The New Role of Resume Professional? Career Communication Manager.
While the traditional resume is often said to be “dying” there is a critical need for comprehensive, cohesive, branded career messaging and marketing as search, social media, and personal branding continue to skyrocket, coloring everything in job search and career communications, at every level, from student to CEO.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

Distraction Is the New Normal.
The effect of multi-tasking workers, smart phones, texting, short form web writing, and Twitter continues to transform resume writing. To fight for attention content is becoming shorter and tighter; conversely, there are more ways than ever to project the message. As resumes are contracting, the need for comprehensive communication is expanding.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

The Resume Is No Longer Your Calling Card.
The resume as a “first-strike” document is fast being replaced by Google searches of LinkedIn, Facebook, and on-line reputation aggregators like addictomatic.com, creating a critical need for strategic, managed career communication independent of the resume.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

The New Key Words for Career Documents? “Modular and Many.”
Careerists will need a modular career communication component library that can be strategically woven into multiple career marketing vehicles on paper and across the web. Brand, job history, Impact statement, CAR stories, testimonials, and more will be created in modules, ready to pull of the shelf at a moments notice to create an on-line profile, an employment proposal, a social media resume, etc.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

Personal Branding Becomes “Portable Impact.”
In a world of free-floating top talent looking to land, branded impact with portable value will trump traditional accomplishments. Creating immediate value is no longer enough…”What did that value enable?” is today’s question. Strategizing how that value can be communicated across industries and functions will become ever more critical as markets contract in one area and expand in another.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

Branded Bios Will Replace Dry Corporate Bios.
Personality and impact infused “good read” bios may even replace resumes as the document most used for first contact by job seekers and careerists. Bio suites of multiple bios from two-page narratives to 30-second pitches, to bio blurbs, to branded Twitter bios will be expected and needed.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

Video Will Become Acceptable as a Supplemental Job Search Tool.
Video is a growing and value-add to a strong on-line identity and paper portfolio. Clients will need scripting and guidance in creating strong and targeted value statements that project an irresistible value proposition. Clients will need to stand out from the many boring video resumes that will be flooding YouTube and the marketplace.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

“Virtual” Portfolios Become the Rule, Not the Exception, for Serious Careerists and Job Seekers.
Social media resumes and on-line portfolios will become far more common, and often expected in certain industries. They allow for deeper and more transparent career communication via links to other sites, downloadable files of work samples, video, testimonials, etc.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

There is Still a Place for Paper and Good Design.
In the off-line world, paper and PDF resumes will become more design-rich, with the judicious use of color, formatting, graphs, links, and font choice to quickly draw attention to critical components. Resumes that look like those of just a few years ago will appear aged, and by association, less than stellar.

Contributed by Deb Dib, CPBS, CCMC, CCM, NCRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, Certified 360Reach Analyst, Certified Online Identity Strategist

Resumes Will Continue to Become Shorter, Tighter, and More Laser-Focused
The three- or four-page executive resume has given way to a standard two-page document, and resumes for people at all levels are by necessity becoming crisper and more to the point. Factors influencing this trend include the proliferation of smart phones and other hand-held devices with minuscule screens; the explosion of the social media site Twitter that condenses all messages to 140 characters; and the bombardment of multimedia messages and advertisements that constantly entertain, distract, and shift focus. Readers quickly lose interest in wordy resumes that don’t get right to the point.

Contributed by Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, CCM

Resumes are Morphing Into Online Profiles
While the traditional paper resume is still alive and well, it is no longer enough. Smart professionals are creating and maintaining online profiles whether or not they are actively searching for a new job. In fact, LinkedIn has become the executive recruiter’s “passive database,” a method for trolling through potential candidates before they become active job seekers. This trend is expected to continue as individuals post more and more information about themselves, their careers, their passions, and their personalities so that potential employers can select candidates based not just on qualifications but on the more elusive “fit” factors.

Contributed by Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, CCM

Personal Contact Information is Limited
An inflexible rule for resumes for the past several decades was to list your home address and multiple means of contact—email address, home phone, cell phone, pager, fax number, and any other information that would help people contact you. That trend is shifting, for two reasons: the prevalence of online resume posting and the ubiquity of cell phones. In response to identity theft issues, we now recommend that individuals not include their home address on resumes that are widely e-mailed or posted on the Internet. It is enough to indicate just city and state if you want to give readers an idea of your physical location. And because more and more people are reachable at all times via cell phone and email, it is sufficient to list just one cell number and one email address rather than cluttering up the resume with multiple data points that force readers to choose how to contact you.

Contributed by Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, CCM

Lengthy Cover Letters Are Evolving to Crisp E-Letters
Email and online applications are now the dominant methods for communicating with employers, sending a resume, and applying for a job. Of necessity, then, cover letters have evolved to keep up with this trend, and this evolution is expected to continue. Replacing traditional cover letters that were detailed “career stories,” today’s e-letters are crisp, high-impact messages that combine short sentences, brief paragraphs, and perhaps a few concise bullet points to quickly communicate a few key facts that will be most meaningful to the reader. Like modern resumes, today’s cover letters cater to the short attention spans and multiple distractions that are commonplace in today’s (and tomorrow’s) fast-paced business environment.

Contributed by Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, CCM

Documents Become More Distinctive
In line with trends in personal branding, electronic job search, niche marketing, and all aspects of career management, career marketing documents have evolved from bland “career summaries” to one-of-a-kind marketing documents with messages that clearly communicate unique value rather than cookie-cutter qualifications. This trend supports the creation of multiple vehicles—online profiles, web portfolios, tweets, e-letters, blogs, and more—that all share the distinct voice of the individual yet are tailored for the specific medium. As a result, even in a sea of media and messages, individuals can become recognized and sought out for their unique expertise.

Contributed by Louise Kursmark, MRW, CPRW, CEIP, JCTC, CCM