The death of the resume: What comes next?

The resume is a static snapshot of the past. It’s a backlog of career experiences boiled down to 1-2 pages. As our workforce continues to evolve in the digital age, the resume is a poor representation of a job candidate’s abilities. It communicates next to nothing about a person’s character and integrity, their ability to collaborate with coworkers and their drive to get things done in crunch time—all soft skills and intangibles that distance the exceptional employee from the mediocre one.

In many ways, the resume is a microcosm of a larger issue: today’s arduous hiring process. From the tedious, repetitive application black holes to the HR phone screen to rounds of interviews with a candidate’s prospective team, this rigmarole is a disjointed experience for the candidate and a time suck for everyone involved.

While industry leaders have been calling for the resume’s demise as far back as 2012, it has continued to linger like the scent of a skunk on a country road. Why? Despite the constant chatter about the resume’s deficiencies, no suitable replacement has ever earned widespread adoption. Until now. Instead of harping on the resume’s deficiencies, it’s time to explore a more effective alternative.

Let’s finally end it.

Enhancing your LinkedIn profile with video

Video can help both employees and recruiters cut through the noise. Right off the bat, it feels more like a personal experience than a few bullet points on a sheet of paper. As a job candidate, recording a brief video introduction is a great way to go beyond the summaries of your employment experience and communicate the unique qualities you bring to the table.

For instance, you could go the Q&A route and record yourself answering five key questions about your skillset, strengths, career, life goals and even your hobbies. Interesting life experiences—even ones that don’t pertain to the job—can help you catch the attention of recruiters.

Yes, it can feel awkward at first. Most of us aren’t entirely comfortable in front of a camera. But the bar isn’t high, and a relaxed approach should do the trick. An article from Search Engine Journal states, “According to a LinkedIn study conducted among 1,009 hiring managers in the US, 79% of hiring managers believe that video has become more important when it comes to interacting with or vetting job candidates.”

How do you add video to your LinkedIn profile?
​

Recently, LinkedIn changed its profile features, now allowing members to add a video to their profile, in addition to a profile picture. When looking at your page, viewers will see three seconds of the video (muted) then have the option to listen to the full video.

LinkedIn explains the video addition in 6 easy steps:

1. Tap your profile photo, then tap View Profile.
2. Tap the Add icon on your profile photo, then tap Add profile video.
   • You have to enable the camera and microphone access to record a profile video.
3. From here you can:
   • Record: Tap the record button to record a profile video
   • Upload: Tap the Gallery icon to upload an existing video from your gallery
   • Add Prompts: Tap Prompts to choose a prompt to answer in your video
4. After recording, you can:
   • Watch a preview of your profile video
   • Select the visibility of your profile video by tapping the Visibility icon on the bottom left
   • Add stickers and text (Optional)
5. Tap Next.
6. Tap Share to profile from the Adjust preview

For more instructions, see LinkedIn’s article here.

Reinforce your profile with LinkedIn Recommendations  
​

Beyond video, LinkedIn offers several other ways for candidates to build a rich profile. In my opinion, recommendations from references are the most valuable. There is no substitute for the approbation of managers and colleagues. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your connections and ask them to write you a quick recommendation: giving authentic recommendations to those you’ve worked with will encourage people in your network to reciprocate.

Augment your profile with certifications and extracurricular activities 
​

Many recruiters and hiring managers are scouring LinkedIn for specific qualifications, primary skill assessments and industry certifications highlighted in candidate profiles. As a candidate, I recommend reaching out to your network and leaning on your peers to learn what hiring managers in your field are looking for—and which skills they find most valuable.

In addition, it doesn’t hurt to take online classes, subscribe to industry newsletters and podcasts, and then write a blog post on the topic to share with your network. Hiring managers will undoubtedly find it attractive to see you engaged on social media and continuing to improve your craft.

Grow your LinkedIn network to 500+ connections 
​

Finally, if you haven’t already hit the 500+ connections benchmark, it’s time to expand your network ASAP. It’s just another way to pad your profile and showcase your industry expertise. Since LinkedIn doesn’t tally up connections beyond this milestone, you’ll essentially have the same clout as Oprah.

Hiring in a resume-free world 
​

Let’s face it. The resume has been ineffective for years. It only communicates a small part of your story. Between multimedia-driven LinkedIn profiles and AI-powered assessments, we have the tools and technology to design a smooth, friction-free process that saves time and stress for job candidates and employers alike.

To work with us during your hiring process, click here.

Looking for a job? Find opportunities here.