It is impossible to avoid the ever growing online world. And so it is no wonder that some recruitment and employer websites ask you or recommend that you build an online CV rather than using a CV that you have pulled together in Notepad or in Word. Indeed, as the online community and the use of the internet grows in popularity for commercial affairs, some individuals now have blogs or websites that 'act' as their online CV profiles.

Building an online CV is almost the same as completing an application form. You are given a number of pre-determined fields that need to be completed, and the information needs to be provided in a pre-determined format. Examples of the type of information you would need to complete on an online CV include your basic biographical information (name, address, contact details, etc), your career history - starting with your latest job and working back for up to 10 years, your educational background and your qualifications. You may also be asked to provide a personal profile, or some information on your hobbies and interests.

In addition, there may be some pre-qualifier questions that you have to answer, such as your right to work in the UK, or specific qualifications that you need for a particular industry (e.g. nursing).

There are a number of pros and cons to building an online CV and to using this document to apply for job vacancies. A clear advantage would be that you can be sure that the information you are submitting is in a format that will be compatible with the recruitment agency or the employing company that you are liaising with. It will upload easily onto their databases or electronic systems, which will make it much easier for them to store and access your personal information. However, using a pre-determined form also means that it is more difficult for you to have control over exactly what information you submit, how the document flows and how it is presented. There is also the possibility that you might be asked to provide information on an online CV that you wouldn't normally include on your CV, such as your current salary.

One last handy tip when completing an online CV form; try not to be too generic in the information you provide. Whilst you won't want to limit yourself to a very specific job profile, you also want to make sure that you have sufficient search terms that enable a recruiter to pull you out from hundreds of generic CVs.