Show your work

If you consider yourself a marketer or creative professional, what does your resume really get you in a world where you can film your work life with a phone? Does your bullet list of buzzwords and seemingly random facts really illustrate what you do? Stop and think about what a resume really is supposed to do. It's usually reviewed in advance of an interview where a prospective employer or client can figure out where you think you excel. They can brainstorm their questions and determine which risks might need more discussion before they make their hiring decision. However, as attention spans get more narrow and selective, the chances of a hiring manager or client sifting through your vague sentences is pretty slim.

---

If all the resume is meant to do today is get someone's attention, and people already have little to give, what's the alternative?

Build a portfolio. Show your work.

What do we do about people who still want resumes?

I would strongly advise you to reconsider clients who are only satisfied with resumes. These can often be positions where people really don't know what they want and/or don't really have real work for you to do. You'll find many teams in large, insulated environments, built for headcount targets and not necessarily work. Go for the teams that really know what skills they need. They usually have a good idea of what they're trying to do. You will have more fun with them.

If someone still needs a resume (perhaps a company formality), build it more like a brochure and provide links to other resources that can help spark conversations.