Hays have suggested that even in the time of LinkedIn and social media the CV is still an important part of a job search. Nick Deligiannis, managing director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand, says the CV and LinkedIn profile are two separate, but complementary entities which serve different purposes.
“If you register with a recruiter or apply for a job, your CV will be viewed first,” he explains. “This document gives the recruiter a factual and chronological snapshot of your skills and experience and explains why you are both interested in and suitable for this job specifically. It provides the background knowledge a recruiter needs to determine if you have the skills and experience required for a particular role.
“Based on the information conveyed in your CV, the recruiter will form an opinion of your fit for the role,” he explains. “In most cases they will then search for you on LinkedIn to learn more and see evidence of your work. You’ll then either be invited in for an interview, or will not make the shortlist.”
Today however, recruiters and employers are also using digital technology and data science analytics to reach deep into candidate pools to find suitable talent. According to Hays, it’s your online presence and LinkedIn profile that enable you to be found in this way.
Even in this case though, Nick says if you are interested in the role a recruiter will still require a CV to send on to clients. “That’s why it is important that you continue to adapt your CV to fit the types of roles you are applying for,” he says. “You can then complement this by creating a strong LinkedIn profile to bring your CV to life. For example, add visual examples to demonstrate your skills and achievements, such as videos from a conference you organised or a PDF of an external document you put together for your executive.”
Remember, it isn’t a case of LinkedIn profile versus CV; rather, that there should be a strong, professional and active LinkedIn profile to support and bring all the claims on the CV to life.