Resumes are dead? Rec Grapevine
“Resumes are dead,” says Carisa Miklusak, CEO of Tilr. Okay, so whilst you’ve heard this all before, Miksulk isn’t the only person digging a grave to lay the CV into. Just last month, Josh Mastel, CEO of UpRoar Partners similarly predicted the CV’s “imminent demise.”
Add in a coroner-style report from executive search firm Futurstep, part of the Korn Ferry family, which found that the CV was on its last legs as the divinely-appointed be-all of getting hired – overtaken by that anxiety-sparking upstart which is networking – and it doesn’t look so good.
Yet, despite years of being written off as dead or dying, the CV is still kicking around; for many -candidates and recruiters – it’s the lifeblood of hiring.
However, the CV’s longevity won’t stop recruiters and hiring managers taking popshots at it though. For some recruiters, the CV isn’t a good living-and-breathing representation of the person it’s meant to sell.
Miksulak believes that CVs are a “very static presentation of who you are”. Whilst Ankit Somani, Co-Founder of AllyO, believes that the “CV is a data collection exercise, not a decision-maker exercise,” Somani said. “If I’m seeking someone in a role, I have 10 questions in mind. Answering those questions tells me much more.”
But, if CVs can’t offer enough texture. What can? GDPR will change the manner in which recruiters access their candidate’s social media and it’s hard to know the impact an applicant has had on their previous workplaces.
Andrew Tregenza, Manging Director of AAA Recruitment, says that CVs just don’t “cut the mustard” anymore. He does however believe that he’s found a new “V” for the “CV”.
He says: “We live in the 21st century and technology with recruitment needs to be heartily embraced. Nowadays it’s all about Curriculum Videos and anyone with a mobile can do it.” “Qualifications are still important and employers are keen to know about these so jobseekers are advised to include these in the footage they provide too.
“We’re finding this visual medium, showing them interact with others and in action doing their current job is just as important too.”
“We have many candidates looking for roles locally including head chefs, sous chefs, recruitment consultants and project managers and many more.It’s great when you can show a potential employer some footage of a chef cooking and the dishes they create. Curriculum Videos are here to stay.”
Whilst video might not be anything new, looking at multimedia applications as a lens in which to view the many dimensions of an applicant’s skillset might refresh a format which could previously be dismissed as a nice dressing on top the main part of the application: the CV.
However, not every candidate has the computer and media literacy that’s needed for video resume applications. Recruitment Grapevine reported on one such candidate who went the long-round to prove the CV still has its worth.