Say Goodbye to Traditional Resumes – Say Hello To Virtual Resumes (URL’s)

I’ve spoken about different options for diving into the recruitment process, while learning more about companies and having them magnetically come to you. Also, I’ve given you a glimpse into the future of recruitment many times. I even went so far as to proclaim the traditional resume dead and gave you alternatives such as video resumes and LinkedIn.

Today, I’m proud to move forward with my predictions and explain exactly what is happening here. My hypothesis is that instead of sending a traditional resume to an employer or to a bottomless job bank, the new HR database will be a repository of URL‘s. The URL would connect the candidate to their website [ex) Dan Schawbel - danschawbel.com]. The system will be smart enough, maybe with the Google “spider” ability, to search through a website and recover all necessary inputs, such as experience, education, etc.

The website may be a blog, their LinkedIn profile or what VisualCV thinks as an enhanced profile page that rests within a new social network. VisualCV gives you your own virtual resume, which includes a video, pictures, a portfolio and much more. It seems promising, BUT I would never limit your personal brand to reside on someone else’s network. I encourage you to have a blog or personal website of your own IN ADDITION to using these platforms (Jobster, JobFox, VisualCV, etc). My reasoning is simple: if their site collapses, you lose everything and you don’t have full control of the layout and design.

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Old Approach

• Hiring Manager: May I please see your resume for review? I need to file it in our database, as well as scrutinize it to see if you match the position we’re hiring for.
• Applicant: I’ll send you an email with an attached PDF or Word Document of my resume immediately.

New Approach

• Hiring Manager: We are currently hiring for a marketing manager position and we came across your online resume. No need to send a hard copy, the link (url) will do just fine. Thanks for putting all of that work in, we now have everything we need to make a decision.
• Applicant: Wow that was easy. Thank you!

Video Resumes – We are Getting There!

My video resume prediction has come true to some extent. Today a Wall Street Journal article confirmed my thoughts:

“More employers are conducting first interviews with candidates over the Internet now that many popular personal-computer brands have built-in video capabilities. The strategy helps employers save time and avoid recruiting expenses like plane ticket and hotel costs, she adds. Some employers are using the technique to have candidates meet hiring managers in faraway locations. Six candidates for a senior finance job recently came to One Communications Corp.’s Waltham, Mass.-headquarters and interviewed via video with executives based in several different locations at once, says Linda Chapman, executive vice president of human resources at the telecommunication firm. “Video really accelerates the hiring process,” she says.”

Google Background/Brand Scans – We’re There!

You know I’ve spoken about this before. Google is a “people search engine” and the higher the status of the position, the better the chance you will be Google’d.

“Scanning the Web for information that might derail a job hunter’s candidacy is now routine procedure for recruiters at many firms, says Cynthia Shapiro, author of the forthcoming book, “What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here”. Many recruiters now even engage in the practice before extending interview invites, she adds.”

Creativity Can Set You Free

I spoke with my old time friend from elementary school recently. On Facebook I saw that he updated the “url” part of his profile with his new website (A resume). Russell Wyner has a very unique and talented brand, especially when it comes to video production and imagery. I was very curious about his new virtual resume, which includes an embedded traditional resume, his portfolio of his best work, as well as his competencies at the top and contact information at the bottom. As you notice, there is a picture of half of his head and his eyes move as your mouse does. Most of the site is constructed in Flash, which is very hard to use and the resume is very relevant for the creative industry, which is highly competitive (luckily Russell is one of the best).

Russell explains more below:

In the creative industry, work history and education can play a big role in determining qualification, but the portfolio is the most honest, most direct proof of your skill level. And when you’re new to the industry, it’s all you’ve got. I created RussellsResume.com as a way to send my portfolio to employers electronically. I introduce myself in an email, with a link to my interactive collection of comical animations. Lots of people who work at computers waste time every day watching internet videos anyway. So I target this audience by selling my resume as just another entertaining break from reality.

And once you’ve got them inside your portfolio, you’re more than just another applicant. Now you’re an individual. People form much stronger emotional connections to your artwork than they would to your statistics.

That’s why if you’re an artist, your resume needs to be aesthetically pleasing as well. The website itself is really the newest addition to my portfolio. I designed it using “Flash”, the same software I use for animation. I can’t just claim to be an expert in the software; I’ve got to show it. So I built everything from scratch, even down to the scrollbars, and to personalize it, I included a picture of half my face, the eyeball programmed to follow your cursor. It’s a subtle effect, but when noticed, it gets a good laugh, and a laugh makes a strong impression.