#22: Where we're going we don't need ... CVs
And other bullshit on the internet.
I was going to start with a reference to reaching the point in time Marty travelled to in “the future”. All the flying cars, hoverboards and and crazy alternate dystopian realities. And voice activated home tech.
I’d got it all worked out.
Then I quickly Googled it and realised that of course… I’m about 7 years late for that.
Because he went to 2015.
Which already feels lifetime ago. Shit.
And still, we have no flying cars or hoverboards. Though we definitely have voice activated home tech and in some corners, sadly, there are crazy dystopian realities.
However, Robert Zemekis and Bob Gale (who created the Back to the Future trilogy) missed one crucial thing out of their vision of the future.
The Internet.
OK, two things. The rise of social media.
Alright - three things. All the chat suggesting social media and your online presence will replace your CV.
👆 No-one expected that.
Now then dear reader, I consider myself reasonably progressive for a nearly 47-year-old.
I’ve used TikTok and I’m vaguely aware there’s a thing called Snapchat, and I buy my train tickets on an app and pay for shit with my phone.
But the idea that CVs will be killed off and replaced entirely by online profiles or even just your “personal brand” … I don’t buy it.
Certainly not in the next 10 years. Probably 20. And even then, mass adoption?
Yes, society is more digitally enabled than ever. No doubt at some point we won’t have to buy a new phone, but just get an updated chip in our wrist. Or something.
We’ll all be kicking about in trainers that do themselves up, and self-sizing clothes.
But that, surely, is way off.
M: “Gee Doc! Are you serious?”
D: “That’s right Marty. In the future, technology becomes so advanced that social media influencers really will believe there’s no place for CVs in the hiring process!”
M: “Far out, Doc. What’s social media?”
In the meantime, you still need a CV to apply for a job.
Whether you’re applying to work in the local cake shop (cue vision of me, aged 14, cycling to the next village and handing out word-processed bits of paper to every shop in the precinct), or to be the next Head of Tracksuits at Biff’s Auto Detailing, you’re gonna need a CV.
So, don’t be a butthead - make it a good one.
If you want heaps of free guidance on how to do that watch the LinkedIn Live I did this week.
Similarly, there’s a shitload of content. It’s not horseshit though. It’s tried and tested and won’t make your clothes smell.
In it I cover 6 (alright, 7 - I had time to throw another one in) key areas you probably need to improve in your CV.
It lasts about an hour. Have a notepad and a pen ready, because Great Scott!! There’s a ton of highly actionable, insightful tips on content and formatting.
Right, I’m off to jump in my 1990s Toyota 4x4 (I wish) and change the course of my future by not engaging in a traffic light sprint race.
See ya later.
Phil
In the socials…
Apart from that Live (which to be honest took up most of my brain space this week), I did a few other bits and bobs that are worthy of your attention:
Here’s another video - this time helping you nail those pesky STAR interviews. Miss this at your peril!
Here’s one about reprogramming your brain wiring to focus less on the shit stuff that’s going on and more on the good stuff you should be grateful for.
And finally, one linking blackberrying with feeling good about yourself and how to avoid crippling peer comparisons.
I work mainly with senior people who:
⏩ lack the time to put to writing a decent CV
⏩ don’t really know what to put in it (or leave out) to make it stand out
⏩ would rather outsource it to someone who’s seen thousands and written hundreds - that have landed people interviews
Hit reply to this email, get in touch at phil@philsterne.com or contact me through LinkedIn and we can look at some options that’ll get you back in the game as quickly as you can say the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance.
Be there, or be square.
