Forum: workplace.stackexchange.com
Tags: <resume><helping>
Title: Is it acceptable to format a CV for someone else?
Question: Assume that someone (friend, family) asks you to format his/her CV. They typically might want to apply to a job where text processing etc. is not one of the key requirements and they ask you to do it in order to have a nice result and/or to win time, although they could probably do it themselves in Word.  Can it be negative for them? Imagine for instance that the interviewer asks them how they made such a nice CV.

Answers:
sents: text: Yes it's fine
text: It's fairly normal to ask someone to proof
text: -read your resume or to help with layout, so there's nothing wrong there.
text: There's so many resumes sent out with elementary mistakes, so another set of eyes really helps in getting things right.
text: If the recruitment is happening via an agency, the hiring company won't see your resume, they'll just see a copy/paste of the relevant parts (recruiters won't want the client seeing your contact details).
text: In general, it's far more important to get the facts right than for it to look pretty.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 34
sents: text: Is it acceptable to format a cv for someone else?
text: Yes, of course.
text: I help friends write and format their resumes all the time.
text: Nobody knows or cares who wrote or formatted your CV/resume.
text: They only care that it accurately reflects you, your background, and your career.
text: I can't imagine that an interviewer would ask about a nice resume.
text: But if they did, saying "Well, I had a friend who is really good at it
text: give me a hand.
text: " is a perfectly acceptable answer.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/7777/Joe Strazzere
score: 10
sents: text: Yes , its fine to help someone with their resume/cv.
text: I have been complimented on my resume for its format and such in the past, but never has an interviewer asked how I came up with it.
text: It is very low risk in my opinion to whomever your helping.
text: In fact, there are several companies who make a living by creating resumes for professionals at all levels.
text: Their resume is the first step, the golden ticket if you will, to earn the interview.
text: I would do whatever I felt necessary to make mine as solid as possible.
text: Formatting and content both matter .
text: Think of it as their first impression with the potential employer.
text: Do what you can to make is as good as it can be.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/61096/Neo
score: 7
sents: text: Just to go against the grain...
text: It can possibly be a problem, IF.
text: You use words or phraseology that the person doesn't normally use You embellish
text: The person cannot recite it from memory.
text: If he doesn't know what's on his own resume, that's a BIG red flag
text: It doesn't "fit" the job applied for.
text: You want your resume to be fine tuned to hit the requirements of the job for which you are applying.
text: To avoid this, make sure you go over the CV as you are making the changes, and the person understands them and can go over it with you line by line and memorize it.
text: Edited to add: To expand on my point #1.
text: If I am interviewing someone and the language at the interview doesn't match what I've seen on the resume, it's going to make me think that something is wrong, that I'm not interviewing the same person I saw on the resume.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/46894/Old_Lamplighter
score: 3
sents: text: It is absolutely acceptable to proofread someone's CV/resume.
text: However, if you are really asking about "crafting" a resume, that's a different matter.
text: By "crafted" resume I mean a type of resume, which, while not making any obviously false claims, presents the facts in a misleading manner.
text: For example, a resume may suggest that the candidate is a rocket scientist, while actually he worked at Goddard Space Flight Center as a janitor.
text: So, what can go bad is that the reviewer (or should we call him co-author?) might have his best intentions and embellish the candidate's profile, but the hiring manager would not be impressed.
text: The remedy is simple - stick to the facts, and ask yourself, if you were the hiring manager yourself, would you like this candidate?
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/59654/Alexander
score: 1
sents: text: Limited answer - this is not fine if...
text: If the C.V. or job description describes the person as being good at design, formatting documents, or experienced with LaTeX, then the person should format it themselves.
text: In this (very limited) case, the implicit assumption the company will come away with is that you are presenting your C.V. as an example of your work.
text: Having someone else format it for you is likely to lead them to a false conclusion.
text: If not in this situation, see any of the other answers.
answer_details: author: workplace.stackexchange.com/users/22665/Scott
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Yes, it is fine to help someone with their CV.
It is generally agreed that it's perfectly acceptable to help someone format their CV and it's unlikely to have any negative repercussions for them.