What's Trending in Resumés?

The one thing to keep in mind about trends is that they're not necessarily time-proof — what's trending today may be completely ridiculous next month. And, the last time we looked at a pile of resumés here at poss.ca, it was pretty obvious that people were still going the traditional route. Chronological, combined and functional resumés were prevalent; there was not a single paper with a QR code on it or a testimonial attached. Nor was there an infographic resumé to be found. So you might want to wait a bit before you jump on any of the newest trends though if something appeals to you, use it — you never know how trend-obsessed your next employer may be.

Brand
Sadly, some employers (and resumé experts) believe that you're no longer just you — you are a brand. The Branding Your Resumé article by Katherine Hansen and Randall S. Hansen talks about how branding or developing an image is “a promise that the product is better than all the competing products.” Essentially there have to be three elements in your resumé that will help to establish your unique brand:

• Appearance — Present a package with a consistent look that will make you instantly recognizable to an employer. This means using the same format, look and font for all your job search communications: cover letter, business cards, thank-you letters and, of course, your resumés.
• The message — Your message should be consistent and not contradict what you're trying to present. If you're looking for a job in media, stick to that message and forget about listing your nanny experience.
• Statement — This is an advert for who you are that will tell the employer what you can bring to him/her. It should sum up “your value proposition, encapsulate your reputation, showcase what sets you apart from others, and describe the added value you bring to a situation. Think of it as a sales pitch.”

According to the Hansens, your sales pitch can be figured out based on answering the following questions:

• What makes you different?
• What qualities or characteristics make you distinctive?
• What have you accomplished?
• What is your most noteworthy personal trait?
• What benefits (problems solved) do you offer?

Online presence
Your paper resumé is one thing, your online presence is another — but it is your online presence that will make or break you, according to various resumé experts. Way back in 2011, personal branding “guru” Dan Schawbel predicted that “in the next 10 years, resumés will be less common, and your online presence will become what your resumé is today, at all types and sizes of companies.” The article Extreme Makeover: Resumé Edition repeatedly mentions that online presence is the most important aspect of resumé trending, specifically, the multidimensionality of resumés — their presentation on the screen as well as on paper. “If you want to be easily found, a recruiter should be able to Google your name and find your story. With social media tools, you can create a dynamic and branded online message conveying who you are.”

Your LinkedIn, your Facebook and your Twitter presence is what gives an employer a better idea of who you are. You can't just hide behind your paper resumé — you need to follow social media trends and adhere to what they dictate.

Creativity
Gone are the days when we told you to never ever try to be flamboyant in your resumé format (unless you're applying to more traditional career sectors such as finance — that rule still applies). Because of the inclusion of online presence in job searching techniques employers are now more tolerant of creative approaches that are intended to sell you — after all, branding is exactly that — making yourself into a product and selling it. And a creative resumé helps gain an advantage over other job applicants who are still going the tried and true classic route (please note, the "tried and true" route is still okay if you're not entirely sure if one of examples is the way to go).

If you are applying for a more conservative job or if flamboyant really isn’t you, you can still add a little creativity to your resumé without going over the top. The Using Colour in Your Resumé article suggests ways you can subtly use shades and hues.

Reinvention
Like we said earlier, here at poss.ca we still receive classic resumés when we post positions but even these are changing now. Some parts of resumés have been replaced, other parts got revamped. If you want to really be ahead of the pack consider revamping the following four parts:

1. Objective — Replace this one with a skills summary statement or a value proposition. The latter is essentially an “attention-grabbing branding statement” intended to “communicate your career goals to the reader.” In the How to Find Your Value Proposition article you're taken through a number of steps that will allow you to come up with your own value statement by answering such questions as, “What are the most important roles you have filled for current and previous employers?” The whole point of a value statement is to (again) sell your value in a short paragraph (instead of telling employers what your own goals are as you've done in the objective section in the past).
2. Responsibilities — Try accomplishment-based statements instead. In the Extreme Makeover article, accomplishment-based statements are considered “the foundation of your value proposition,” which work to make you shine among the hundreds of applicants. Instead of listing what you've done, list how what you've done made a difference at the places you worked at.
3. Contact Info — Keep the usual information, such as your name and email contact information. But also ensure you include all of the online hubs where the employer can find you and further learn about who you are: LinkedIn, your personal website, your Twitter handle, etc. At the same time, check that your online presence is exactly how you want it to appear — if it's not, adjust your privacy settings and set other important measures to protect yourself from identity theft.
4. References available upon ... Please, no more of this (also the word “upon” is quite archaic and should be banned from usage when it comes to resumés). The Extreme Makeover article suggests providing a link to your recommendations on LinkedIn instead. The What You Don't Know Could Kill Your Job Search ... Latest Resumé-Writing Trends 2011 article suggests including actual testimonials in the resumé (though perhaps because of space constrictions they could just be limited to blurb-like quotes instead).

Article Submitted By: www.poss.ca