In this age of LinkedIn profiles and personal photos, one may well ask if a traditional resume is on the endangered species list. The answer is “No” – but it can no longer be the only source of information out there that potential employers refer to when assessing candidates.

What else is there? What do you have to have?

A LinkedIn profile – Just about 10 years ago, someone sent me an invitation to join LinkedIn.
I had never heard of it, and wondered what kind of strange society it was, and why I would want to join. I asked him what it was, and he said it was a great website, claiming many influential, talented, professional, leader-type individuals as members. He said all the important people were members. So I expressed my gratitude, signed up, and never looked back. It is of course invaluable in the professional world. Most hiring managers will look up a LI profile when they receive a resume. If you don’t have one, or haven’t posted a photo,
it could be regarded as suspect. In fact, you can actually apply for some positions using a LI profile.

What else might you benefit from?

A video resume – this is gaining in popularity as an add-on to a regular resume, and LI itself has a video option for personal profiles. This could be really helpful if you are a performer, speaker, or really want to project your excellent communication skills. You will probably have to really practice in front of a camera, and even consider getting a video coach. To date, no company has ever asked us for a video resume.

A QR code, driving the reader directly to your own website perhaps.

A Xing profile, perhaps, if you are not in North America.

So why do you need a traditional resume?
It is still standard custom to bring a printed resume to an interview to hand to the interviewer(s).
It is mostly required for uploading during online applications.
It is what is normally submitted to recruiters and hiring managers.
It contains more information than a profile, and this is important both for hiring managers to read, and for applicant tracking systems to parse. Buzz words are key.
It is an indication of how organized you are and how well you present information.
In the academic world, a CV is king.

Is there a value in getting your resume edited by a professional?
Here the answer is “Yes”. Many people are unaware of whether their resumes are easily readable, look professional, present information succinctly, lack grammar, capitalization, and spelling mistakes. Neither do newcomers realize that putting their phone numbers in an overseas format, or using .in or other non – North American extensions immediately sets them apart and may unnecessarily call into question their education, training, and work experience.

[Readers can refer to https://www.editmyresumenow.com if they want help with this type of overview and editing.]