A CV or resume is the document that all fresh graduates or experienced job seekers put together as the first step in the job search process. It is the all-important document that job seekers send to potential employers detailing their credentials and work experiences. This piece of document has had a place in the job search process for decades and is supposedly heavily relied upon by recruiters in deciding whether to shortlist a candidate for an interview.
Before we discuss in greater detail whether CV or resume still has its place in the job search process, it might be good to have clarity on the difference between CV and resume. Many of us have no qualm about using the term interchangeably. In reality, there is a difference; and the difference between CV and resume lies in the length, layout, and purpose of these documents. CVs have no length limit; resumes are typically one to two pages long. A CV details the whole course of the candidate’s academic career; a resume summarizes skills and work experience. These words are that of Michael Tomaszewski which he aptly explained in a blog post entitled “The Difference Between a CV vs a Resume Explained”, updated June 1, 2020, in zety.com.
However, we shall not slice and dice on the term CV or resume for this article “Job Audition May Sound the Death Knell for CV or Resume!” as it is not the intention of this write-up to analyze the correct usage of the term.
That said, CV or resume offers the first contact between a job seeker and a recruiter. As stated earlier, it is the document that recruiters use to undertake the initial assessment of the candidate’s suitability for the job applied. It has served this purpose well for many years but its legitimate place in the job search process begs a reevaluation in this era of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). For example, artificial intelligence, robotic technology, and IT-related careers are compelling employees in these fields to be technically savvy with in-demand technology. Post-Covid19 is likely to see a new normal in the digitization of many businesses and services. Many traditional jobs that we know today may disappear and replace by new jobs with new skills requirements. As such, it is imperative that job seekers take note of this development and reskill/upskill accordingly.
Recruiters will need job seekers to demonstrate competency in these new in-demand hard and soft skills. It will be a challenge and quite impossible for a recruiter to assess these competencies from merely reading a candidate’s CV or resume. This issue is compounded when job seekers creatively manipulated their CV or resume. There have been cases where job seekers stretched their credentials by misrepresenting information on their CV or resume. Such creative manipulation may include employment history, salary, job scope/responsibilities, designation, educational qualification, professional certification, etc. In other words, blatant misrepresentation of information in their CV or resume.
One needs to understand that a recruitment process is a costly affair both from the perspective of time and money spent. Any wrongful hiring based on misrepresented or fake information in CV or resume can definitely cause major reputational damage to the recruiter. Not to mention creating a negative impact and potentially disrupting the company’s human capital strategy and business. This has led many recruiters to have second thoughts about solely relying on a CV or resume in assessing job seekers’ credentials in meeting job requirements.
Notwithstanding the occurrence of fraudulent misrepresentation, I believe CV and resume will continue to have a place in the talent sourcing process albeit playing second fiddle to technical assessment or job audition. This is due to the fact that CV or resume does not offer an accurate and fair evaluation of potential employees as opposed to technical assessment. Sometimes information revealed in the CV or resume may cause an applicant to be treated in a prejudicial way. This will result in an unfair elimination of good candidates. Job seekers should, therefore, expect job audition to play an integral part in the job search and interview process irrespective of a technical or non-technical role.
Lastly, it is interesting to note a LinkedIn article dated January 27, 2020, which first appeared on CNBC revealing the most in-demand job skills in 2020 as follow:
Top 10 most in-demand hard skills globally are:
The top 5 most in-demand soft skills globally are:
Disclaimer: The author is a headhunter with 17 years of industry experience and this article is the personal opinion of the author. Photo credit: adam-birkett-unsplash.
