With the advent of the internet, people have gained access to a huge amount of information and resources online. In fact, there seems to be nothing that you will not find or learn about by using the internet. This is good, actually, but not all the time. In writing a resume, for instance, many people tend to use free online resume templates instead of perhaps paying for resume and career services. The problem with using such sample CVs is that they are usually not the perfect fit for every person’s credentials. Let me tell you some other reasons why you should not rely on the free CV samples or templates you find online.
1. Bulky resumes are more likely to get dumped.
When you use a sample resume as a guide, chances are you will end up having a multi-page document. Most templates will require that you list the contact information and addresses of every single educational institution you graduated from. You may even be asked to indicate what grades you scored as a student. Remember that long resumes are not the ones most hiring managers are fond of.
2. You will end up wasting your time and effort.
CV templates and samples will naturally encourage you to spend time doing the design, layout, borders, fonts, and so on. Well, there is actually no use doing those things because most companies today make use of certain software that actually turn all submitted CVs into a standard format before they begin scanning them. Thus, all the formatting you will do with your resume will be changed before it is placed in the database.
3. You run the risk of including harmful and irrelevant information.
Websites providing free CV templates and samples will not let you know of the information that you must not include in your resume. In fact, they may even be the ones to encourage you to include such information in your CV. What I am talking about here are the details that could have a negative effect on your chances of being hired, such as your marital status, age, and even ethnicity.
4. You are being disrespectful of the employer.
Perhaps the biggest downside of using a free online resume template rather than hiring an expert in resume and career services is that it shows how much you are disregarding the employer who will read it. Sample resumes do not have the flexibility to be customized for a particular employer and position being applied to, which can lead to your CV being ignored by the hiring manager.
