In this day of passive recruiting, is the resume still relevant?
What is passive recruiting?
A passive candidate is employed, but not currently looking for a new opportunity. Recruiters are out looking for talent and they do not care whether you are looking.
In the world of passive candidates, the resume is relatively meaningless to being found.
What is important?
Your LinkedIn profile is key! It should be sprinkled with the appropriate keywords! Notice I said sprinkled and not loaded with keywords.
A portfolio of your work is also important. How do recruiters and hiring managers know that you know your stuff!
This could be:
- Presentations and documents attached and available to download from your LinkedIn profile
- Links to industry resources that you wrote in your LinkedIn profile
- A blog – I wrote previously in Establishing Your Personal Brand and Credibility Through Blogging about my good friend Jim Adcock’s blog.
- Software that you have written on GitHub
Anything that shows that you know your stuff!
You want all of this information to be publicly available and searchable.
It is all about being found!
How else will I be found?
Your network! 80 – 85% of positions are filled through referrals. Keeping the key members of your tribe informed of your skills is key! I wrote about your tribe last week in – Strategic Networking – Building Your Tribe.
Is the resume dead?
NO!
Once the hiring manager, recruiter or others in the hiring process find you, they will want to see your resume. It is the ticket to the dance!
Note – In the deep and dark past we used to have school dances and you needed a ticket to get in!
I have worked for two different high tech startups and was found in a passive manner through my network. I do not think my resume got more than a cursory look for both.
If the hiring manager is a baby boomer then they will want to see a resume! You will want to bring a copy of your resume on heavy stock paper for everyone that you will interview with. (Yes, I know this is old school but if you will interview with anyone over 50 years of age, you will impress him or her.)
Your resume is required to be entered into the ATS, Application Tracking System, which most company uses. As with your LinkedIn profile, it should be sprinkled with appropriate keywords.
You should still write a killer resume and cover letter. By the way, 90% of the time the cover letter will never be read. You cannot afford to miss the 10% that will require it and read it.
Is the resume dead?
No but it is on life support. It is rarely needed on the front end but still is needed on the back-end of the recruiting and hiring process.
I believe in 5 or 10 years we will see resume a replacement like Talentral.
In the mean time the resume is still relevant.
Check out my book Repurpose Your Career – A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers
