Many candidates experience the same pattern.
You submit a CV for a role.
You never hear back.
Months later, the same recruiter resurfaces or your CV appears elsewhere.
This is not accidental. It is structural.
The 12-Month Ownership Reality
In most recruitment terms, ownership lasts 12 months post-introduction.
Once a recruiter submits your CV to a client:
- they own the application,
- they control invoicing rights,
- and they hold commercial leverage over your candidacy.
Even if you never interviewed.
Even if the role disappeared.
From a business standpoint, your CV becomes a revenue placeholder.
Why CVs Get “Webblasted”
Recruitment firms survive on pipeline momentum.
To grow a desk, recruiters must:
- demonstrate candidate flow,
- seed multiple clients,
- and keep future options alive.
That leads to CV webblasting.
Often done:
- without full candidate permission,
- without role-specific alignment,
- and without visibility back to the candidate.
This behaviour is common.
It is commercially rational for agencies.
It is damaging for candidates.
The Hidden Cost to Candidates
When hiring teams see the same CV repeatedly from different sources, a simple judgement forms:
“If this person cannot control three sheets of paper, why would we trust them with anything larger?”
That judgement is rarely voiced.
But it absolutely exists.
Reputational dilution happens quietly and permanently.
“Latching” Is Outlawed, But Not Enforced
Candidate latching is technically prohibited.
In practice, enforcement is weak.
The sector is largely deregulated.
Commercial survival overrides best practice.
Recruiters will usually act in the best interests of:
- their desk,
- their firm,
- and their revenue continuity.
Not necessarily the candidate.
GDPR Changed the Rules. Behaviour Didn’t
Post-GDPR, the correct process is clear:
- purpose-specific submission,
- explicit consent,
- and role-aligned usage.
In reality, many CVs are still pushed speculatively.
That gap between regulation and behaviour is where candidates lose control.
The Strategic Alternative
There are only two safe routes:
1. Use LinkedIn Until the Role Is Understood
LinkedIn allows visibility without surrendering control.
It enables conversations, not ownership.
This aligns with how platforms were designed to be used.
2. Release Your CV Only After Customisation
Once you understand:
- the as-is state,
- the to-be objective,
- and the delivery journey,
you can release a targeted, role-specific CV that:
- cannot be reused elsewhere,
- clearly belongs to one application,
- and protects your positioning.
This is not defensive.
It is professional.
Final Reality Check
Recruitment is a commercial industry.
CVs are currency.
If you release yours too early, too broadly, or without alignment, you lose control of:
- your narrative,
- your reputation,
- and your optionality.
Strategic candidates control when, how, and why their CV is released.
Anything else is leaving your career exposed to someone else’s business model.
