I completely agree, a resume isn't needed for a job, however a STRONG resume is needed. Not only do MOST companies need it for their hiring processes, but it's an HR formality that will never go away. These company policies are guided by regulations to keep the company in compliance.
My advice is to do everything else (blog, social media, network), but also make sure you have one hell of a resume. It's a formality and it's nice to have. Not all resumes get you resume jobs, and let's face it - some people want and need resume jobs to build up the right amount of experience for their target destination.
Great advice from you guys, enjoyed this. Just make sure to keep a strong resume on file, because they ares till important.
Good stuff Rich. I totally agree that some people need resume jobs to figure out what they can do... Never say never though about resumes. I would say we will always need a list that tells exactly what it is that you do. Call it a resume or not, we will still need that.
HR moves so slow, as an HR guy I can say that some HR groups do it right and look to make technology apart of hiring. I've done it, and the people that I've worked with in HR want to do it. Unfortunately, HR is guided by government regulations. Small companies can get away from resumes, but large companies have regulations and restrictions and in those environments, a standard resume will always be needed to be on file. Even if it is a word document that acts as a list, something other than social media will be needed to keep a company in compliance with regulations.
I agree with you, resumes are not the ideal way to promote a jobseeker. Unfortunately, we don't live in an ideal world yet. Companies and ATS machines, along with an overabundance of talent, have adulterated the process of how to secure a job in the real world. This world is just catching on/up with social media, has limited resources, and limited time to interview and vet candidates. So a system has been developed, mainly surrounded around the resume.
That being said, the process a job seeker goes through with a certified, sophisticated resume writer is so much more than key word optimization and parallel sentence structure. It is helping professionals, who have gone out and made things happen as you say, articulate their accomplishments in a way that hiring authorities can appreciate. Often they don't understand their unique value, especially as it relates and translates to careers in industries or companies they may be unfamiliar with.
While I appreciate your idealism and passion for change - and a better way, I would caution you to take a broader view. Recognize that you exist within a larger community that may not have the same enthusiasm, understanding, or opportunities that you do. That new ways and old ways can find ways to coexist, and more than one way can be useful to many peeps even if it not your path of choice. Keep shaking up the system guys, there is a lot of work to be done yet.
August, Thanks for the comment. I completely agree with what you are saying and I think the biggest point is what MORE that you do. This is so important.
I find in my life that if I ask someone what they do they tell me general stuff and people don't realize everything that they did in a job or all of the skills they have. It takes the right person, life yourself, to help guide them to that answer and create a document (resume or not) that displays them effectively and gives them the credit they deserve.
Glad we got to talk and thanks for the comment! -Shane Mac @shanemacsays
