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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec
  • 20 Apr 2018
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CV builders in the LinkedIn era, are they worth it?

LinkedIn has revolutionized the way we professionally network and how we search for jobs. With over 467 million users around the world, having a profile is an absolute must for professionals looking to advance their careers.

As more and more people connect and apply for jobs with just one click, some people are questioning whether CVs are still relevant and if it is worth using a CV builder to create one. To answer their question simply, it is.

Your CV and your LinkedIn profile are two different things which serve different purposes. It is important to have polished versions of both, though a CV is still the most important tool you have to get a job interview.

CV vs LinkedIn

To think that a LinkedIn profile is simply an online CV is a fundamental misunderstanding of the purposes of both. Although they should both demonstrate your skills and accomplishments, LinkedIn profiles and CVs are two separate tools.

In a nutshell, LinkedIn is there for you to build your own brand, tell the story of your career, connect with people, and find out about jobs. Whereas your CV shows employers why you are the strong candidate for a specific position.

Unlike your LinkedIn profile, your CV should be tailored for each application. The most time-effective way of managing this is by using an Online CV Maker which quickly allows you to make edits for each CV you submit.

It is not practical to have multiple LinkedIn profiles to emphasize different strengths. Your profile normally lists all of your skills and all of your past positions. It is a general overview of all of your accomplishments.

If you apply for a specific position, although your LinkedIn profile will contain relevant information, it will not focus on the most important aspects. A well-written CV will.

The importance of tailored CVs

Producing polished, tailored CVs is the key to getting job interviews. However, job candidates have to know how to play the game.

More and more employers are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter CVs and to shortlist candidates. They operate by scanning CVs and identifying the keywords. They look at past job positions, skills, and relevant experience.

The keywords an ATS looks for are different for every job application as the requirements of each job differ. This means that resumes should be tailored for each application.

You can achieve this by carefully reading through each job description and identifying the keywords. You then work the keywords, and synonyms of them, into your resume. If your resume contains the right keywords it will not be filtered out by an ATM and it will be seen by human eyes.

If your CV is shortlisted, an employer is also likely to look at your LinkedIn profile so they need to be consistent. There should be nothing on your resume that is not on a LinkedIn profile. This is not a problem. The luxury of a LinkedIn profile is that it can be long and general, whereas a resume has to be concise and targeted.

Using a CV builder

An effective LinkedIn profile is relatively easy to maintain and keep up-to-date. It is important to make connections and add new skills, qualifications, and responsibilities. It is also a good idea to show that you are passionate about your areas of expertise by sharing articles and your favourite Ted talks.

In comparison, writing targeted CVs for each job application is time-consuming. Especially as they also need to be professional-looking and you need to invest time looking for jobs.

This is why CV builders are such a useful tool. They allow you to make quick edits, meaning that you can swiftly add the right keywords for each application. You also save the time and hassle of trying to design a resume which stands out from the crowd.

You can choose from hundreds of professionally-designed templates to catch the attention of prospective employers and there are templates specifically designed for each industry.

In the past, most people used to create their CV using a basic program such as Microsoft Word. Now, in the digital age, in the face of stiff competition, these CVs look amateurish and are unlikely to be shortlisted. Unless you have advanced design skills, it is wise to leave the layout and the look of your CV to the professionals.