By George Blomgren
George Blomgren has more experience as a job seeker than he likes to think about. He's also been responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring. He's a widely published author on career development and job seeking. He works for a national network of employment Web sites, where every day he gets to see what works and what doesn't. George likes motorcycling, the band Yes and vegetables that start with the letter "a".
The idea that the traditional resume is dead (or at least dying) has resurfaced repeatedly in recent years. To paraphrase Mark Twain, rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated.
Let's consider the alternatives and the reasons why each has allegedly unseated the reigning champion. I’ll explain why each of these upstarts won’t replace the resume as we know it, not anytime soon.
Networking and/or personal referrals have replaced resumes. While these avenues can open up a lot of potential job opportunities, they don't supplant the resume. A true "networking" hire may delay the request for a resume; it may not be required prior to an initial interview. But at some point in the hiring process, a resume will be requested. You will look very bad if, at that point, you don't have one or it isn't up to date. You will look even worse if you try to explain that, because you're there as a result of networking, you aren’t obliged to provide one!
Video is now the medium of choice for resumes. Older job seekers may recall that resumes used to often include photos. The possibility that these photos could lead to any type of discrimination or profiling led to an abrupt and decisive end to this practice. So, it's interesting that the ability to see what candidates look like is re-emerging as a multimedia concept! Sound and video don't eliminate the legal concerns. Furthermore, for a job seeker to spend the kind of money necessary to get a video resume professionally produced looks a little desperate, or at least ostentatious. But unless you spend enough to have it done really well (and, unless you are charismatic and articulate), a video resume is likely to work against you. In fact, as Yale University senior Aleksey Vayner recently discovered, video resumes can really backfire!
Your blog is your resume. Much like networking, a blog may open the door to opportunities, but it won't close the deal. At an interview, or as part of your application, you will be expected to share a copy of your resume. Additionally, no matter what your blog is about — personal or professional — is it a comprehensive document about your professional credentials? If it is, it's probably not a very widely read blog! If it isn't, it doesn't replace your resume. Besides, employers like to include your resume in your personnel file — they can't do that with a blog.
Profiles are better than resumes. Some employment web sites have bet the farm on this idea. Job seekers fill out a detailed personal profile that identifies their skills and experience. The profile also includes things like the job seeker's location, and whether or not they are willing to relocate. It may also include personality profiling and questions that seek to establish compatibility with different company cultures.
Next, employers fill out reciprocal profiles regarding job opportunities they have available. Computer-based algorithms then try to match suitable candidates and job opportunities. (If you're familiar with dating web sites, this is the "eHarmony" model!) One immediate problem with this model is that it is time consuming for employers and job seekers alike. This tends to weed out all but the most desperate job seekers and employers.
As much as I dispute the idea that the traditional resume is dead, or even on its way out, don't get me wrong. I'm not a big fan. Resumes are old school, in so many ways. In an era when marketing communications (that's what your resume is, after all) have become all about multimedia, collaboration, transparency, candor, hyperlinks, annotation, tagging, etc., the traditional resume is a dinosaur. But its extinction may take some time.
Employers can't afford to stop relying on resumes as long as job seekers use them, and job seekers can't afford to avoid using them until employers won't accept them any longer. In either case, the brave souls who lead the charge by refusing to provide resumes will be putting themselves at a tremendous disadvantage until everyone else catches up.
Having said that, the impending "war for talent" may prove to be the equivalent of the meteor that allegedly wiped out dinosaurs, or in this case resumes. The talent shortage employers will experience as baby boomers retire will, many experts believe, turn the employment market on its head. There will be almost no unemployment, so employers will be desperately competing with each other to recruit people who are already employed. If this scenario holds true, and employers are desperately wooi ng candidates, this may give candidates the upper hand. They may not have to provide resumes.
For the time being, smart job seekers will continue to use resumes. These documents will just be one more tool in a full arsenal, but for now they will remain an essential tool. That's why it's worth the time to make your resume as good as possible. (Of course, since you're reading this document, I'm preaching to the choir!) Circling back to the "alternatives" I listed above, although I don't believe any will replace resumes any time soon, some are worth borrowing from. Here are a few specific things you can learn from the contenders:
- Keywords are the relevant words and phrases that (if you upload your resume) get automatically indexed. The "web 2.0" replacement is tags — these are the words and phrases that you choose to identify yourself under. Considering add a new section to the venerable resume format: tags. If you post your resume on employment sites that utilize tags, take advantage of this feature.
- Though blogs won't replace resumes, blogs (if they are relevant to your profession, and don't include questionable content) can be both a great supplement to your resume, and a great place to house your resume. Of course, if you are currently happily employed, yo u may not want to push your luck by publicly distributing your resume on your blog.
- Although networking won't replace resumes, you should network as if this was true. In other words, don't expect your resume to open any doors from you. Networking (online and in person) is the key to creating the opportunities where your resume will then be invaluable.
- If you are in job hunting mode, there's no reason to back a single horse. Do it all! Use employment web sites that eschew resumes in favor of profiles. Network. Blog. But have a resume as well.