I recently read an article from the September 2013 edition
of the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Journal titled
“Championing the 21
st Century Resume.” The title alone caught my eye
since I have seen an increasing amount of stories where applicants have used
non-traditional methods to apply for a position and have been successful. Most
recently, I came across
this article from the Daily Muse, which showcased how
one applicant used the presentation tool Slide Rocket along side a traditional
resume and cover letter to demonstrate her creatively and ideas for a start-up company.
For me, the NACE article really helped to shed more light on the question of the
“modern resume.” One thing the article made clear was that a non-traditional
resume doesn’t work for every position or organization. Before considering using a non-traditional
resume, make sure you know your audience. In addition to looking at the company
website, you can look at employee bios and company profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter,
Facebook and other social media to get a sense of the culture. After doing research, if you feel the employer would not understand or appreciate a "21st century" resume, then go with your gut and take the more traditional route. I do believe that it is important to include your LinkedIn URL and any other relevant websites on the resume no matter what format you choose to use.
That being said, if you feel a non-traditional resume is the
way to go, below is an excerpt from the article that outlines what a 21st
century resume is.
So What Is a 21st Century Resume Anyway?
A 21st century resume is hyperlinked and active, unique
and personal, and eye-catching. It may contain these elements:
◦
Color jumps off the page and can be as simple as a header, an
underline, or highlighted text.
◦
Graphics can convey tone, humor, and skill,
as well as add to personal branding.
◦
Unique fonts can help the information stand out
from the crowd.
◦
Text boxes can be a great way to highlight a
lot of information in an attractive way, for example, long lists of software.
◦
Columns are a simple trick to break the
full-page one-column monotony.
◦
Personal traits can show employers more than the
flat one-dimensional picture.
◦
Style related to a specific industry will highlight a deep
understanding and ability to tailor a message.
◦
Social media shows creative thinking and
demonstrates social media fluency.
Hyperlinks are critical to the 21st century resume. Think
about the unlimited potential of links on a student resume:
◦
Business or marketing major: Link to a
sample business or marketing plan.
◦
Computer sciences major: Link to his or her open-source
coding projects.
◦
Engineering major: Link to a prizewinning
robotics team design and video.
◦
English major: Link to his or her blog or website
with writing samples.
◦
Fashion design major: Link to a Pinterest content
sharing page to showcase designs and influences.
◦
Graphic design major: Link to his or her online
portfolio.
◦
Film/video major: Link to a demo reel, YouTube
channel, or website.
Since many employers now rely on LinkedIn profiles to get more
information about a potential employee, all majors can be encouraged to create
and expand their LinkedIn profiles and link to them in their e-mail signatures
and on their resumes. The LinkedIn format allows students to show off their
skills, honors, awards, connections, projects, recommendations, portfolio
samples, and more.
Two examples of 21st century resumes that were
successful:
An English major landed a highly competitive job at Seventeen
magazine with a resume designed to look like the magazine's cover style.
(Image from Naceweb.org)
A software engineering major used a clever timeline combined with a touch of humor to garner interviews with quirky start-ups.
(Image from Naceweb.org)
 |
| Kaitlyn Riley, Assistant Director |
