Do I really need a resume? Ari Herzog asked me that question in a comment here and more generally on his own blog. He gave examples of people who found jobs through twitter in another post. But people do ask for resumes. Of course I’m not going to blast out paper copies of my resume to every company I can think of, but you need to have it ready, especially when you are technical AND claim to be good at writing and communicating.
I had a great conversation with @apsinkus (met on twitter) over coffee last week…very motivating and someone who “got” my brand pretty quickly from just talking and reading my blog. But when I sent him the old resume, I could tell it didn’t match what he could see in person. So I did a bit of a re-work this weekend and hope I am ready now.
This is my “IT Resume.” It is focused on what I’ve done best in web startups for the past dozen-plus years. It is still a bit wordy but a lot more “results-oriented.” It emphasizes my proven strengths, instead of narrating the many different things I’ve done. But it is still just a starting point and only one piece of ammunition in the conquest of making a living…
Suggestions and advice are welcome. I don’t want to obsess over the resume but all help is appreciated!
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Hi Dave, great to see your resume…and it looks great (though I’d suggest adding bullets to the longer pieces, just to break it up visually).
Just to elaborate on my perspective (since Twitter didn’t offer enough space), I’ve done quite a bit of traditional resume development in my past life but currently work in the “online world” as Ari put it. Still, my organization requires resumes, and here’s my take on why: Anyone can fill in a LinkedIn profile, but developing a concise, effective, and aesthetically pleasing resume takes effort and skill! Although I do see the value in maintaining the right online presence, I think there is value in knowing how to put yourself on paper, so to speak.
Just my two cents!
Ultimately, Dave, you will be hired because of who you are and what you can offer the organization, not what your life says on a piece of paper. That’s my point.
Moreover, if your “experiences” can be found by a Google search, I further question the importance of the paper resume.
And to respond to Jillian, while anyone can indeed fill in a LinkedIn profile, every profile does not look the same, with groups, testimonials, experts from Q&As, etc.
The value of a paper resume or a Doc/Txt attachment is that on the 80/20 principle, recruiters are so busy reacting to incoming applications that they don’t have time to trawl the internet for scattered talent. Same for major employers.
The recruiters, who are the elephant at the monkey’s tea party, will call the shots about paper resumes. And they have too much money invested in keyword document scanning technology to change any time soon.
However, intra-network, LinkedIn is definitely a great resource.
Chances are at some point in the job hunting process you will be asked for a resume, even if it is just for your HR file at the new company. You can’t bet on not needing one.
Most likely getting the actual written offer will require that someone sees your resume (unless you’re only looking to work at really small firms where everyone can meet you personally for long chats).
And if you’re going to have one, it might as well be a good one that you’re proud of.
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