Why the resume isnt dead just yet

Why the resume isnt dead just yet Not a month goes by when someone fails to issue one of the  following predictions: 1)  The resume is dead!2)  Who reads resumes anymore?3) Resumes have been replaced by a) networking; b) online branding; c) web portfolios; d) something else maybe your  LinkedIn profile? The interesting thing about these so-called forecasts  (usually via Twitter) is that they are always followed  by a recruiter or HR manager who immediately refutes these assumptions by telling the world that yes, resumes ARE still a major part of the hiring game. And, they add, there is  no standardized replacement that everyone reads in lieu of a resume. Even though resumes have evolved significantly from  a mere chronology of your past, and managing your online identity IS critical  to landing the job you want resumes are consistently relied upon by the following groups: Recruiters, who dont relish the task of manually entering your employment data into their database, and therefore prefer scanning in  your resume Interviewers, who need your chronology in front of them in order to make sense of it when they assess your qualificationsand who really prefer talking to you in person instead of staring at you on Skype Networking contacts, who would be quite lost if you handed them only  a business card with your LinkedIn profile URLbecause now they have the extra step of  looking it up and then emailing it to a contact (who will then want your resume, of course) Hiring authorities,  who may have  just learned about you and want to get your resume into their handsand will then circulate your resume (paper or electronic) around their office as proof of your fitness for the job theyre about to post Dont mistake the place of your resume in your quest: it wont network for you, it wont call employers on your behalf, and it wont magically land in the lap of an interested party without your facilitation. However, its also not going away anytime soon! You WILL be asked (and hopefully frequently) for  a branded, value-specific resume that aligns with  your career level and goals during a job search.