What Good Is A Resume Really? 6 Answers
Ask The Headhunter, Wednesday, December 6,2023
'Let me cut you off at the pass. I know you're not a fan of resumes and you tell us not to rely on a resume to get a job. I get that. But if I'm going to use a resume anyway, what's your advice about how to make it pay off? ...'
Your question is no affront - not any more than the in-your-face interview questions the best managers ask. And I welcome in-your-face questions. It's the hard questions that are most important and that force us to countenance the challenges in our job search that no one else wants to deal with.
What good is a resume?
You're right: I advocate against relying on a resume to introduce yourself, to get in the door, to show your stuff or to provide good reasons why someone should hire you. A resume is a dumb piece of paper (or string of digital 'key words') that cannot defend you. Think about it: The more resumes (or profiles, thank you LinkedIn) there are in the world, the more rejections occur and the harder it is for you to get matched to the right job.