Online CVs with podcast and video attachments are the latest trend in job-hunting. But could they catch on in travel? Ross Bentley reports
Internet technology is revolutionising the way job- seekers are putting together their CVs by allowing them to build online resumés full of rich media.
The trend, which is more prevalent in the US, sees candidates creating what is being called a ‘visual CV’ where they embed digital images, PDF files, charts and graphs, podcasts, web links and online video alongside the traditional text.
And experts working in the travel trade recruitment industry think the format could be put to good use in the UK for candidates applying for IT roles or senior positions.
Visualcvs.com marketing director Pierce Resler said the benefit of a CV that includes images and video is that it helps job-seekers stand out from the crowd. The firm offers individuals free access to its software, which they use to download the applications they want to include.
The CV is then hosted by the company online, allowing the person to send the web link to their CV out to prospective employers or anyone else they might want to see it.
“A lot of people have a public version that acts as a consistent professional representation anywhere online, whether accessed as a button on an email signature, via a social networking website such as Facebook or LinkedIn, or on a website or blog,” said Resler, who claims users from more than 120 countries have registered for the service since the company launched at the beginning of the year.
But C&M Recruitment marketing manager Sarah Clayton-Turner is undecided about whether the visual CV will hit the mainstream in the UK.
She said: “I’m not sure whether it would be seen as a gimmick or as something that would add value to the recruitment process.
“I can see it being useful to candidates applying for a creative or IT-based position. It could show a potential employer that you are up with the latest technology and be a statement of your ability.”
Travel professionals applying for senior roles may also be able to make use of the technology, according to AA Appointments managing director John Tolmie. This is because employers recruiting for a senior role are more likely to take the personality of the candidate into consideration.
He said: “CVs have always been a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional person, but visual CVs allow people to show a bit more of their personality.
“I can see its value to senior candidates who are generally required to supply more supporting information about their experience and previous roles.”
But when it comes to applying for travel agent positions, Clayton-Turner believes the visual CV is of limited value.
“When you are looking at a high volume of CVs you don’t have the time to download a video or click on a link. I can’t see how a visual CV would make the selection process any easier,” said Clayton-Turner.
As with many new business concepts and technology, the UK is lagging behind the US in its adoption of visual CVs or similar creations such as personalised video presentations.
In a recent survey of 500 UK candidates, executive search company MRINetwork found only 4% had used a video CV – a figure president Michael Jalbert expects to increase in the coming years.
He said: “The growth of broadband connections and the existence of easy-to-use video-making applications will most likely spur usage as more candidates, hoping to stand out from the competition, post video CVs online to boost their chances of being noticed and hired.”