We are not there yet, but I am convinced the time is coming fast. As I have mentioned in prior posts, the ink and paper resume are on the endangered species list. But I also believe the days of e-mailing a resume as a Word document or PDF file will give way to simply sending a link (www.yourname.com) that will point to your personal website. Your intended reader will click and find all the information they need to make an informed judgment as to whether you are someone that can help them solve their problem (i.e. their hiring need).
Your objective is to make it as easy as possible for recruiters and hiring managers to quickly focus on key information about you as a job candidate. Your resume may only be viewed for 10-15 seconds at the most, and if it doesn’t arouse interest in that time, it goes in the wrong pile. Consider this process as a recruiter opens hundreds of documents and wades through what must seem like an endless parade of more of the same. You are part of a long line where you haven’t even had the chance to take a number.
Think about uniqueness, differentiation and standing out from the crowd. Your personal website is the vehicle where you can drive home your personal brand, value proposition and present a compelling message that is hard for anyone to duplicate and will have your audience wanting more. From a recruiter’s perspective, I am excited about the prospect of this paradigm shift and how it will transform the way job seekers and hiring managers connect.
