Resumes Are Dead. Your Blog is Your Resume. (Still).
Blogging, Marketing / PR, Social Networking March 17th, 2008
I haven’t updated my resume for at least 3-4 years now. (There must be some old versions floating around, as just a few days ago a recruiter solicited me for a SAP Implementation Project - she must be especially dumb, not noticing the decade-old timestamp on my SAP qualifications.) But back to resumes: I don’t need one, and neither do you.
Even in the “old days” of writing resumes any recruiter would confirm that the single best way of landing a job was through your personal network. Top Executives, genius engineers, star salesmen, well-published academics don’t ever need to look for a job: they get invited. It’s always better than knocking on the door. Or many doors.
But now Seth Godin sets the same rules even for applicants to his internship:
Having a resume begs for you to go into that big machine that looks for relevant keywords, and begs for you to get a job as a cog in a giant machine. Just more fodder for the corporate behemoth. That might be fine for average folks looking for an average job, but is that what you deserve?
If you don’t have a resume, what do you have?
How about three extraordinary letters of recommendation from people the employer knows or respects?
Or a sophisticated project they can see or touch?
Or a reputation that precedes you?
Or a blog that is so compelling and insightful that they have no choice but to follow up?
We’ve looked at the two extremes: the top 5% whose personal reputation and network carries them on, and those who can’t really have a meaningful resume, since - unlike Ben - they are barely starting their careers. But in between is the rest of us, average Johns ad Janes, who probably have some achievements, are remarkable in one way or another … if only the world knew about it! Well, that’s the point! Most of us don’t have an extensive enough personal network, or they may be geographically dispersed, or they may not be in the right position… so how to get the word out?
Blogging changes it all. If you’ve been blogging for years, you certainly did not do it with a particular job in mind; your blog is likely to be a true reflection of who you really are, what you are an expert in, your communication skills, your priorities … YOU as a whole person, not as a candidate for a specific job - the brand called You. That’s certainly better than a resume, which is likely tailored for a particular job, and let’s face it, often “cosmetically enhanced” - no wonder it ends in the waste-basket.
You don’t have a blog? Why? Don’t you know the best time to market yourself is when you don’t need it?
Tom Peters has been saying for years:
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You“
My friend and fellow Enterprise Irregular Roth Boothby argues:
“…hiring a blogger is a lower risk proposition because you have more information and a better idea of how they are going to perform.”
He should know - he got hired twice, based on his blog. By the way, I really envy Rod’s charting skills:
It’s never been easier to build that Brand Called You: if you’re still not doing it, what are you waiting for? Start your blog today!
(hat tip: BL Ochman)
Tags: Blogging, blogs, brand called you, brand you, branding, brands, career, career development, career management, innovation creators, personal brand, resume, rod boothby, seth godin, tom peters, tompeters
Zoli Erdos
Only problem with this is that for a lot of us, a resume is a must.
Why?
Well, first thing, HR people do not read blogs. Social networking is for “kids with cute kitty pictures”.
Blogs are for angsty teenagers. Everyone knows that.
I just wish the whole “self-branding” thing would move a bit faster, and reach Central and Eastern Europe this decade.
On the plus side, I am into it, and it probably will help a bit - not much, but a bit - now that I am trying to land a job in the UK.
But for the bigger part of the world, resumes are here to stay. For a long time I think.
Roland, how funny I was just reading your blog while you commented here:-)
I have the feeling that with a bit more focus on what you are good at, engaging in other blogs (of interest), you could have landed a gig with a startup here…yes, via blogging…
[...] the network aren’t credible, then you won’t get anything out of it. To me, LinkedIn is the most credible social network on the planet right now because it contains profiles of Fortune 500 executives and [...]
Zoli, I agree that in a certain segment of the working world resumes may be heading toward obsolescence. But I think that segment is still extremely tiny. Blogging is absolutely a great way to build your personal brand … BUT … it also requires a long-term commitment, strong writing skills, and the ability to come up with fresh, unique content on a regular basis. Otherwise, it’s going to be a blight on your brand. So yeah, if you’re a great writer and you work in a web-centric field, get blogging. The rest of you, follow me to the resume store.
Zoli, you make a compelling argument.
“… your blog is likely to be a true reflection of who you really are…”
Be that intentionally, or unintentionally. The odd rant not being discounted, here.
However, for any prospective employer, they’d at least need to know where to start.
Even having a search engine for your ‘blog might not be enough, so wouldn’t it make sense to at least pull together a few articles that are representative of your knowledge?
Wayne,
Yeah, yeah… but we have a major conflict here: I do like marzipan
Sicko.
We’re so through, it’s unreal…
Thank you
Well, if you google me up, you can see about 4 years of active bloggin/forum whatever participation, I am sort of all over the place. (try both Roland Hesz and Despil)
I was talking about Eastern and Central Europe though, and you have to admit that this part of the world is not yet blog centric - sadly, not even internet centric, we are about 7 years behind, mainly because the entry level was awfully high for a long time, but lets not go there
But, as I am moving to the UK if everything goes well, I am building on both my LinkedIn profile, my blog, my twitter account and on my habit of going all over the net.
More I feel coming up in a soon post
[...] by smoothspan on March 18, 2008 Interesting flurry of blog posts about how blogs make better resumes than resumes. If you think so, you should certainly consider [...]
[…] by smoothspan on March 18, 2008 Interesting flurry of blog posts about how blogs make better resumes than resumes. If you think so, you should certainly consider […]
That was funny for so many reasons.
Some of us do need resumes because if we sent an employer a link or list of links or a file of articles they likely to throw it in the round file.
“Well, if you google me up, you can see about 4 years of active bloggin/forum ”
Sounds like Google is your resume.
“Social networking is for “kids with cute kitty pictures”.
Blogs are for angsty teenagers. Everyone knows that.”
I wish I was everybody then I could 20 years off my age and be full of angst and I could put up my cute kitty pictures. I guess the new slogan is More angst more kitties hey I always want to be a Social Blogging Kid. think Toys R Us for those that missed the joke.
[…] the network aren’t credible, then you won’t get anything out of it. To me, LinkedIn is the most credible social network on the planet right now because it contains profiles of Fortune 500 executives and […]
Wait you mean the people that people spend so much time kissing up to are not actually that important? How ever could that be? My self worth lies in my social networks more so than the people I have actually met face to face.
Well that was a fun little exercise in improv writing and I think I may post this comment as my next article. Of course I will preface it and put in a link to this article.
Jim,
“Well, if you google me up, you can see about 4 years of active bloggin/forum ”
Sounds like Google is your resume.
Not really.
“I wish I was everybody then I could 20 years off my age”
Just love people who are in a “write only” mode.
I can’t stress it enough, but it seems people always miss this part:
I work and live in Central Europe, Hungary. NOT the United States.
I EXPLICITLY stated that what I wrote applies here.
I just have to love people who pull a sentence out of context and chew on it without trying to understand the actual meaning.
But it was a nice try at least.
Roland,
It was all done in fun. Tongue firmly planted in cheek. I am sure if Zoli thought it was out of malice or meant as insults he would not have let the comment publish.
However if you truly offended or felt insulted I do apologize as that was not my intent.
[...] people support this view on resume’s, Zolt
No, I don’t as we cleared it over your place.
Just too many ‘write only’ people around.
And it did not come through first time.
[...] Blog, the SmoothSpan Blog, or to Debowen - another typepad blog - but goes perfectly through to Zoli’s blog and several [...]
I love the way Seth threw the whole thing into sharp relief, and upped the table stakes. I’ve been saying that the blog is both the resume and the job search.
Also that employees should not only all have blogs (because who trusts an employer though a downturn anymore?), but employers themselves need blogs too, for their own careers.
And companies should not only allow employees to blog at work - on work time - but encourage it, and harness the best ones into the marketing effort of the company.
And at South By Southwest Interactive this month we found plenty of bloggers who agreed. Web 2.0 is better at being a resume and a job search than either of the classical approaches ever came close to.
To follow the collateral on this:
http://www.hunterhost.com/123/resume-down-blog-up/
and
http://www.hunterhost.com/118/south-by-southwest-interactive/
I published my own $.02 on Godin’s post today on my blog, then saw yours.
What employer has time to read through someone’s blog? Resumes are black and white, quick ways to learn about people; cover letters are color to fill-in some details about a candidate (can s/he express him/herself in writing?), and blogs/facebook/flickr and all the rest are frosting on the cake.
When you have dozens or more applications to go through, you can separate really quickly the wheat from the chaff.
I’m not saying that people don’t get hired because of their blog (we hired at least two people at Atlassian because we found them via their personal blogs), but is that really practical for the vast majority of jobs out there?
Jon,
I’m not proposing to send a blog url instead of a resume as your job application
But a job application is like a cold sales call, except the chances are probably even lower. My whole point was that you are better off “being found” (just like the two Atlassians you mention) through your blog than applying to companies where you are just one of the crowd.
Don’t have a blog? Start one! And yes, you will not be known to the entire world, so this is not practical for the vast majority of jobs; but my whole point is don’t fish in the ocean, fish in the small pond. You’re likely to find a better fit where you are a known quantity because they know your thoughts, you may even have interacted before the job vacancy came up. So skip the whole application stage: the match happens because they know you. And yes, it’s perfectly OK to bring a resume afterwards, but that’s really just the due diligence, background check, admin part, after the “marriage proposal”
[...] Resumes Are Dead. Your Blog is Your Resume. (Still). - It’s never been easier to build that Brand Called You: if you’re still not doing it, what are you waiting for? Start your blog today! [...]
I’m gonna agree with Rolands first comment about how HR managers are so far removed from social networking and the likes. People I work with asked the interns (college students) to do a series of social networking seminars for the fuddy duddies around the office who are trying to connect with the younger generation.
Larry
DamnIneedAjob.com
[...] Resumes Are Dead. Your Blog is Your Resume. (Still). [via Zemanta] [...]
Folks;
I’m not in the US either and tend to agree that while a compelling blog can showcase your talents and experience-based insight, it’s still the resume that answers “who are you, and what can you do?…prove it!”
The blog though, opens a channel to the wider world, whereby you can express your personal style and take strong positions with full literary license. If you’ve got unshakeable self-confidence, then way to go!
Peter,
Your own blog is a very good example: focused on Product Management, still very new. For now it looks like “newsclipping” style with some commentary. If you keep on writing, and bring in more of your own analysis / opinion, I would fully expect that you get approached by job offers, whether you need them or not.
You will still need the resume: but after the fact, once somebody already wants to hire you. A very-very different position from being a job-seeker.
Ok, just some new points as I discovered in the past few months.
When you put your resume on an internet jobsite, and you post your own site’s link right there, people click on it AFTER reading your resume.
I got visitors from monster.co.uk, around the time I got a call from a recruiter - yesterday if I look at the time, he probably had it on his screen while we were talking on the phone -, or the day when they check my CV, although it is not a confirmed connention, it’s just an observation, when my CV is viewed, on the same day I got visitors from monster.co.uk.
Well, I am not waiting to be hired based on my blog, but I am sure I can blow a chance if I act stupid there
I just have to find a way to write about my professional experiences which is difficult, as most of it falls under NDA with rather high penalties.
Roland, Zoli;
Thanks, your points are well taken. I’ve now written and updated 4 blogs to illustrate my breadth of interests as a product manager, with more of my own commentary (as much as is prudent and in the public domain). Like Roland, I think it’s a good idea to include a link to your blog when posting your CV on a jobs site. This is indicates your range beyond your current or past job descriptions. As an alternative to relating one’s professional experiences in a blog, I see Google is offering a “Knol” for when you want to write authoritatively on a single topic without compromising NDA’s etc.
[...] Blog, the SmoothSpan Blog, or to Debowen - another typepad blog - but goes perfectly through to Zoli’s blog and several [...]