I’ve been telling all the young people who ask me to read their resumes or hold on to their resumes “in case you see something” the same thing for a long time: your resume is a useless tool in your job search. Now, finally, somebody with a reputation and a blog that has readers says it better than I do. Of course this would be Seth Godin, who thinks the “show don’t tell” philosophy applies to your accomplishments as well.
Setting Fire to the Resume Pile
Previous post: It's Always the Economy, Stupid
Next post: My Friend Reuben
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Seth’s remarks are just inane. There are several million young people graduating from college every year. Seth’s remarks apply to minute handful of people so spectacularly bright and accomplished they hardly need advice from Seth Godin. For the others Godin’s remarks are both useless and insulting.
Hey Seth, no Nobel? Not even a Pulitzer? Search committees at Harvard, MIT, and Berkeley not after you? No cabinet post offer from Hillary or Obama yet? No? Not even on the short list for the next Supreme Court appointment or for UN Secretary-General? What a loser you are Seth!
That’s what you just told a bunch of kids about to enter a discouraging job market. Thanks for the help.
I don’t think that’s what he meant. What he meant was that there are much better ways to distinguish one’s self in the job market than a resume. I don’t read resumes to hire people. Not until way after I have met them. Then they *might* be used to check references.
Blogs are the new resumes :) Maybe if you want a web job. 99% of the job market probably can’t say that. The resume is the tool that gets you the meeting right? Traditionally at least.
If you want a good job you’ll have go above and beyond and actually network in your own profession if you want first dibs on a gig you’ll actually enjoy. I’d agree with some people don’t need resumes. If you’re looking for entry level positions at big corporations I think you’d best plan on having a resume.
Not that many companies are that progressive yet :(
I’ve been self-employed since 2002, so my blog is my de facto resume. Still, when one is required, I have a back up Word file to send just in case. I’m looking forward to the day when resumes of any type are no longer necessary.
Every once in a while, I am asked for a resume, in which case I point to the one I have posted on LinkedIn. This one will also come up in a Google search.
The mere fact that many resumes are composed by “services,” and that the candidate doesn’t even “own” the resume, makes it seem ineffective.
Resume plays a vital role in recruitment. Only the resume tells about a person who is applying for a job.