Will a Multimedia Resume Help Your Job Search?

As the job market shifts and technology advances, web-based resumes are growing in popularity. Newer technologies for social media communication are continuing to evolve. I am often asked how this will impact the traditional resume.  While I doubt Word resumes will be going anywhere soon, I have definitely seen an increase in demand for virtual or digital resumes over the past year or so.

One of the things that candidates really love about the digital resume is the versatility. Digital resumes allow candidates to display spreadsheets, charts, graphs, photos, awards, and other significant content to provide hiring managers and recruiters with a 360° view of their competencies and accomplishments.

The digital resume is a value added product that hiring managers find useful as part of evaluating a candidate.  One hiring manager at a large consumer goods firm told me that digital resumes really help him to get a more comprehensive understanding of what makes a candidate tick. He likes to go to the digital resume during the phone interview, allowing him to ask specific questions, thereby gaining a stronger understanding of the candidate’s strengths.

While LinkedIn profiles are good, the digital resume opens up a whole new dimension. Here are a few reasons why multimedia resumes are catching on.

• Digital resumes provide more exposure. Candidates can be easily found via Google search. As more companies move away from job boards and focus on social media avenues to identify candidates, sites that feature digital resumes are growing in popularity.
• Virtual resumes allow candidates to create PowerPoint presentations and even videos. Web-based resumes can be accessed via smart phones and iPads.
• Rich media presentations permit candidates to expand the depth of information they provide. Instead of simply mentioning an accomplishment, one can illustrate the outcome of a project by using colorful graphs and charts to show results.
• Issues surrounding space become irrelevant when creating a digital resume. Candidates can include more content with unlimited web pages. One caveat, studies show that when creating information online, shorter paragraphs are important; reading online is very different from reading printed content.
• Links to various social media profiles are easily added to give readers a more comprehensive understanding of a candidate’s background.
• In addition to video presentations, audio files can also be included in digital resumes. Audio files are easy to create and can really demonstrate a candidate’s unique communication style.

While a traditional resume is still an absolute ‘must have’, the multimedia resume is becoming increasingly popular, helping candidates to improve their job search results. Digital resumes are the wave of the future and the future is here now!