Are Traditional Resumes Rubbish?

Do you have a resume?

Chances are you probably have six versions of your resume.  And you've probably put together dozens, if not hundreds, of versions of yourself on paper.

I have...

On light gray, slightly pigmented, best quality stationary.

Just as they teach you in school.  Acceptable, yet different from "the rest."

LinkedIn is nice.  An option to lead people to your credentials and accomplishments online.  Click the mouse, and SHAZAAM -- The interested party can look at an electronic version of you and your experience!  Terrific.

Yet there is still a need for a resume - A hard copy visual representation of why someone should hire you.  {sigh}

Confession

I really dislike putting together a resume.

For me, it is like being grounded:  Sit in the chair until you are finished thinking about and phrasing all that is worthy of mention.  Remember when your mother made you sit there until you finished your green beans?  Like that!

(Though, I actually like green beans).

Problems With The System

1) Paper.

There are currently many potential candidates for each open job position.  If we want to get the job, it is our responsibility to delight that screener and interviewer.  Above, I mentioned that our educators tell us an off-shade of white should be cause for professional visual celebration.

Really, gray is going to get me there??  I dunno.  Let me hear your thoughts.  I've always wanted to put my resume on a shade of purple.

2) Number of Pages.

From the time we're young our elders condition us to strive to be highly-skilled individuals with multiple talents.  Our mothers and our teachers wrack their brains putting us on this track.  So...school, skill training, professional and leadership development, Black Belts in Greek Lettering, community activities, travel, books we've read, and more.

I'm a type A personality, an over-achiever.  My brain is always busy!  The last time I was bored was....I can't remember when.  And we're suppose to fit all that makes us fabulous onto one page? Again, your thoughts - I want to hear them.

3) The Process.

This too is excruciating.

I don't know about you, but I actually liked getting dressed up in my second-best business suit and walking my resume in to an office.  I learned something, could prove there were humans involved, and hopefully this gave the HR folks a chance to gain insight too.  Then, I'd WOW them with my best navy and unique spin on the standard answers!

Nowadays we send our resume off to a digital land of humanless scanners.  We pray our copy is dinged for saying the right thing, and if we're lucky enough to be called upon, we sit through an interview and recite politically correct answers.

To hear people tell me of their experiences of finding a job makes me exhausted!

Certainly it would have to be easier to just get the little information chip implanted in our arms already and match it up with a QR Code or something.  If there was no match, simply go on your way.  If a match - your directed to schedule an appointment.  Doesn't that sound better?  More fun, even??

I don't think I'm alone in my thinking.  It seems the system is primed for a makeover. Searching for an image for this post -- there wasn't one interesting graphic under several related headings.  Just look above.

Whattaya think?

So I'm A Bit Untraditional

I've worked for myself for a pretty long time.  When I've been asked for a resume recently, a form of panic came over me.  Did I really have to do another resume??

Also, I'd rather be tarred and feathered than interview for a job!

Instead I'd rather just sit down for a pleasant, honest conversation.

But shrugging and kicking, I should be an adult about this.  And we do what we need to do, eh?

I researched current resumes for my industry, and some new techniques look acceptable.  I talked this over with a close contact, and their words to me, "You're in a groovy business.  You gotta be groovy!!"

ABSOLUTELY!

When I found someone else's Untraditional Resume, I loovvvved this idea.  To me, it is like professional meets new tech, social media, and conversation all in one!

So I share with you my Groovy Graphic Resume:

It was actually a bit of fun to create!

Wouldn't it be great if we exchanged Slide Decks instead of gray paper??

Tell me your thoughts below! :)