The resume will never die - here's why. We lay out 5 reasons why the resume will never die, and why arguments against the resume dying are really just arguing the resume needs to be supplemented.
Reasons why include:
- The resume is the only consistent candidate profile
- The resume is THE first impression
- Employers use applicant tracking systems
- You'll still need a print resume for the interview
- Your resume needs to be supplemented, not replaced
3. Resumes are the only consistent candidate profile
•Employers don’t have time to look at hundreds of
different profiles for the initialYes/No screen
•Aresume is a standardized format that gets key
information across quickly
•Employers can process resumes much faster
than a combination of multiple online profiles
1 “Are résumés dead? Are there going to be résumés in our future
and what does that look like? I certainly don’t think they’re dead;
they’re still here, they are going to be here for a while.”
- Lisa Kramer, Director of Campus Recruiting at RBC
Source: Is the Resume Dead? The Globe and Mail.
4. Resumes are THE first impression
•No matter how good your introduction is, the hiring
manager will want to see a resume first
•Your resume decides gets employers interested in your
other online profiles
• Only candidates who pass the initial resume screen will
get a second look
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5. Employers use Applicant Tracking Systems
•Applicant tracking is used by 90% of the Fortune
500, and millions of small businesses
•Resumes are the main input into an applicant
tracking system
• Resume data is easily searchable and
comparable when dealing with high volumes
3 “Ed Struzik, an International Business Machines Corp. expert on
the systems, puts the proportion of large companies using them
in the “high 90%” range, and says it would “be very rare to find a
Fortune 500 company without one.” - Wall Street Journal
Source: Your Resume Vs Oblivion. The Wall Street Journal
6. You’ll still need a paper resume.
•You can’t pull out your phone in an interview and show
someone your Instagram photos
•The paper resume is the reference point for many
interview questions
•An attractive paper resume can help you further stand-
out from other candidates
4 “Although applicants rarely mail in résumés these days, the job
search isn’t going paperless. In fact, experts say, a paper résumé
can make or break a bid for a job.”
- Wall Street Journal
Source: Is the paper resume dead? The Wall Street Journal
7. Resumes won’t be replaced, but supplemented
•Of all the businesses in NorthAmerica, 0 have eliminated
the resume
•Resumes do need to be supplemented by additional
online profiles and proof
•These supplements are not replacements, but additions
•No matter how you approach your job search, at one stage
in the process a resume will be necessary
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