For most of its existence, the resume has been a pretty limited medium. Job seekers use a fairly standard format to describe their education, experience and accomplishments on a page or two. There was a time and place where typing words on a page was the best way to communicate information. That day is over. Career advice: Successful job seekers need to have a richer way to communicate their value to HR professionals. In 2013 and beyond, it’s all about demonstrating work samples, getting credible references from your network and showing your value instead of describing.
A great painter doesn’t send a resume describing their artwork – they show you a painting.
- Linkedin Profile – Linkedin is a valuable resource for every professional, either active or just open to new opportunities. Especially if you’re actively looking, be sure your profile has strong connections, some recommendations from your past employers and some skill endorsements for important skills in your field. If you don’t have them, ask your past and present colleagues to comment on your work, or simply comment on theirs and many will return the favor. Employers know that you think you’re fabulous, but they also want to know what previous supervisors, co-workers and employees think of you.
- Portfolio – Especially in fields like graphic design or writing, portfolios are an absolute must. But in any field you should get sample of your work to showcase. If you’re a developer, have some code samples of how you solved a complex problem. If you’re a salesperson, showcase a sales document that you put together or a video of your sales pitch. The point is to show the prospective employer what you’ve got instead of just describing it.
- Networking Cards – With all the fancy technology companies have, networking is still the top way to get hired. Maximize your networking events with business cards that highlight your top skills — a mini-resume of sorts — and your contact information.
- A better resume – Your resume needs to be full of accomplishments, not descriptions of your duties. The person reading your resume is well aware of what an accountant does, they need to know what you accomplished that makes you the best accountant that they could hire.
- Get creative – send a link to a video or work sample made specifically for the job in question. Anything that helps prove that you’re the person for the job.
The world is changing and jobseekers increasingly have opportunities to showcase their skills to employers in new and creative ways. By showcasing work their skills in a richer way, jobseekers can put themselves in position to have employers more clearly see their match with the position.
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