Resumes are Dead. Yes, You Read That Correctly
Resumes, coupled with the dreaded cover letter, were once the cornerstone of job hunting. When finding work moved to mostly online, the process of writing the modern resume became more arduous. Listing duties, personal statements, and specific skills morphed to tailoring. Meanwhile, not all companies were cognizant of this trend. What we instead saw next were companies that attempted to insert the ways of the past into systems of the future. The result? Recruiters and HR departments are overloaded. They’re not getting the right resumes on their desks.
Modern Recruitment Trends
Modern recruitment trends lay the foundations for companies seeking the candidate, not vice versa. Upper management and communications have shifted. Now, they expect their team to be nimble, and adaptable. Smart companies no longer pigeonhole candidates into an assigned set of duties. Now, they’re looking at whether the candidate has the ability to learn and the right combination of skills. That said, jobs are no longer rigidly structured. It’s a living, breathing entity with endless possibilities.
We’re entering a time where the job finds us. This trend is due in large part to platforms like LinkedIn that allow recruiters to quickly strike up conversations with a candidate. This direct, personal connection enables candidates to gain insight into the company’s culture and get a candid overview of the job upfront. (Numbers, people!)
Headhunter vs the HR Department
New hires wait a long time to hear from companies for initial interviews. Application portals often have candidates submit a resume and cover letter. Then, they must reiterate all of that information into textboxes. The process feels redundant and often time-consuming.
There are a number of problems with conducting a search in this way. Posting on a public board means hundreds, if not thousands of people will apply. Some are serious and will spend hours on their presentation where others are deploying a “spray and pray,” blasting out as many applications as possible in hopes of getting a call. Unfortunately, the computer system has no way to differentiate between these types.
HR reps are scanning the database with keywords related to the open position. This query can return hundreds of individuals, likely too many for one overworked leader or HR department to sift through. This is why businesses will turn to headhunters to get help with their search. Headhunters do excellent work. The issue is that if their candidate has already applied to a role, they often won’t get paid for suggesting someone that is already in the system.
Modern Resume Design
Speak with 10 people and each will offer you a different formatting or content adjustment for your resume. The challenge herein is that you, the applicant, has no idea what the HR department holds as ideal. Modern resume design is the un-resume. It’s not a resume at all. It’s a profile that allows the job seeker to showcase themselves candidly and anonymously. It’s time to strip away design biases and conventions. The things we do for the sake of getting noticed.
An anonymous profile allows job seekers to stay flexible. Now, you’ll tailor less. The next benefit is that you’re only talking about what you love to do and past achievements. The recruiter can look at these accolades. Namely, they’ll determine if you’re a fit based on their needs versus a resume that is vying for their attention.
SideSearch is applying modern recruitment trends to help job seekers and recruiters save time and foster meaningful connections that speed up the search process. It was started by battle-tested recruiters and HR professionals that saw an opportunity to fix the headaches associated with online job hunting. If you’re in accounting, finance, business development, human resources, or IT, build a profile. Showcase what you love to do the most in your field. No resumes, just skill-based matching.