4 Reasons why your CV might be out of date

Jamie Harris
Sep 4, 2018 · 6 min read

We often encourage people to review their CVs every now and again, so that you have an updated copy in your backpocket. For those who are currently in a career that challenges you, or a job that complements your lifestyle choices, you might think — why should I?

Here are 4 workforce trends that might render your CV out of date.

4 reasons why it’s time to update your CV
  1. 35% of skills that are considered important today will have changed by 2020 (read this study to learn more).

So what does that mean? It means that as a society, we are living in an era of unprecedented change. It means that employers and HR managers may no longer point to a list of job description or skills set and say — “yes, this is exactly what we need in our organisation in order to be successful in 1, 3, 5 years’ time”.

So what does that mean for you? It means that calling out your accomplishments and skills may no longer be sufficient, because the environment in which you have succeeded in the past has changed. CVs of tomorrow are forward-looking, they are future-oriented, they tell prospective employers and readers not only what you are capable of, but also how these capabilities may be transferable, in other words, your potential.

2. Human-centered approach to improving employee experience.

If you are a Scrubs fan, you would remember the scene in the pilot episode where Dr. Kelso said to Dr. Dorian, “do you not realise that you’re nothing but a large pair of scrubs to me? For God’s sake, the only reason I carry this chart around is so I can pretend to remember your damn names!” Those days are slowly but surely fading away.

In the past decade, we have seen corporations spending more time and money to understand customer journey and buyer personas — who they are as a person, what they like and dislike, what do they do, where they go, how they shop… Increasingly, corporations are recognising that having a good team of people are just as important as having great products. So they are investing more on improving the employee experience.

You are no longer just a large pair of scrubs, you are a human being with a heartbeat, passion, strengths, some of these strengths might also be your biggest flaws, but that’s all part of being human.

What does this mean for you? It means that our CVs should be a reflection of us as a human. It is not just a piece of paper that you send in as part of a job application, it is a story, it is alive, it shows off your passion and your personality. It is a reflection of your journey.

If you have changed career a few times or traveled around the world or taken career breaks for any other reasons, don’t feel like you have to hide this information. Be proud of your journey and be genuine, your readers will see these qualities come to life.

3. Changing nature of work.

In the recent past, people would have one job from the day they start working to the day they retire. Now we are seeing a change in the workforce trend where, instead of having one job for your entire working life, you have several. So you finish one job, start the next job, finish that job, start the next job, and repeat. In the 21st century, once again, we start to see a shift in the trend.

An evolution of workforce trends

We see more and more people who are working part time, taking career breaks has become commonplace, the lines between work and play and work and study are increasingly blurred as more people are pursuing part time courses to acquire new skills, the rise of the gig economy means that people are doing multiple jobs at the same time, and we know that this trend is becoming more prevalent as 43% of the US workforce are expected to be freelancers by 2020 (read more here).

What does this mean for you? It means that you have the freedom to choose. You can choose how you want to incorporate work into your life, if you want to work part time so you can spend more time with family or pursue passion outside of your day job, you can choose to do so.

I speak with a lot of parents looking to return to work, many of whom are often concerned that they may be disadvantaged if they were to call out in their CV that they would like to work part time. If you are one of them, then you have nothing to worry about. Organisations are embracing part time workers with open arms. Thanks to the advent of technology, the nature of work is changing, and this makes jobs and roles more flexible. So organisations can shape a role to suit your needs and lifestyle. Be open to discussing what works best for you, you may be surprised.

4. Web of ecosystems made possible by partnerships.

We live in a connected world, where businesses and corporations are increasingly dependent on each other not just to survive, but to thrive. To make the best products or provide extraordinary customer service, corporations tend to focus their internal resources on core activities that are unique to them, and outsourcing activities that are increasingly commoditised. This allows big and small companies alike to become more lean, more nimble.

So what does this mean? It means that the way work is organised has changed. It used to be that if you are a software developer, you just need to focus on developing technical skills, focusing on your particular technology areas. But this mentality is changing. As teams become smaller, boundaries between roles start to blur and people are working more closely than ever.

As a software developer, you are encouraged to understand more about the customers’ perspective — how they work and play, how they interact with your product or systems. As a financial analyst, understanding accounting principles is just the bare minimum, you are encouraged to learn more about cloud computing and how the adoption of public cloud impacts your balance sheet. As a procurement specialist, you are encouraged to learn more about the latest manufacturing procedures which may have an impact on how raw materials are consumed in the process.

So what does this mean for you? It means that organisations are starting to look for candidates who are more well-rounded and are capable to stepping outside their comfort zones to learn new things, and incorporate those new skills and knowledge to improve the quality of their work.

Does any of this resonate with where you work? Let us know, we’d love to hear your experience.


Rock Your CV is a platform that provides professional and memorable CV templates to help people create stunning visual identities to tell their personal stories. We believe that everyone should be given the same chance to succeed in life, regardless of who they are or where they are from. Our products & services are designed to help level the playing field, by making it easier for those who aren’t good at making powerpoint slides or writing about their own skills — do exactly that.

Jamie Harris is a Customer Engagement Lead at Rock Your CV, she looks after our customers, supports them with CV writing and talks to people about feedback & suggestions to improve the experience of the Rock Your CV platform. Get in touch by emailing hello@rockyourcv.com today.

rockyourcv

Rock Your CV is a digital platform that helps you create stunning and professional looking CV to tell your personal stories.

Jamie Harris

Written by

Currently working at an exciting Melbourne-based start up called Rock Your CV

rockyourcv

Rock Your CV is a digital platform that helps you create stunning and professional looking CV to tell your personal stories.

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