As the credit crunch bites, iProfile offers help to make candidate CVs stand out from the crowd

As the credit crunch bites, the latest employment figures from the Office for National Statistics out today show the UK unemployment rate has increased, and the number of job vacancies has fallen. iProfile.org, which hosts online CVs for more than 2.5 million people in the UK, has also seen a record increase in the number of people creating online CVs on its site: in July, the number was up by 21% on the same period last year.

In response to the tougher labour market conditions, iProfile.org today launched a series of resources to help people looking for work, including those affected by the recent collapse of Lehman Brothers.

The free resources, available at iProfileís new career advice website (www.iprofile.org/Career-Advice) include top tips on CV writing, developing a covering letter, how to handle interviews as well access to a report exploring the differences between what employers look for in a CV with what candidates think they want.

Karl Gregory, Marketing Director at iProfile.org, said: ìFor many years, candidates have been in a strong position and have moved jobs relatively easily. But as the economic slowdown continues, the tables are turning. Increasingly, companies are reducing staff intake or freezing recruitment programmes and even beginning redundancy initiatives. This doesnít necessarily mean itís all doom and gloom – there will always be demand for strong candidates – but it does mean that those people who fear they are at risk should seriously think about updating their CV and ensuring that it really makes them stand out from the crowd. Our free online resources will help candidates do this.î

For those unfamiliar with an online CV, iprofile.org provides all the resources needed to build one - 2.5m individuals hold an iProfile in the UK today and it is increasingly the CV format that recruitment consultancies prefer candidates to use.

Gregory continues: ìAn online CV can help ensure your information is presented in a format preferred by recruiters and the better ones allow you to track whom you have shared your career details with, whether they have looked at it and get feedback directly from them. People wanting to maximise their chances of being matched to their perfect role should look to set up an online CV as part of their jobseeking activity.î