In the jobs market the unfortunate truth is, you don't often hear about how your CV is doing once you send it out there. 

Why should you, the jobseeker, spend hours on end prepping and preparing your CV to hear nothing back? Surely this means that submitting your CV online is just a time wasting exercise of all proportions?

And it may well be a time wasting exercise. Unless you take the time to get it right...

Preconceptions...

"A CV database, what is that?"
"I never hear anything back, so what's the point?"
"I don't know where my CV is going or where it will end up"
"That's not going to help me get a job!"

Exposed...

A CV database is just that... a database that stores CVs. Most jobs websites will have one, filled with hundreds and hundreds of their user's CVs. Employers will then pay these jobs websites so that they can search through the CV database to find candidates for a job they have available. This will not be done manually, but with computer keyword recognition technology; an employer will search for keywords within the database that match their vacancy, and the computer system will then pick out the CVs that match those keywords. Employers that use CV databases will be seriously looking to recruit- in the same way that if a company pays an agency to find them staff, it is to fill a current, real vacancy; so it is very important that as a jobseeker, your CV is exposed to these recruiters.

Alex Farrell, managing director of The IT Job Board commented in a press release: “CV Databases are undoubtedly creating real behavioural changes on the candidate side. IT professionals are now demonstrating a real eagerness to ‘get their CVs out there’, and through the use of CV Databases, they are proactively marketing themselves to potential employers – in a bid to be effectively headhunted"

Important things to remember...

-CV databases continually grow... There will always be an influx of new, active candidates and new CVs submitted to jobs websites. More emerging talent inevitably means more competition for vacancies, so it is important that your CV stands out, to ensure that you get noticed. It is also especially important to check for common errors such as bad spelling, etc which will seriously inhibit your chances in a competitive marketplace.

-Employers often search by location... In order to find relevant jobseekers for their vacancies, a recruiter will search a CV database for a location that matches the vacancy on offer. It is important that your location appears on your CV in order to make it search-able to employers in your region. If you do not wish to put your whole address on your CV, then at least make sure you specify a town or region, so that you will be visible to local recruiters. If you are looking for work in a place that is not currently where you live, it is worth emphasising this on your CV.

-FAQ...  Often people ask me 'Will my current employer be able to see my CV if I post it to a jobs website or use a CV distribution service?' This is a tricky one. While it's highly unlikely that your employer would come across your CV, there is a chance that this could happen with a search-able database. Think carefully about whether a CV database is right for you in your current position, and always take the time to read about what you are signing up for. What is the website promising to do for you- If it is sending your CV to other jobs websites, that means your CV will end up in online search-able CV databases- but just because these databases are online, does not mean that anyone can see your CV.

-CV optimisation... When writing your CV, you should be aware of the keyword technology that will pick out your CV for a recruiter. The keywords in your CV will help an employer match you to a vacancy, so it is important that your CV contains keywords relating to the type of job you want. These keywords include job titles, educational level, and skills relating to your profession. An easy way to ensure your CV has the right kind of keywords is to look at job descriptions for the type of job you want. Match these requirements to those in your CV, and note any frequently used terms in the job descriptions that you can add into your CV.


Key points:
Be a proactive jobseeker
Have a presence in online CV databases
Ensure your CV is keyword matched to your ideal job

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net