as the years went by to remove your Leaving Cert results and make way for industry experience. 

But it looks like the days of the curriculum vitae may be numbered as new hiring mechanisms are brought in to find the perfect candidate.

Ciara Spillane has 20 years’ experience in recruitment, hiring for firms like Google and Microsoft and now runs her own career coaching consultancy www.positiveprospects.ie, she thinks that though CVs will still be around for a number of years, they will have less of a role to play in hiring. 

“I think CVs are still important and will be used for another while. However rather than being the main way of applying for a job, it is now only a small part of the process now. Many companies have a questionnaire that you will need to fill in while applying to their role. These questionnaires if used properly are a great way for them to ask specific questions on when and how you demonstrated the skills required for the role. 

“Other companies have moved a step further and use tools like HireVue to request that candidates do a short video interview using pre-recorded questions as part of the application process. This way the employer can assess a candidate's suitability before they need to bring them through a full interview process. 

“It's important that a candidate treat all parts of the application process as important as creating their CV. Sometimes candidates may not fully fill in a questionnaire as they feel the details is already on their CV. This is a huge mistake - the questionnaire may be the only item the recruiter looks at in order to decide which candidates to move to the next stage!”

Ciara says that it’s currently a “candidate’s market for most industries” which makes the hiring process much more interesting. Where previously some of the only negotiations happened around salary, job hunters can now ask for exactly what they want at the start of the process. 

“Jobseekers to be more intentional with their job searches and be more particular about the type of companies they want to work for. It is also now easier to ask for flexible working arrangements. It is expected that you can ask about work from home and part-time working straight away rather than try and negotiate it after you start a job.”

Your online presence is something that is often looked at prior to being called to interview and LinkedIn is the queen of social media when it comes to getting hired, or not. Laura Burke is the MD of Aspire Recruitment, and she suggests putting time into your LinkedIn profile.

“Some recruiters use LinkedIn as a key part of their recruitment process and if it is out of date, it won’t give the same slick presentation that your CV may have. It’s worth spending the extra time to ensure it’s up to date and relevant.”

Ciara places a lot of importance on the platform if you’re looking to be head hunted. 

“In larger companies most recruitment teams have dedicated sourcers whose role is to scour LinkedIn looking for passive candidates, often the ideal candidate for a role is found in this way.”

The problem with CVs is all the things that they don’t say and that often impacts women in a far greater way than their male colleagues. The gaps between jobs don’t reflect the years spent at home with young children and the skills that that can build (negotiation anyone?), or the extra roles that were taken on both at work and in the community. They are, by their nature, very black and white and don’t show the grit and determination that it often takes to get to a certain level. Sure, you can speak about that in an interview but what it you never get that far because this one-dimensional document is holding you back?

Thankfully many companies now recognise the need to build out a diverse workforce that have skills beyond those that tick a CV box. 

Ciara says that many hiring managers are now on the look out for the other skills that help you become the ideal employee. 

“Companies have moved past looking for candidates with a 'perfect CV'. Previously things like going to a top university or having an impressive career trajectory were really important. However, this often ruled out candidates from minority backgrounds. Most employers are more focused on what you bring their company in terms of 'culture-add'; i.e. showing resilience, overcoming past hurdles, strong team player etc. While savvy job seekers might try and include snippets of times they demonstrated these skills on a CV, it will still be a requirement to really interview someone to get proper insight.”

So, while you may need to hold onto your CV for a little while longer there are other paths to the perfect job. Update your LinkedIn profile and get chatty with your professional contacts there, join networking groups and actively participate – yes that means that you need to move away from the table with the coffees and actually speak to some new people – and let recruiters in your industry know that you’re open to new options. 

That summer in Ocean City may have taught you everything you know about closing a sale, but a four-page CV is not going to help you now. Take advice from the professionals and make sure you look good online.