You most likely have your resume saved on your computer, so pull it up on your screen and look it over. Now, log in to your OneWire profile. It's incredibly different from your resume, right? Obviously, they look different. But the content is different, too. What makes them so different, exactly?
First of all, as you probably noticed, your profile contains much more information that your resume ever could. Most hiring managers won't accept anything longer than two pages, and, most likely, they won't even flip to your second page if there is one.
The reason that your profile has the ability to contain so much information and be fully reviewed by HR is that it's extremely easy to navigate. The tabs organize and categorize your information in a way that is clear, concise, and easily comprehensible.
Your profile also differs from your resume because it encourages you to include detailed information around non-academic and non-work-related areas of your life. It is unlikely that you'll include on your resume sports that you played in high school, your hobbies, and activities in which you are just a spectator. Hiring managers on OneWire can search for candidates using criteria from the "Sports and Interests" section, so it is actually incredibly relevant information. You can also include much more documentation on your profile than you could generally submit along with your resume. On old fashioned job boards, hiring managers often specify that they would like only your resume. Aside from your general work history, your resume, when it stands alone, doesn't give that great an idea of who you really are. But in your profile you can include a cover letter, personal statement, thesis, and transcript--documents that will help to create a complete picture of you and the value that you would bring to a company.
Lately, there has been a trend towards leaving resumes out of the equation completely, and this is demonstrated by both applicants and companies. Applicants are realizing that the limited space and type of information permissible on a resume may not be the best way to communicate their worth as an addition to the team. Hiring managers are certainly catching on, as well. A few who are ahead of the curve ask, "Why have a resume?" Others believe that just having a resume isn't enough: "You won't find as many candidates you're interested in sitting in big databases. Instead, you will find them commenting on blogs, in user forums, on social networks, in niche sites, or reachable via opt-in and permission-marketing techniques." Keep reading...
Many job seekers have begun submitting personal blogs in place of a resume. This can be a great way to showcase they type of work you do, but keep a few things in mind:
- Be professional--leave out too personal information
- Share relevant information and experiences--you want to demonstrate how your skills will translate to a new role
- EDIT--there is much more room for error on a blog with twenty entries than there is on a one page resume
There are some industries in which hiring managers will probably prefer to at least have the option to review your resume, so it can be a good idea to prepare one. If you need some help, you can look online. The more examples you see, the better your resume will be, and you'll be less likely to make blunders that will result in your resume going straight to the shredder.
If you need help creating your OneWire profile, you can peruse our blog to find helpful entries. You can also join our groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. If you have question about your profile, feel free to leave it in the comments section!
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