How useful are CV Templates?
That question is a like ‘how long is a piece of string’ because it all depends upon the templates.
There are many sites on the web offering CV templates. They range from free templates right up to high quality CV templates with full guidance notes and there is very little similarity between the two types of service.
Free templates can be useful when you are doing research, but they won’t help you in presenting your CV in a businesslike way. One of the worst mistakes is in using a pre-set format which makes use of tables for laying out the CV. This is a very bad way to go. The problem with tables on a CV is that the end result is invariably that some of the columns will be crammed with text and others will be almost empty. Apart from the clutter of unnecessary lines on the page, tables will give a very unbalanced look to the all-important presentation of your CV. But free CV templates don’t cost you anything so it’s probably worth having a look at a few to give you some ideas as to the type of information you might like to include in your CV.
Much worse than that are the sites which offer a number of CV templates for a small charge. They are no use at all. The ‘CV templates’ you will get for your money are not even worth following as a guide to layout because they are mostly of such a poor standard. You might just as well approach a number of your mates and ask them to give you copies of their CV’s for you to look at.
However, if you are a person who would really like to know how to write a first class CV and feel that you need some support in doing so, then CV templates at their best can be the ideal solution. The important thing to look out for is whether you will get just a template or whether you will get full guidance notes with examples. In fact, you may find that the guidance notes will be of more use to you than the template itself. If the site makes it clear which topics are covered in the guidance notes and what you will get for your money, then CV templates can be an excellent way of getting the support you need in writing your own CV.