Brand-Yourself.com has a phenomenal set of regular visitors (if you are reading this, then I am talking about you!).  Some of you comment occasionally, many of you read and share your favorite posts – but I know that all of you have something to add to the conversation.  Starting today, I’d love to see every single one of you begin to share your unique viewpoints via the comments section below.

To accomplish this goal, my next few posts will each pose a question to you, the readers.  Today’s question is:

Will resumes be extinct by the year 2020?

What do you think – will a resume forever be the ultimate proof of your worth to potential employers?  Or will other media prove to be more effective ways to showcase your skills, possibly by 2020 or sooner?  I share my viewpoint below, but since I am neither a psychic or a time traveler, my opinion is merely a guess – please share yours as well.

I believe that by the year 2020, resumes will have joined dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and dial-up internet in the “fully extinct” category. Personally, I already find an 8.5 x 11 white sheet of paper to be a woefully inadequate representation of a person’s life, career, and skill set.  How can thousands of hours of experience be boiled down to a Microsoft Word document?

Already, 80% of jobs today are not advertised or posted on job boards.  I suspect a large majority of these jobs are filled by candidates with strong existing connections and/or a reputation built and sustained by efforts other than a resume.

The advancement of social and business networks, web profiles, and personal blogs have essentially replaced and upgraded the common resume, in my view.  During the past year, I’ve updated my Linkedin profile dozens of times, I’ve sent over 2,000 tweets, and I’ve updated my resume a grand total of… zero times.  In fact, I don’t even know where my resume file is – maybe somewhere in the My Documents folder between pictures of my dog and an old grocery list?

To be fair, there are still many job openings today that absolutely require a resume.  For these jobs, bloggers like Jorgen Sundberg and Miriam Salpeter are an invaluable resource.  For executive level jobs, there is no question that a perfectly-tailored resume is a near requirement, a specific subject in which Meg Guiseppi carries much expertise. Yet, I can’t help but wonder whether today’s new wave of recruiters and hiring managers will soon start to fill even these roles in a different manner.

I’ve stated my case – but now I want to hear yours.  Fast forward to the year 2020, and envision the job market.  Are jobs still filled via resumes, or has the poor resume seen its time in the sun disappear forever?

Ryan Rancatore can also be found at Personal Branding 101, discussing the tools and tactics that will help you build a killer personal brand in 2010 and beyond.

Ryan would love to connect with you on Twitter at @RyanRancatore, or on Linkedin, Facebook, or Brazen Careerist.

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A couple weeks ago I met my friend Martha for lunch at our local Red Robin. Martha is quite particular in her food choices which is why we always meet for lunch there. In the last four years I have known her, she has never ordered something other than a cheeseburger without the cheese. And apparently Red Robin happens to have the best cheese-less cheeseburger in Oklahoma. (I wouldn’t know, I’m more of a California Burger or Pita Wrap kind of gal). While we were sitting enjoying our burgers, fries, and discussing our careers and family lives, I realized the connection.

• Resumes are subjective. So are cheeseburgers, hamburgers, boca burgers, etc. Some hiring managers prefer an objective, others are particular about a cover letter, and some have no opinion whatsoever. I once had a hiring manager who would not interview any candidate who misspelled a state abbreviation. If you were a candidate with the right credentials but accidentally wrote Missouri’s state abbreviation as MI instead of MO, you were out of luck. So proofread, pay attention to details, and make sure to cover all your bases.
• Preferences matter. Because recruiters, hiring managers, and human resource professionals spend approximately 10-15 seconds skimming your resume, you need to make a great first impression. What is extremely important is to read the job description and understand the specific instruction outlined as to how to apply. Some applications request that you list your salary expectations while others do not. These guidelines are extremely important.
• Go bold or go home. Some hiring managers like burgers that sizzle. It is important to consider what style, format, and type of resume that is acceptable for your industry, position, or company you are applying for. For example, Jeff Nelson is a marketing director with a very creative and unusual resume. I located his resume after doing a keyword search on Google using the words, “hamburger resume.” Some companies want a little spice with colorful graphics, fonts, and formats while more conservative companies and industries prefer a more standardized format like Guy Macon’s, an electrical engineer which I found using the keyword search “my engineering resume.” Both these examples were found on the first page of the Google keyword search and illustrate how powerful resumes and keywords are when posting your resume online.
• Stay positive & focused. Not every cheeseburger is someone’s favorite, and not every resume appeals to every hiring manager. What is important is to be yourself and articulate your uniqueness and experiences through your resume. Stay inward focused, but look for ways to improve your plating & presentation skills by refining your resume, cover letter, or even your interview. As a candidate, you are focused on yourself and can fail to see the ingredients or characteristics that attract others. Ask people you trust, heed expert advice and get outside opinions to help you refine your recipe.

Photo Credit FindaLink

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media.  She has over 10 years of experience in human resources & recruiting.

Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting.   Jessica’s book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business will be released in February 2010.  Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

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There are thousands of resources out there that teach you the “process” of how to get an interview. Sure getting that resume tight, practicing potential questions and doing your research about the position is essential but these days that usually just isn’t enough.

I remember sitting down a few months ago after reading 96 resumes and thinking  that if just one of these people did something a little different and unconventional I would bring them in for an interview the next day. The experiences and skills just all seemed to melt together into an indistinguishable mess, I was pretty sure at least a few of these 96 people were interesting but their resume and follow-ups sure didn’t show it.

To avoid falling into this deadly sea of similarity, try following a few of these unconventional tactics that will definitely make you stand out and get an interview.

How to Get an Interview: Unconventional Tactics That Really Work

1. Create a Youtube video

We highlighted a recent graduate named Al Biedrzycki a couple months ago who had submitted a variety of cover letters to companies that never responded, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.  The video is great because it shows his creativity while still highlighting the value he can bring to a company and past experience. I would definitely recommend giving it a peak; short, creative and sure to give you a laugh.

2.Advertise yourself EVERYWHERE

Craigslist, social networks, the bulletin board at your church or local grocery store. Rent a billboard if you really have to or initiate your own personal guerrilla marketing campaign. Just get in front of as many people as possible in as many creative ways as possible.

3. Connect with Someone in the Company on Social Media

If you have a certain company you want to work for, look for some of the people within that company on social media platforms and find someone with similar interests or passions. Connect with them on that level first then see about getting a warm introduction to the right people in the company. This way you end up with a new friend and a job at the same time.

4.Just show up

You never know, you may show up at just the right time and get an interview on the spot. At the very least the company now has a face to relate to the generic bullet points on the resume. If you are feeling especially outgoing, keep showing up until they relent.

5.Dont ask for a Job

Seriously, just try not asking for a job upfront. Send the company an email or letter telling them that you ran across their website and loved what you saw, however, you had a few great ideas for other things they could be doing. A thoughtful personalized email that shows you care and understand their business goes miles and should at least get you a phone call, during which time you can nonchalantly mention that you are looking for more work.

There you have it, how to get an interview using some unconventional but very effective tactics. If you have heard of some other out of the box techniques that worked (or didn’t) or have used some other techniques yourself that we didn’t mention we’d love to hear about it. We’ll even write a post about the person with the best tactic!

Evan Watson is an independent writer and the Chief Evangelist at Brand-yourself.com. At Brand-yourself.com Evan combines his passion for writing, entrepreneurship, and making meaningful connections with new people. He is also a self-proclaimed adrenaline junky and enjoys kite-boarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. For Evan, family comes before anything else, and he attributes his success and growth almost entirely to being raised in an extremely eclectic, multi-cultural family.

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Applying for jobs is not only time consuming, it is probably one of the most nerve-racking experiences ever.  You’ve spent hours if not days compiling materials just to put into your resume, you now have to move on to the cover letter, then after you’ve probably stressed yourself beyond reason you have to write them an e-mail! Now the question is, are you just creating carbon copy replicas of each of the priors or are you creating a written masterpiece? Each one building off of the last, creating the perfect picture of who you are.

The Resume

Your resume is the base layer, the primer of this portrait. It is what everything else is built on.  Your resume will have the essentials, who you are, how to get a hold of you, where you’ve worked, what you’ve done and various skills you possess.  This is not the time to try and focus on who you are.  Granted you can show pieces of your personality through layout and design, there’s time for that later.  The resume is just meant to give the base structure but definitely don’t be afraid to have a little fun with it, because it could definitely help with getting it (and you) noticed.

The Cover Letter

You’ve laid the base, now you can start working on the big picture. Don’t just repeat the same things you did in your resume. Take what you had in your resume and elaborate, bring it to life. Give stunning visuals of what you’ve done and don’t forget to say how it can benefit the company – they like it when you do that. Here is where you really get to shine and show who you are and what you bring to the table so truly don’t hold back, create something that is awe-inspiring and will land you the job of the century.

The E-Mail

By now you’re probably worn out, brain is toast and you’re out of inspiration. Don’t fret. Just stick it out a little longer and finish this masterpiece. The e-mail is where you will put all the finishing touches on all of the main points you’ve worked so hard to create. Give a quick reason as to why they should open your attachments and continue reading, what is it that makes you so appealing? Don’t forget to thank them in advance and once again, provide all of your contact information, you can never have that in too many places.  What good would it be if you did all this work and they couldn’t contact you?  Now, click send.

The Portrait as a Whole

When you’ve constructed your resume, cover letter and e-mail to the company you’re applying to it is truly a time for admiration. You need to check, recheck and triple check every detail of this process to ensure its perfection.  Like all art, it takes practice to be perfect but when you add your own personal flare to it and maintain optimism – you will succeed!

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