Why the Resume is an Endangered Species

"Why the Resume is an Endangered Species"," No, the resume isn't in danger of immediate extinction.


Resumes are a relic of a traditional employment recruiting process in which employers needed a standard way of comparing numerous prospects for open job positions sight unseen.


However, today's job candidates aren't necessarily "sight unseen" at all.
 Employers don't passively wait for job candidates to send resumes; they "see" prospective candidates on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media before you set foot in the reception area.
 However, today, it's expected.


In the job search process of today, online self-marketing in the form of LinkedIn profiles, blogs, social resumes, and even Twitter feeds are the new standard.
0 technologies (that is, social networking sites).


You sift through hundreds of documents for each open position, so after a while the resumes all start to look alike.
 Many look good on one or two pages of paper.
 That's why you check the URLs included on the resume to get a better-rounded picture of each person's strengths and weaknesses.
 You can look at recommendations from the candidate's past employers on LinkedIn.


You better believe that candidates who have a sharp, authentic online identity in line with what you're looking for stand out.


Now think about the hiring process from the point-of-view of an organization's hiring manager.
 To stay abreast of current happenings in your field, you are likely to read articles in trade publications and follow at least a few industry blogs (especially blogs by others in your city or geographic territory).


You will notice if someone has an interesting contribution to a discussion that interests you.


The most successful professionals today want to be that so-and-so.
 They are constantly cultivating opportunities for taking their career to the next level by cultivating relationships with hiring managers at the companies for which they want to work.
" According to personal branding expert Dan Schawbel in his book Me 2.


Because the term "personal brand" sometimes calls to mind the misconception that it's about job seekers altering their image in order to project what employers say they want, I prefer to use the term ""career marketing plan.


I tell my clients that having a great resume, e-resume, and cover letter is the cornerstone of a successful career marketing plan, but they're not the be all and end all of a career marketing plan.


Here are the three most important steps to take now:


Write a top-notch LinkedIn profile.
com isn't going to impress anyone.
 The profile should read like a 10-minute conversation with you in which you summarize your virtues, highlight the most relevant experience, and explain why that experience is relevant to the opportunity.

 Read all the industry blogs and independent bloggers in your field every day, and share your views on the topics about which you are most passionate.
 It's not a good idea to mix your personal interests with your professional blogs, so I recommend ""fencing"" your online personalities that may contain information you don't want prospective employers to see (that is, limit the people who have access to your personal musings to friends only) and taking other steps to manage your online reputation.
 You may have heard that it's a good idea to have multiple versions of your resume tailored for different job targets; this may have been good advice 5 or 10 years ago, but today having a schizophrenic online identity is counterproductive.
 The key is to find the theme that weaves your different fabrics and embellishments together, and then to present a seamless tapestry across the full portfolio of your career marketing documents.
 Today's job seekers can gain a competitive advantage by taking full advantage of social media and blogs.


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