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.

(More: 5 Key Traits of Recruiters Look for in a Passive Candidate)

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!

(More: Strategic Networking – Building Your Tribe.)

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 REALLY 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 companies use. 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.

(More: Applicant Tracking Systems - The Hidden Peril)

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.

What will replace the resume?

Some kind of portfolio of your work! LinkedIn Profile? Maybe? I really do not know!

What do you think will replace the resume? Comment below!

By the way, I chose to use resume rather than résumé in this article for the purists.

Is the Resume Still Relevant? was originally posted in December of 2013 on the Career Pivot blog.

When you’re unhappy in your current job, it’s easy to see leaving as the best option. Sometimes we make rushed decisions to quit without considering all the reasons we might want to stay, such as longer term career opportunities, benefits, the opportunities in the industry, and so on.

But some problems — like having a bad boss, or not getting along with co-workers — can be short lived, especially in large businesses where people move around frequently.

Before you say those two fateful words — “I quit!” — be sure you consider these reasons you might not want to.... or at least not yet.

• You don’t have a plan.
  Quitting your job without a plan could be a big deal if you don’t have enough savings to see you through several months of unemployment. In the U.S., people who voluntarily leave their jobs don’t qualify for unemployment benefits. If you don’t have at least a few months income in savings, or some other plan for making money temporarily, quitting your job could be a very bad idea indeed.
• Recruiters and potential employers have a preference for “passive” — or still employed — applicants.
  It doesn’t make much sense, but data confirms that employers prefer to hire people who are still employed. In fact, the longer you are unemployed, the harder it is to get a new job.
• There are benefits to being promoted within a company instead of hopping around from company to company.
  Lots of companies reward loyalty and longevity with additional benefits and perks. If there is the possibility that you can move up within your own company to a more desirable position, it could be better to make a plan to do that then jumping to a new company — where you won’t have any salary history, seniority, stock options, etc.
• Being willing to leave puts you in a position to negotiate; leaving doesn’t.
  When you’re actually willing to walk away, it puts you in a very strong position to negotiate. But if you storm out in anger, you’ve lost all your bargaining power — with your current employer and potential employers (maybe you need them more than they need you). Consider whether there are any changes you could negotiate that would improve your situation where you are, and then figure out how to negotiate for them.
• The grass is always greener.
  If you’re unhappy and feeling emotional, anything might look better than your current job. But remember that just about every job comes with plusses and minuses. A job that has better benefits might come with a longer commute, and you could be leaving one bad boss for another. Before making a rash decision, consider if there are changes you can make without leaving. Can you take a night class, volunteer to work in a different department, or find a mentor in the field you’re considering? Trying those things first might make your current position more bearable — or set you up for success when you are ready to leave.
  

And, a bonus reason not to quit? Your resume could suffer. If you’ve been at your current position for less than a year, it could be better to stick it out a few extra months to have a full year of experience to list on your resume. Recruiters and employers tend to shy away from people who look like job hoppers, spending only a few months here and a few months there at different jobs.

If you’ve considered all these reasons, it’s possible you may still want to quit — and that’s OK. But be sure you do so with a plan, and not in the heat of the moment.

Have you quit a job before? What considerations did you make — or wish you had made — before you left? I’d love for you to share your experiences in the comments below.

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