Career Journal: The 'Online' Resume

Embracing this cultural zeitgeist, some employers have begun to ask applicants for hyperlinks to demonstrate their web presence. Others have abandoned the use of resumes altogether ' although this remains a small percentage overall. Undoubtedly, marketing executives will be expected to accommodate interviewers' requests for online material and a web strategy or be prepared to defend why they are not avant-garde in this new business conduit.

According to an article in the Jan. 24, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal, some companies are now seeing resumes with “QR codes, which can be scanned with a smartphone and direct recruiters to additional information, such as a candidate's website or presentation.”

Your Electronic Fingerprint

As legal marketers, you can now expect to be asked to produce examples of materials you can claim to have your electronic fingerprint on, either directly or indirectly. That is one heck of a transformation in a very short span of time. Admittedly, business-to-business marketing did not immediately lend itself to social media outlets. Initially, professional services firms struggled to find its applicability and relative value. Moreover, lawyers loathe to showcase any information on the web about their successes in client matters, lest they appear unseemly and indiscreet in their business dealings. Their reticence was short-lived. According to an article in the March 11, 2012, edition of The Washington Post,

“Now, 20 percent of law firms have a full-time social media specialist on staff, and about 40 percent said blogging and social networking initiatives have helped the firm land new work, according to an ALM Legal Intelligence report released in February that surveyed 179 attorneys, managing partners and marketing directors.”

'Land New Work'

“Land new work,” that's the key. The 2011 Client Advisory Report from Citi Private Bank and Hildebrand Baker Robbins (now HBR Consulting) found that the legal market remains flat or was in slight decline as it has been since 2009. Lawyers are clamoring for business and scrambling for a competitive edge. They look to their marketing colleagues for new tools and ways to stand out. As “prosumers,” lawyers are increasingly savvy to how people buy things ' even intangibles ' in both personal and commercial settings. The divide between B to B and B to C continues to be blurred. Interviewers expect candidates to not only opine on the subject, but visibly demonstrate a proven track record of success.

During a recent senior marketing search we did for an AmLaw 200 firm, our candidates were asked about how they have and would track customer loyalty. The search committee told us that the field generally faltered on this question. Their answers were graded rather poorly with the exception of one candidate from one of the well-known global strategy consulting firms. He fully understood the power and reach of an effective online and social media presence in addition to more traditional methods of tracking customer loyalty.

Conclusion

While the resume remains a critically important document ' one that in most instances is hard to do without ' the art form of presenting oneself continues to evolve. The fundamentals of writing effectively remain in place. In 2008, I challenged readers to write a concise, coherent, and ultimately, cogent document which kept the reader's attention. Similarly, in linking readers to your repertoire of “online” materials, one must keep one's readership engaged and on topic. Think about how many times you've surfed the web and found yourself traveling through a series of pages tangential to the original reason you went online to begin with. In connecting your readers to your online material profile, make sure to keep them focused on you. A few examples should suffice, including a portfolio of your contribution to the content on your employer's website; examples of any online presentations or webinars you've conducted; and links to any of your business-related social networking sites (i.e., LinkedIn). Choose to elaborate on your web strategy prowess, tantalizing the interviewer on the opportunities associated with a strong social media strategy.

As the parent of teenagers, I have often had to remind my children of the potential perils of the wrong type of “web presence.” In contrast, as a career counselor, I caution my readers of the risk of a “web absence.”

Michael DeCosta, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a partner with the international executive search firm, Caldwell Partners, resident in its Stamford, CT, office. He can be reached at 203-348-9581 or via e-mail at [email protected].

A few years ago, I wrote in this column about the art of resume writing; what works and what doesn't. At the time, I attempted to stifle the creative urge in many marketing executives to make their resumes some sort of career magnum opus. I was not a big fan of introducing color, design, or photography into the document. I used the example of the character actress Reese Witherspoon played in the movie Legally Blonde, who as an aspiring attorney, sent out pink, perfumed-scented resumes to prospective employers. The simple point I was trying to make was there was much more to presenting yourself and attracting prospective employers than trying to perfect the resume and use it as your singular lifeblood to new employment. In 2008, I wrote:

Writing your resume is only a small fraction of the job search process. Resumes do not get you the job; you do. The majority of job seekers land their next position through networking. Your time would be better served “working your network” than trying to produce the ultimate resume. That said, once your networking efforts produce an interview, be prepared with a proper resume and, more importantly, supporting collateral materials to showcase your talent. A portfolio of marketing materials you have produced over time is absolutely essential.

The Emergence of Social Media

While I stick by my original commentary, I realize now, in retrospect, that I failed to comment on the emerging significance of social media and its undeniable impact on one's search for a job. At a minimum, social media is an integral part of professional networking. More importantly, social media now affords you the opportunity for a creative outlet through which to showcase your talents.

Social media has moved rapidly from its nascent stage to fledgling adolescence with lightning speed. In just a few short years, the way we project our professional image has transcended from the simplicity of a black and white resume to a more ubiquitous “web presence.”

Embracing this cultural zeitgeist, some employers have begun to ask applicants for hyperlinks to demonstrate their web presence. Others have abandoned the use of resumes altogether ' although this remains a small percentage overall. Undoubtedly, marketing executives will be expected to accommodate interviewers' requests for online material and a web strategy or be prepared to defend why they are not avant-garde in this new business conduit.

According to an article in the Jan. 24, 2012 edition of The Wall Street Journal, some companies are now seeing resumes with “QR codes, which can be scanned with a smartphone and direct recruiters to additional information, such as a candidate's website or presentation.”

Your Electronic Fingerprint

As legal marketers, you can now expect to be asked to produce examples of materials you can claim to have your electronic fingerprint on, either directly or indirectly. That is one heck of a transformation in a very short span of time. Admittedly, business-to-business marketing did not immediately lend itself to social media outlets. Initially, professional services firms struggled to find its applicability and relative value. Moreover, lawyers loathe to showcase any information on the web about their successes in client matters, lest they appear unseemly and indiscreet in their business dealings. Their reticence was short-lived. According to an article in the March 11, 2012, edition of The Washington Post,

“Now, 20 percent of law firms have a full-time social media specialist on staff, and about 40 percent said blogging and social networking initiatives have helped the firm land new work, according to an ALM Legal Intelligence report released in February that surveyed 179 attorneys, managing partners and marketing directors.”

'Land New Work'

“Land new work,” that's the key. The 2011 Client Advisory Report from Citi Private Bank and Hildebrand Baker Robbins (now HBR Consulting) found that the legal market remains flat or was in slight decline as it has been since 2009. Lawyers are clamoring for business and scrambling for a competitive edge. They look to their marketing colleagues for new tools and ways to stand out. As “prosumers,” lawyers are increasingly savvy to how people buy things ' even intangibles ' in both personal and commercial settings. The divide between B to B and B to C continues to be blurred. Interviewers expect candidates to not only opine on the subject, but visibly demonstrate a proven track record of success.

During a recent senior marketing search we did for an AmLaw 200 firm, our candidates were asked about how they have and would track customer loyalty. The search committee told us that the field generally faltered on this question. Their answers were graded rather poorly with the exception of one candidate from one of the well-known global strategy consulting firms. He fully understood the power and reach of an effective online and social media presence in addition to more traditional methods of tracking customer loyalty.

Conclusion

While the resume remains a critically important document ' one that in most instances is hard to do without ' the art form of presenting oneself continues to evolve. The fundamentals of writing effectively remain in place. In 2008, I challenged readers to write a concise, coherent, and ultimately, cogent document which kept the reader's attention. Similarly, in linking readers to your repertoire of “online” materials, one must keep one's readership engaged and on topic. Think about how many times you've surfed the web and found yourself traveling through a series of pages tangential to the original reason you went online to begin with. In connecting your readers to your online material profile, make sure to keep them focused on you. A few examples should suffice, including a portfolio of your contribution to the content on your employer's website; examples of any online presentations or webinars you've conducted; and links to any of your business-related social networking sites (i.e., LinkedIn). Choose to elaborate on your web strategy prowess, tantalizing the interviewer on the opportunities associated with a strong social media strategy.

As the parent of teenagers, I have often had to remind my children of the potential perils of the wrong type of “web presence.” In contrast, as a career counselor, I caution my readers of the risk of a “web absence.”

Michael DeCosta, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a partner with the international executive search firm, Caldwell Partners, resident in its Stamford, CT, office. He can be reached at 203-348-9581 or via e-mail at [email protected].