Jobboard Finder’s opinion
Summary: One of the first employment websites created back in 2000, the CV-Library is the UK's leading independent job boad and we know why! At the beginning, it took 5 years for someone to actually get hired but today, it has 14.6 million CVs and 10.1 million visits a month. Always expanding, they have 5 different locations in the UK which are visible on the website. Radio and TV campaigns over the years have contributed enormously to the job board’s success, but nothing can replace good research. The founder, Lee Briggins, attends conferences on recruiting and job boards to ensure their advertising remains relevant. According to the website, 95% of the customers rate them as good or excellent. There are currently over 180,000 jobs on offer.
Design: The colour-scheme is blue and white, with an owl mascot who pops up frequently. You can look up jobs with the different search sections (keywords, location, salary, publication date, distance, job type or industry) or select a featured employer underneath to see the job offers. They have a company listing, career advice (which leads to the blog), and job alerts. Other job search options are looking by location, by popular jobs and by company. When you start looking though the jobs, the search bar moves to the side of the screen and a list of past searches appears below it. Each job shows the job title, location, the company logo and salary. On the company pages, you get an overview of working with the company and their history, with job offers listed below.
The job board objective: The CV-Library prides itself on having one of the biggest CV databases (and many awards for their service). Why wait for quality candidates to come to you when you can find what you want on CV-Library?
Recruiter observations: Two options: You can advertise your job or just search CVs (the more popular choice). You can even test the CV database (UK phone number required), set CV alerts and CV search tips are available. . To look through the database, you can use keywords, the salary, the location, the job type and when the CV was submitted. Costs are clearly indicated on the website. Testimonials from other companies and photos of the entire team on the website make CV-Library a particularly transparent job board (you know who you’re working with).
Jobseeker observations: Pop-ups practically insist you upload your CV if you want to use the website, but it takes very little time to create an account (you can’t see job offers without one). You will need to confirm if you are from out the UK (and hoping to move there) or if you have a permanent UK residence. In fact, some job offers are not even available to people relocating to the UK (on your profile, you can include if you are willing to relocate). The “one-click” apply option is instant and for other applications, a cover letter and questions can be required.
The job offers: According to CV-Library, the November 2017 reported a 45% increase in candidates within the £30k+ bracket. The popular industries include education, retail, IT and engineering (see employers by popular industries).
Reactivity: Good customer service is what makes the company a success. They respond quickly on their chat support and you get automatic e-mails keeping you informed about the recruitment process.
Special features: The blog; Free CV sample downloads and advice; free CV review; the courses search; mobile chat support; matching system (not always very efficient); merchandise; mobile app; the salary guide.
Verdict: There is no doubt that the CV-database is impressive. However, if you are looking to recruit foreigners or if you are overseas, the restrictions make it difficult to use and less appealing
