I came across this interesting thought while reading RSS feeds this morning. At first I just read it and continued on to the next feed. All during the day, the thought kept resurfacing in my head.
Why do we create a resume? We do so to give our prospective employer the best possible image of who we are and what we can do. The primary portion of the resume displays what our past employment has been. We also list our academic achievements and any organizations we belong to. Sometimes we may list hobbies or extra curricular activities.
What does the employer look for in a resume? They are looking for what the potential employee is capable of. They are hoping to find similar experiences in whatever field they are interviewing for. They are also hoping to get a general feel for the person as a whole.
The blog has changed all that. Particularly in the tech industry, all potential applicants should have a blog. This blog should be fairly active and accurately represent what the blogger is all about. The employer will be able to see what the applicant is truly like because a blog can not be tailored to a specific job. A blog will also show the employer what the applicant is passionate about. While the specific passion is not as important, the level of passion shown will be significant to the employer.
The blog also helps the blogger. No longer will the applicant need to try and mold themselves into what they feel the employer wants. Each interview will be conducted with the individual who wrote the blog which should be the real applicant.
I would also suspect that people with similar passions will interact and employment opportunities may arise that are not tied to the existing career paths of the individuals involved.
The more I think about it, the more I agree that the resume is dead.