With the advances of technology and the continued growth of social media, I’m sometimes asked by job seekers if they still need a resume.
After all, there’s the “hidden” job market where the majority of job openings are not advertised anywhere.
Then there’s LinkedIn where you can view job openings that are posted on the site and often apply to the position with just one click from your LinkedIn profile.
Some experts predict that resumes will be defunct in the next 5 years.
So why not start a trend and go “resume-less” right now?
There are several reasons why I recommend you still need to create a resume, just not your standard old resume that you’ve simply updated year over year with your latest roles.
Even if you find out about an opening through your network, at some point in the hiring process, you will be asked to provide a resume.
Applying only with your LInkedIn profile to a job opening means that you will have missed an opportunity to showcase your results appropriately.
What do I mean by this?
A standout resume allows you to more privately share the results that you were able to generate for your previous employers that you likely should not be highlighting on a public LinkedIn profile.
For example, if your results created significant growth for the company or much needed cost reductions, you may not want to share the specific figures on LinkedIn for fear that the company’s competition might get some valuable information that they would otherwise not be privy to. I’ve heard stories of staff at some companies conducting research on LinkedIn to gather very specific insights on their competitors simply by pulling up LinkedIn profiles of key executives.
And we can’t under-estimate the power of including figures in your accomplishments since we’re so naturally drawn to facts and figures.
Your resume ultimately is a key marketing tool for your professional brand.
The creation of a standout resume, combined with smart strategies that get you noticed can make all the difference in your job search. A resume drafted in a way that is targeted and truly markets the value that you can add to a prospective employer will ensure that your job search efforts are rewarded with the constant ring of your phone. It will create curiosity with recruiters and hiring managers who will want to find out more about you and how you could in turn add significantly value to their company.