No, The Resume Is Still Not Dead

A while back, I wrote The Resume Is Not Dead following a spate of articles sounding a death knell for the tried-and-true job search document. At that time, LinkedIn had just announced its “Apply With LinkedIn” button, which many touted as the final nail in the resume’s coffin. The resume has persevered.

So why does the resume remain the law of the land in an increasingly connected and technically savvy world?  Here is the truth of why the resume is here to stay, and why that is a good thing.

Resumes work: Many would argue that resumes don’t work because they are not getting the responses they had hoped for. That is not because the resume is ineffective; ineffective resumes are ineffective. Concise, engaging and accomplishment-focused resumes are still a great way to communicate your potential value and pique readers’ interest.

Resumes are relatively uncomplicated: I chuckle when I read the enthusiastic responses to articles claiming that video or infographic resumes are the new way forward.  Creating a resume can be a real struggle for many.  But... imagine the barrier to entry being, say, a well-produced video or a beautifully designed infographic resume that tells your story in a completely novel way! I’m sure many would be pining for the “old days” of resumes.

Resumes conform to the systems that exist: Most companies tend to take the slow road when it comes to adopting new technology. That is especially true of HR. Additionally, many have adopted systems to manage the heavy volume of resumes they receive (the much maligned automated screening systems). While new ways of promoting yourself may be disruptive, they often won’t make it through the systems that are currently in place.

As I have said before, I applaud people for pushing the boundaries and developing creative ways of marketing themselves. The landscape is changing – but not that quickly. I maintain that a powerful resume needs to be the centerpiece of any job search.

Unemployment Statistics Keep Improving

A colleague just told me that 29 states have seen recent drops in unemployment. Woohoo! With that positive movement comes an increased confidence among both the employed and unemployed. It's an indication that employers are growing, which gives people – currently working or not – increased inspiration to get back to the business of managing their careers. That's good news!

Early this year, I created a guide – Beyond an Outstanding Resume – that will further bolster that inspiration to own your career. The guide details some things, beyond a resume, that should be part of your career maximizing regimen.

It's still being fine tuned, but the response so far has been extremely positive. So much so, that I'm going to continue the current promotion I have running. All new clients get the guide for free with the purchase of any resume package.

More details are here.

Wishing you a fantastic spring and a great month ahead.

As always, feel free to get in touch.

Listing Less Relevant Experience On Your Resume

Q. I’ve recently graduated from college and am now looking to begin my career.  Should I still include high school work experience?  My college work experience looks better than my HS work experience, but I just don’t have a lot of it.  So, should I include things like food service and old volunteer work or leave them off and make my resume shorter?

A. As a general rule, limit your resume to just 10 years of experience.  I know that doesn't answer your specific question, but it is worth reiterating here.

When it comes to deciding whether or not to omit positions that fall inside the 10-year window, the most important thing you can ask yourself is, "Is this experience adding value and is it relevant?"  Secondly, you want to make sure that you aren't creating large gaps by leaving something out.

In your case, it sounds like the answer to the first question is no, the experience is not adding value and it is not relevant.  Since it also seems likely that it will not be creating gaps (since it is from HS), I would be inclined to remove it.

If you really feel like it is important to show the earlier and / or less relevant work, then I suggest creating a section titled "Additional Experience."  You could then list just the basics – title, company, location and dates.  This allows you to honor your full work history without filling the resume with irrelevant and potentially distracting experience.