Resumes: Paper or Cyber?

Several people have mentioned that they heard on NPR that paper resumes are gone.  According to an expert, that document on beautiful paper, carefully folded and clipped to its matching cover letter, belongs to the ages.  What’s going on here?

Several trends have contributed to this mostly-accurate observation.

First, the world of IT has been emailing its resumes for some years now.  They exchange credentials and qualifications with the greatest of ease, and were never known for beautiful papers in the first place.  

Second, the volume of resumes in circulation today would crush anyone’s inbox.  Tools exist which can read, sort, scan, and select the best candidates for the job in a matter of seconds.  

Third, there is a matter of security.  Remember anthrax?  One of the first changes in the twenty-first century has been that of increased security in the U.S. mail.  Mail entering a government building must be decontaminated, and no one can tell you how long this process takes.  If one attempted to mail an application or resume, the job would be filled long before your document reached its destination.  

Is there an exception?  Well, I think that if you are applying for a very small, independent business, very hands-on, which focuses on human relations, such as a wedding consulting firm, day care center, senior center, auto repair shop, or retail shop locally based, a paper resume and cover letter will still be acceptable. 

New skills are called for in today’s world of job hunting.  Formatting, effective words, and computer software that transmits accurately can be combined with the highlighting of your skills, accomplishments, and goals which always made for a great resume.  Stay up on resume trends for today and tomorrow – you’ll be glad you did.