The internet and social media have completely changed the way we form opinions, interact with friends and public figures and buy goods and services. So is it also time to give up our association with CV’s and shift towards having our work history on LinkedIn?
Who would’ve thought just fifteen years ago that predominantly web based organisations including Amazon would become world leaders (and beaters), whilst other more traditional retailers, such as HMV, would enter administration and require significant restructuring just to survive!? You can now apply for jobs with the assistance of your LinkedIn profile. So will it eventually replace CVs?
While it is true that we are becoming increasingly digital, I personally believe that at least a subset of people will remain with the current status quo for a number of reasons…
1) ‘I don’t like computers and/ or Social Media!’
Websites such as Twitter can be a dangerous place – just ask any z-list celebrity or sports star. Not only do you have to ignore attention seeking trolls, you have to consider whether or not a post will result in a newspaper story the next day. In addition, when social networks like Instagram make PR goals, as they did late last year with their decision to allow third parties to use content for advertising without permission, you have to understand why a minority will continue to be suspicious – even with a professional networking service!
2) ‘I want to tailor my LinkedIn profile to a particular job application.’
A key piece of advice given to all job seekers is to always ensure that your CV is relevant to the position you’re applying for. With the free version of LinkedIn (yes, the one that over 90% of users currently subscribe to), this is a challenge, especially if you’re applying for several roles in quick succession and in different job sectors. The only way to overcome this problem is to have a second profile. However, this will mean having to do double the work in order to maintain work connections and content.
3) ‘Sending my CV by e-mail is free; some of the functions of LinkedIn are not.’
There is no doubt that LinkedIn is a great tool to interact with recruiters and prospective employers, promote your work history and keep in touch with previous contacts. But what if you want to personally message a consultant or search for additional connections with more detailed search parameters? Yes, you guessed it, you’ve got to pay, a minimum of £13 a month! (that doesn’t include the VAT by the way) Back to the e-mail client it is then…
To LinkedIn’s credit however, you can create your profile in another language and convert your profile into PDF format. It doesn’t look as neat as my CV though, hence why myself and many others will continue to be attached to the traditional method – at least for the time being.
